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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Scotland, Ayrshire

DunlopTraditional Ayrshire Dunlop

Whole milk from Ayrshire cows, raw or pasteurised, is renneted in open vats and the curd is cut and stirred by hand while the acidity is checked. The whey is run off, the curd is left to knit and sour to about 0.55 % acidity, then milled, salted and pressed overnight. The cheeses are scalded in hot water, wrapped in cloth and ripened 6–18 months on wooden shelves. Made in 5 steps over 6 months – 18 months. The longest step, ripen on wooden shelves, takes 6–18 months (European Commission 2014). Lactic acid bacteria does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step6–18 monthsSet[dunlop-oj-2014]Ripen on wooden shelves
AciditypH 5.2–5.4Set[dunlop-oj-2014]Ripen on wooden shelves
Fully documentedCheese6 months – 18 monthsPGI (Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop, 2015)Family: Cheddared cheese family (Cheddar as template)More cheddared cheesesMore from United Kingdom

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification gives no recipe amounts. Cheeses are made in three traditional sizes, about 350 g, 3 kg and 20 kg.
Whole milk from Ayrshire cows · Raw or pasteurised[dunlop-oj-2014]
Salt · Mixed into the milled curd; finished cheese holds 1.6–1.8 % sodium chloride[dunlop-oj-2014]
Cloth bandages · Dipped in hot water and wrapped round each cheese[dunlop-oj-2014]
Starter: not named in the specification

Total time across the recorded steps: 6 months – 18 months

Start
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What changes: Rennet sets the milk in an open vat and the curd is cut and stirred by hand

Step 1 of 5
Set the milk and cut the curd
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Acidity is checked with an acidity meter while the curd is stirred and cooked. Output: curd grains in whey.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
curd cut and stirred gently by hand until it reaches the right firmness
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Dunlop is made much like Cheddar, with the curd knitted, soured, milled and salted before pressing. It uses whole milk from Ayrshire cows and is scalded and bandaged in hot cloth before 6–18 months on wooden shelves.

Milk
Whole Ayrshire cow milk, raw or pasteurised
Ripening
6 to 18 months; most sold at 10–12 months
Composition
Moisture 39–44 %; fat in dry matter 52.1 %; salt 1.6–1.8 %; pH 5.2–5.4
Size
About 350 g (3.5 inches across), 3 kg (7 inches) or 20 kg (13–15 inches)

Related ferments

Variants

  • MildRipened 6–10 months.
  • MatureRipened 10–12 months.
  • Extra matureRipened 12–18 months.

Safety

Raw or pasteurised milk is allowed. The specification sets limits for the finished cheese, with Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella absent, E. coli under 10 and S. aureus 20–100 per gram.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus (limit 20–100 per gram); Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella must be absent; E. coli under 10.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The specification credits Barbara Gilmour of Dunlop, who learned whole-milk cheesemaking in Ireland during exile from about 1660, returned after 1688 and taught local farmers. Production was revived in Dunlop parish in 1989.

  1. [dunlop-oj-2014] European Commission 2014, Single document «Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop» (UK-PGI-0005-0889), Official Journal of the EU C 417/13, 21 November 2014 (Polish edition)spec
  2. [reg-2015-581] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/581 of 26 March 2015 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop (PGI))spec