What are the hard white objects in my Cheddar Cheese?
When cheddar cheese is described as “crunchy,” “gritty,” or containing hard, peppercorn sized white pellets, it is usually because of an amino acid called Tyrosine. Tyrosine occurs as the milk proteins age. At Cabot, we age our cheese naturally using our time-honored traditions. Cheddar that is aged over 12 months may contain milk proteins that have crystallized during the aging process. This process happens rarely and is not a defect in the aging process. This crystallized protein is not dangerous to eat and some customers even prefer it as a hallmark of outstanding “aged” cheddar. For more information, click here.
