Editing Cheesemaking (section)

===Scalding===
In making Cheddar (or many other hard cheeses) the curd is cut into small cubes and the temperature is raised to approximately {{convert|39|C|0}} to 'scald' the curd particles. [[Syneresis (chemistry)|Syneresis]] occurs and cheese whey is expressed from the particles. The Cheddar curds and whey are often transferred from the cheese vat to a cooling table which contains screens that allow the whey to drain, but which trap the curd. The curd is cut using long, blunt [[Knife|knives]] and 'blocked' (stacked, cut and turned) by the cheesemaker to promote the release of cheese whey in a process known as 'cheddaring'. During this process the [[acidity]] of the curd increases to a desired level. The curd is then milled into ribbon shaped pieces and [[Edible salt|salt]] is mixed into it to arrest acid development. The salted [[green cheese]] curd is put into cheese moulds lined with cheesecloths and pressed overnight to allow the curd particles to bind together. The pressed blocks of cheese are then removed from the cheese moulds and are either bound with [[muslin]]-like cloth, or [[wax]]ed or [[Vacuum packing|vacuum packed]] in plastic bags to be stored for maturation. Vacuum packing removes oxygen and prevents mould (fungal) growth during maturation, which depending on the wanted final product may be a desirable characteristic or not.