What are Cheese Curds & Are They in The UK?
Dairy products have a way with people where many of us use them in our daily food intake for a healthy and balanced diet. From milk to yoghurt and, of course, cheese, you won’t run out of options of varieties and brands that offer their unique take.
For the sake of this article, we will talk about a US Midwest native dairy delicacy known as cheese curds. We will also discuss its uses, taste and availability in the UK. Read on to learn all about it.
What are Cheese Curds?
Cheese curds are typically small pieces of curd sourced from fresh pasteurized milk that can be eaten as a standalone snack or added to many recipes. As we mentioned, it is native to the Midwest, where Wisconsin and Minnesota are on the top of the cheese curd production list.
The process of making cheese curd is pretty straightforward. First, you add bacterial culture and rennet to a batch of fresh pasteurized milk to make it clot. Once the clotting process is complete, the resultant product is a mixture of whey and curd. You can cut it in preferred sized cubes with a knife. Lastly, you’ll have to cook the mixture and press it to remove the whey content, so you’re left with pure cheese curd.
Why Should You Use Cheese Curds?
Cheese curds are merely another tasty item on the long list of exquisite dairy products. If you’re a cheese fanatic, cheese curds ought to be one of the critical items on your grocery list. Additionally, if you have friends over at your abode and you’re tasked with the daunting process of making food for everyone, cheese curds can be your saviour. Toss them in the frying pan after wrapping them in preferred seasoning, and voila, you have snacks for everyone.
Since, like many other dairy products, cheese curds are meant to be eaten immediately after preparation, you don’t need to worry about storing chunks of them in your fridge. Purchase, eat, burp and enjoy!
Some Common uses of Cheese Curds:
Let us skim through some of the many uses of cheese curds in our daily cuisine. Take a look:
Use them fresh:
One of the ways you can consume cheese curds is using a fresh supply to add to your meals or eat as a standalone snack. You can add extra flavours, seasoning or herbs to bring the most out of your dining experience.
Fry them:
A popular snack at carnivals and social events, fried cheese curds are delicious. Many restaurants and food chains also offer it as an appetizer or finger food. Pair it together with ketchup or your favourite sauce and enjoy the delicacy melt in your mouth.
In many areas around the US and UK, fried cheese curds are also known as Cheeseballs.
Make Paneer:
Paneer is a dairy item adored by millions of people living in the Indian subcontinent. Often used as a meat substitute, Paneer is made by adding an acidic medium (lemon, vinegar, etc.) to boiling milk for the curdling process. Once the milk is ready, the makers drain the liquid portion and preserve the leftover white mixture. Then, they use the iconic oval containers to give them their selling shape.
Primary Ingredient of Poutine:
We’ve all heard about Poutine, even enjoyed it while dining out with friends. But many people are unaware that cheese curds are the main constituent of this legendary food item.
What do cheese curds taste like?
Cheese curds have a mild flavour, but their taste can be entirely different depending on the area and manufacturing process. It shares its texture with regular cheese, exhibiting firmness and dense molecular structure. But there’s a twist.
You see, cheese curds are known for their squeaky texture that almost feels rubber-like. Every bite you take, cheese curds would squeak around your teeth like rubbing two balloons together. You can always try it yourself and give the final verdict, as it may prove to be a red flag for some and a mouth-watery delicacy for others.
It is important to note that the squeakiness of the cheese curds stays only as long as they’re fresh. You might find it to have mellowed down after 12 hours of opening the packaging, even if you kept it refrigerated.
A fun fact for many cheese fans out there; cheese curds are often colourless, but of course, you can also find the regular orange and yellow ones.
Where to buy cheese curds in the UK?
If you’re wondering where to buy cheese curds, we have some great options for you. As a start, you can always visit your local superstore or a market that deal in dairy products. You can also find many independent vendors with their establishments and farms where they sell cheese curd directly. But in doing so, make sure that you trust the vendor’s reputation so you don’t end up with a wrong purchase.
Of course, you can buy cheese curds UK online too. Many independent online vendors have made a name for themselves throughout the local regions in the country. They offer many varieties, and most vendors deliver your order the same day you place it. However, if online feasibility is a big deal to you, the safest option for you is to order your cheese curds through Amazon.
Conclusion:
If, by any chance, you don’t finish your cheese curds within the set amount of time, there is no need to worry about them going bad. If you’ve kept them unopened and in the fridge, cheese curds lose their squeakiness and transform into regular cheese, which you can use as you desire.
We hope this article helped you understand all there is to know about cheese curds and where you can buy them in the UK. Dairy products have many health benefits, but they can also cause extremely adverse effects if purchased from an unclean, unprofessional source. So make sure that you have good relations with your vendor and are aware of their cheese curd manufacturing process.
Stay safe and eat well. Cheers!
Andy
Ever since I started cooking I’ve been fascinated by how different people’s techniques are and how they best utilise the ingredients around them. Even the person living next door will have their own unique way of frying an egg or cooking a salmon fillet.
This fascination led me on a journey across the globe to discover the countless practices and traditions the world of cooking has to offer. I thought you’d enjoy and find value in sharing that journey with me so I created Cooked Best!