Edam Cheese Making Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is Edam cheese made? ›

Edam is made with skimmed or part-skimmed milk that's curdled with calf rennet. After the whey is drained away, the curds are washed and formed into shapes before they are immersed in a brine, then left to age for 21 days to a year.

Edam is milder and has a semi-hard texture, ideal for those who prefer a subtle cheese. Gouda cheese is richer and creamier, with a flavour that ranges from mild to very strong - depending on the ripening time. Edam is often recognisable by its red wax coating, while Gouda usually has a yellow wax coating.

Edam cheese is a semi-hard cheese named after the town of Edam in North Holland, where it was originally produced. The cheese is made using pasteurised cow's milk. It is known for its mild, nutty flavour and distinctive round shape covered in a red or yellow wax coating.

How Edam is made. The production of Edam focuses on simple, yet flavourful ingredients to produce a powerhouse of soothing flavours and textures. The flavours are let to settle on their own without any means of acceleration or artificial seasoning. Natural animal rennet is added to pasteurised cow's milk.

Edam ages and travels well, and does not spoil; it only hardens. These qualities (among others) made it the world's most popular cheese between the 14th and 18th centuries, both at sea and in remote colonies.

Substitutes for Edam cheese

Equally mild in taste, Gouda shares nearly identical qualities with Edam. Dense and springy in texture, this cheese features sweet and creamy tones with notes of hazelnut and soft butter.

But despite their resemblance, these cheeses boast distinct characteristics. Edam is drier and tarter than Gouda, browns better, and is more well-suited for slicing. Gouda, on the other hand, is creamier than Edam, contains more fat, and offers a smoother melt.

Edam and Gouda cheese do not vary significantly in nutrition values.

Gouda cheese is a mild cheese that is similar to Edam cheese, but contains more fat. Edam contains 25% proteins and 40% fat. Gouda cheese is mild in taste and grows stronger depending maturing.

The red coating on Edam cheese is paraffin wax, which is indigestible but harmless. You can eat it, it will just pass through, but it has no nutritional value, so there's not much point.

Why is Edam cheese healthier? ›

It has a lower calorie and fat content than many other cheese varieties and an impressive calcium contribution. Like gouda, edam contains the same compounds that have a blood pressure lowering effect as well as antioxidants that protect the cardiovascular system from the effects of high levels of salt.

What type of cheese is Mini Babybel ®? Mini Babybel® is an edam style cheese made from pasteurised milk. It is a semi-hard cheese, made from four ingredients – pasteurised milk, vegetarian rennet, lactic ferments and salt.

The "Original", most popular, Mini Babybel is an Edam-style cheese made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. It is made using traditional Edam-making processes, except that rennet from vegetarian – rather than animal – sources is used. It is also naturally lactose-free.

Are Cream Cheese and Cottage Cheese Vegetarian? As we mentioned above, soft cheeses that do not require coagulation do not use rennet at all. Cottage cheese in particular is a fresh cheese that consists of loose curds, meaning you typically won't have to worry at all about whether or not it's vegetarian.

Wax Rind: Some cheeses, such as Gouda and Edam, are coated with wax to protect them during aging. The wax rind is not edible and should be removed before eating. Cloth Rind: Some cheeses, such as Cheddar, are wrapped in cloth during the aging process to allow air to circulate.

It has a lower calorie and fat content than many other cheese varieties and an impressive calcium contribution. Like gouda, edam contains the same compounds that have a blood pressure lowering effect as well as antioxidants that protect the cardiovascular system from the effects of high levels of salt.

But despite their resemblance, these cheeses boast distinct characteristics. Edam is drier and tarter than Gouda, browns better, and is more well-suited for slicing. Gouda, on the other hand, is creamier than Edam, contains more fat, and offers a smoother melt.

The wax on cheese is designed to provide a safe coating. It helps to prevent the growth of any unwanted mold whilst retaining the cheese's moisture and preventing it from going dry.