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How do they make string cheese?

String cheese is a fun, tasty snack that has become popular among kids and adults alike. But have you ever wondered exactly how they make that cheesy, peelable, stringy goodness? The process of making string cheese is pretty fascinating.

What is String Cheese?

String cheese refers to a variety of cheeses that have been manufactured into a rope-like shape that can be peeled into strips or strings. The cheese gets this unique texture through a process called pasta filata.

This is an Italian term that means “spun paste” and refers to stretching out the cheese curd while heating it in hot water. Stretching the curd aligns the proteins into stringy bundles, giving the finished cheese its distinctive stringy texture.

The most common types of cheese used to make string cheese are mozzarella, cheddar, provolone, and Asiago. Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella is the most popular because it can be stretched out the thinnest without breaking.

Where Did String Cheese Originate?

String cheese has its origins in Italy, where versions of pasta filata style cheeses like mozzarella and provolone have been produced since medieval times. Italian immigrants first brought versions of string cheese to America in the late 19th century.

The snack gained widespread popularity in America during the 1960s and 70s, as manufacturers developed automated production methods that allowed string cheese to be produced commercially on a large scale. Frank Baker, founder of Baker Cheese Factory in New York, is sometimes credited with inventing the first commercial string cheese in America in the 1960s.

Over the years, many manufacturers have created different shapes, styles, and flavors of string cheese to appeal to consumers. Nowadays, string cheese can be found in a variety of fun shapes like braids, twisted sticks, paddles, balls, or simple sticks.

String Cheese Ingredients

The main ingredients in basic string cheese are:

  • Milk – Most brands use pasteurized cow’s milk.
  • Starter cultures – Bacterial cultures are added to ferment the milk and develop flavor.
  • Rennet – An enzyme that coagulates the milk to form curds.
  • Salt
  • Calcium chloride – Helps the milk coagulate.
  • Natamycin – An antifungal agent applied to the surface.

The ingredients will vary slightly between cheese styles and brands. For example, cheddar or Asiago string cheese may also contain annatto for color and enzymes that give them a sharper flavor.

Some brands also add additional ingredients like paprika or jalapenos to make flavored varieties like pizza or spicy string cheese. Preservatives like potassium sorbate may be added to extend shelf life. But generally, string cheese contains just the basics ingredients needed to make and flavor the cheese.

How String Cheese is Made

Making string cheese involves these main steps:

  1. Making the cheese curds
  2. Molding and pressing the curds
  3. Stretching and forming the strings
  4. Salting and brining
  5. Cooling and drying
  6. Cutting and packaging

Let’s look closely at what happens during each step:

1. Making the Cheese Curds

First, milk is pasteurized to kill any harmful bacteria. Then, bacterial starter cultures and rennet are mixed into the milk to kickstart the fermentation process and start forming the curds.

The milk coagulates into soft, gelatinous curd chunks in a large vat. These soft curds are cut into smaller cubes with wire knives to expel the whey (liquid).

As the curds continue to acidify and firm up, they are strained from the whey and washed. The finished cheese curds should be spongy and elastic, ready for stretching.

2. Molding and Pressing the Curds

Next, the cheese curds are loaded into molds and pressed to knit them together into a solid block. The amount of pressure and time spent pressing will determine the final texture.

For string cheese, the curds are generally pressed lightly to make the cheese flexible enough to stretch without breaking. The rounded molds give the cheese a log shape.

3. Stretching and Forming the Strings

Here’s where the string cheese gets its unique stringy texture. The molded cheese logs are submerged into hot water or heated whey to soften them. The logs are stretched and folded over on themselves repeatedly to align the proteins into bundles.

As it’s stretched, the pliable cheese forms long rope-like strands. The strands are layered and wrapped together into a loaf. The stretching action also aerates the cheese, giving it a softer, more pliable texture.

4. Salting and Brining

After forming, the cheeses are left to soak in a saltwater brine to season them and develop flavor. The time spent soaking can range from a few hours to a couple days.

The brine is made by dissolving salt in water. Sometimes spices and aromatics like garlic or peppercorns are added too. The salt also acts as a preservative, inhibiting bacterial growth and helping dry the cheese’s surface.

5. Cooling and Drying

Once brined, the cheeses are air-dried at cool temperatures to form a dry rind. This helps prevent mold growth and further develop the flavor. Drying time can take from 2 days to 2 weeks depending on the style.

