Why does some cheese have holes in it?

Question

We are all familiar with the cartoon cheese that is yellow and has holes in it. Examples include Edam, Jarlsberg and Leerdammer cheese - but how do the holes get in the cheese and why doesn't all cheese get holes in it?

Answer 1

The holes are because of carbon dioxide gas that is produced as the cheese is aged. Not all cheeses have holes because not all cheeses have the right texture and bacteria to produce holes.

Answer 2

Well I am late to the party and many good answers have been given. I will just add my little bit to the rest.

The answer is because of carbon dioxide production through a bacteria fermentation of milk acids. The gas is trapped as the cheese setting (aging) and forms pockets or eyes.

Hard Cheeses With Eyes

Many of the cheeses of this catagory were originally made in the mountainous regions of Europe, mostly by farmers in isolated mountain houses. Their curds are all cooked and then pressed and aged, so these cheeses are more solid. Their interiors are dotted with holes (eyes) created by a gas that developes within the cheese during the riprning process. The gas is actually natural carbon dioxide (CO2) that is excreted by the bacteris Propionbacter shermanii. Often these cheeses have tough, hard rinds.

Science:
Ripening of swiss-type cheese as Emmental follows the same basic pattern as that of other hard cheese, but is strongly influenced and modified by the presence of Propionibacterium freudenreichii. P. freudenreichii metabolizes lactic acid to proionic and acetic acids and CO2, the latter being responsible for the characteristic eye formation.
Amino acids are important in determining cheese flavor and proline is a flavor impact compound in Swiss cheese. Propionibacterium is the major source or proline-releasing peptidases (enzymes), other flavor compounds characteristic of Swiss cheese being produced by L. helveticus and probably by other starter lactobacilli.

Examples:

Emmental is the cheese commonly called Swiss cheese. It has olive-shaped eyes that can be as large as a walnut. Law dictates that it cannot be exported until it is four months old. Some sheeses are gigantic and weigh almost three hundred pounds. The Norwegians created a similar cheese in the mid-1950's called Jarlsberg. It is claimed to be the most popular imported cheese in the United States.

Several cheeses fall into the Gruyere family. First and foremost is Swiss Gruyere. It is softer and smoother than Emmental and considered to be a better cooking cheese. The finest Gruyere has a slight dampness in its pea-sized eyes. The French cheese Beaufort, known as the Prince of Gruyeres, is higher in butterfat than most Gruyeres and has a sticky moist rind from the bacteria (linens). Comte, also known as Gruyere de Comte, has been made in France since the thirteenth (1200's) century. It has marble-shaped holes. Younger cheeses have a floral aroma, while older cheeses have a farmyard character. Appenzell is sharper than Gruyere and has an even more pungent farmyard aroma. During its aging period, it is washed with wine, spices, and salt. It has small, irregular pea-sized eyes.

Answer 3

Well along time ago there was a place called chickachickabbamamp and there, the king was the master of cheese. One day the royal king feeder person was delivering cheese to the king. The king was very disapointed to find that the cheese was really heavy. So he blasted off into the future and took one of those giant laser guns. Then he went back to his time and blew some holes into the cheese so it wasn't as heavy. This way he could pick it up easier and he could be a secret spy so when he was eating his cheese, he could look through the holes and see what people were doing when they thought he wasn't looking and if they were doing something bad he could karate chop their butts...really hard. Later in the future, they came out with grocery stores and at the deli section, they slice it as thin as your hart desires, but we still carry on the tradition of holey thingys in the cheese. The End.

Answer 4

It's due to how these cheeses are processed. For example, Swiss cheese has holes due to the release of carbon dioxide by the bacteria Propionibacter, which starts to bubble and form holes.

Answer 5

Gassy bacteria creates the holes in some cheeses. This bacteria is needed the proper age and condition the cheese.

Answer 6

It's caused by the unique bacteria used in the production of Swiss Cheese Propionibacterium shermanii which consumes the lactic acid produced by other bacteria and gives off carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide creates the bubbles.

Answer 7

Propionibacter shermani is one of the three types of bacteria used to make Swiss cheese, and it's responsible for the cheese's distinctive holes. Once P. shermani is added to the cheese mixture and warmed, bubbles of carbon dioxide form. These bubbles become holes in the final product. Cheesemakers can control the size of the holes by changing the acidity, temperature, and curing time of the mixture. Incidentally, those holes are technically called "eyes," and the proper Swiss name for the cheese is Emmentaler (also spelled Emmental or Emmenthaler).

Answer 8

revealed that gassy bacteria are behind all that holey cheese. In order to make cheese, you need the help of bacteria. Starter cultures containing bacteria are added to milk, where they create lactic acid, essential for producing cheese. Various types of bacteria can be used to make cheese, and some cheeses require several different bacteria to give them a particular flavor.

Answer 9

because the swiss are silently angry at us. just kidding....

In a late stage of cheese production, the Propionibacter consumes the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria, and releases carbon dioxide gas, which slowly forms the bubbles that develop the eyes.

this is what creates the holes in cheese. it's gas and for those who are lactose intolerant. it gas too.

Answer 10

Certain Bacteria in the cheese causes the holes. Not all cheese have the holes because not all cheese are aged the same or at all.