Cheddar Cheese is the most widely bought and consumed cheese in the world and it's credited to the British. The name is not so much a cheese but a process. After the initial acidification and renneting of the milk, the curds coagulate into a large mass. This is then cut into slabs and left to drain. The slabs are then ground into small pieces, salted and placed into molds and pressed for at least 12 hours. Cheddar does not develop a rind. The commercial made kind are wrapped in cheese cloth and dipped in wax. This lets them breathe and age. Most are aged for two months. Those made from raw milk must be aged at least that long.
Age Determines Flavor The most important thing to consider when purchasing is to know the age. Cheddar has a long range of flavors depending on how long it has aged. The younger cheese is soft, mild and fruity tasting. The medium aged ones can be sweet and have an almost chocolaty flavor. Sharp cheddar has been aged longer, is harder and gives that familiar bite of flavor.
The colors range from white to pale yellow. Dairymen noticed that those made from May to September, when cows fed on lush green grass, tended to have a golden hue. Otherwise cheddar is mostly white. The bright orange colors you see with most of them are artificially added. The name Cheddar is not protected, so many manufacturers have been able to abuse the it.
Double Gloucester is made using a mix of morning and evening cow milk, which is the reason it has the name, Double Gloucester. It's a semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the 16th century. Double Gloucester is made from cows milk, colored with annatto to give it's signature orange color. It has a crumbly consistency similar to a good farmhouse Cheddar.
Double Gloucester
