We Talked Poutine With A Cheese Expert & Won't Take Curds For Granted Ever Again

Why are cheese curds squeaky?

The one characteristic of cheese curds most folks know about is the squeaky sound they make with every bite. Now, how is it possible for a cheese to even make a sound? Well, it turns out it all comes down to age.

Fred explained that the reason cheese curds make a squeaky sound is that it's a very young aged cheese — or bébé fromage — as the Fromager Urbain put it. "When you skip the pressing stage, and the fresher a cheese curd is, the more it will make a squeaky sound," he said.

You gotta catch a curd while it's real fresh though, because after two or three days, the squeak is no longer, Fred said.

What ingredients make up cheese curds?

While we all know milk is a required ingredient for making cheese — there are a total of four ingredients needed to produce cheese curds.

Milk or cream, depending on the cheese you make, is the first and most crucial ingredient to getting your curd on. Next up, you've got bacterial cultures. Fred says this is the ingredient that raises the most eyebrows but rest assured, it's the good kind of bacteria.

Enzymes known as rennet are then used to coagulate the mixture; helping the cheese bind together in a "jello-like way," Fred said. Toss in a little bit of salt next, and you've got yourself cheese curds in the making.

How long do cheese curds take to make?

Fred, who actually makes his own cheese curds at home, says it can take up to five hours to produce cheese curds from start to finish. While this can seem lengthy, the final result is worth every minute of cheese-making.

Should you refrigerate cheese curds?

It's best not to put your cheese curds in the refrigerator for optimal squeakiness, Fred shared. Cheese curds are often found sitting at room temperature in grocery stores and local markets — that's because keeping them at room temp helps the cheese curds preserve their squeakiness.

Is it expensive to make your own cheese curds?

Fred said that the cost all comes down to how much dairy milk is going for. The Fromager Urbain says that 1 kilogram of milk will make roughly 100 grams of cheese curds. If there's a cheese that costs $30 at the grocery store, Fred says that he can make it himself for $10 — it'd just take a few hours.