STILTON

Stilton, a premier English blue cheese, has been produced in the midlands north of London since the early 18th century. This fine cheese is made today in very much the same way it has been since the methods were established in the 1700s. In 1936, The Stilton Cheese Makers Association was formed to maintain the standards and protect the Stilton trademark. This means that today the only cheeses that may carry the Stilton name are those made according to the original recipe, and only by authorized dairies in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. More than a million cheeses are produced each year by the seven creameries authorized to create this cheese.

Stilton is made from whole cows’ milk. In a time-honored production process, the milk is treated with a starter that combines Penicillium roqueforti and rennet. The curds that form are sliced to release the whey. A milling machine is then used to break the blocks of curd into walnut-sized chunks, which are placed in hoops to further drain the whey. The cheese is stored for aging, and its outside casing is periodically polished or buttered. As they age, Stiltons are cored with a cheese iron to promote air circulation and to encourage growth of the mold.