6. Cutting and Packaging

Finally, the cheese logs are sliced into individual sticks. An anti-molding treatment like natamycin is applied to the slices to deter fungal growth and extend shelf life. Then the cheese sticks are packaged up for distribution.

Commercial Production

While traditional string cheese was hand stretched by skilled cheesemakers, today most commercial operations use automated machinery to churn out string cheese on a massive scale.

Modern string cheese making machines can stretch up to 2,000-4,000 lbs of cheese per hour! The machines submerge the cheese blocks into heated salted water then use belts or pneumatic pressure to continuously stretch the cheese into thin ribbons.

The flexible ribbons of cheese are layered and folded by the machine into a continuous rope that travels down the line. The rope is then cut into portions by automated slicers.

Why Use Machines?

Machines offer several advantages for string cheese manufacturing:

  • Far higher efficiency and output volumes.
  • More consistent product quality.
  • Reduced labor costs compared to hand-stretching.
  • Ability to adjust settings precisely for different types of cheese.
  • Increased food safety with enclosed automated environments.

Of course, some artisan cheesemakers still hand-stretch their cheeses for that personal touch. But for large scale production, automated stretching machines are standard in the industry.

Interesting Facts About String Cheese

Here are a few more fun facts about this popular snack food:

  • Mozzarella accounts for about 75% of string cheese produced.
  • Part-skim mozzarella must contain between 45-60% moisture to work well for string cheese.
  • On average, 1 lb of cheese curd can be stretched into a 30-foot long rope!
  • String cheese has about 80 calories per 1 oz stick.
  • The most string cheese eaten in one minute is 8 sticks according to Guinness World Records.
  • National String Cheese Day is celebrated on September 18th.
  • BelGioioso in Wisconsin produces enough string cheese each year to wrap around the earth.
  • String cheese is one of the most popular snacks among kids aged 2-12 in the U.S.

Nutrition Facts

Here is the basic nutrition information for 1 oz of whole milk mozzarella string cheese:

Nutrient Amount
Calories 80
Fat 6g
Saturated Fat 4g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 20mg
Sodium 180mg
Carbohydrates 1g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars less than 1g
Protein 7g

String cheese is an excellent source of protein and calcium, but can also be high in sodium and saturated fat. Low-moisture part skim mozzarella offers lower fat and sodium levels. But all varieties make for a tasty, protein-packed snack!

Buying and Storing String Cheese

When purchasing string cheese at the store, check the sell-by or use-by date and choose the freshest option. Avoid packages with mold, moisture, or tears.

For storage, keep refrigerated at 40°F or below until ready to eat. Properly stored, string cheese can last about 2-3 weeks past the date on the package. Once opened, it’s best to eat within 1 week.

If mold develops on an unopened package, it’s best to throw the entire package away. Don’t eat string cheese past the expiration date, as quality and safety decline over time.

For maximum flavor and texture, let refrigerated string cheese come to room temperature before eating. And make sure to reseal the package after opening and refrigerate promptly.

How to Eat String Cheese

Obviously, the fun of string cheese is in the peeling! There are a couple techniques you can use to peel your string cheese perfectly:

The Twist Method

Grasp one end of the stick and twist the cheese to form spirals. As you twist, the cheese will split apart into strings.

The Peel Method

Peel the cheese lengthwise as if you’re peeling a banana. Slowly pull on the strings to separate them from the stick.

You can also just bite into string cheese for a delicious, cheesy snack. But where’s the fun in that?

String cheese makes a great addition to school lunches, snacks, appetizer trays, or recipe ingredients. Add some snap and fun to recipes like:

  • Antipasto skewers
  • Cheese rolls
  • Baked string cheese bites
  • String cheese omelets

So next time you’re packing snacks or need a quick protein bite, reach for tasty and peel-able string cheese!

Conclusion

With its fun, peelable texture and tasty, mild flavor, it’s no wonder string cheese remains a popular snacktime staple. Though originally made by hand, automated production allows this cheesy treat to be enjoyed on a mass scale.

Made using a pasta filata stretching process, string cheese offers an appetizing. protein-packed snack for kids and adults. While varieties abound, mozzarella still accounts for the bulk of string cheese today. Its low moisture content and high stretch make it perfectly suited for stringing.

Thanks to its convenience, customizability, and nostalgic appeal, string cheese is here to stay. The next time you peel off those satisfying cheesy strings, you’ll have a new appreciation for the fascinating process that brings this snack to your lunchbox.