Curdling - Misplaced Pages

Breaking of an emulsion or colloid into large parts of different composition "Curdled" and "Curdled milk" redirect here. For the 1996 film, see Curdled (film). For the 2012 album by Nicole Dollanganger, see Nicole Dollanganger.

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Curdling is the breaking of an emulsion or colloid into large parts of different composition through the physio-chemical processes of flocculation, creaming, and coalescence. Curdling is purposeful in the production of cheese curd and tofu; undesirable in the production of a sauce, cheese fondue or a custard.

Method

In curdling, the pH of the milk decreases and becomes more acidic. Independently floating casein molecules attract one another, forming "curdles" that float in a translucent whey. At warmer temperatures, the clumping reaction occurs more quickly than at colder temperature. Curdling occurs naturally if cows' milk is left open in a warm environment to air for a few days.

Cheese and tofu

Main articles: Cheese and Tofu

Milk and soy milk are curdled intentionally to make cheese and tofu by the addition of enzymes (typically rennet), acids (including lemon juice), or various salts (magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, or gypsum); the resulting curds are then pressed.

Egg sauces

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In hot preparations emulsified with eggs like hollandaise and custard, curdling is the undesirable result of overheating the sauce. Sauces which contain starch curdle with more difficulty.

In cold sauces like mayonnaise as well as in hot sauces, too large a ratio of fat to egg may also cause curdling.

Milk sauces

In sauces which include milk or yogurt, overheating often causes curdling. The higher the fat content, the less likely curdling is. Strained yogurt used in sauces also curdles only with difficulty.

Coffee

When a plant based milk such as soya milk is added to coffee, curdling can sometimes occur. To help prevent this manufacturers sometimes add acidity regulators.

Cheesecake

When making cheesecake, if water is added to the cream cheese during the combining period, it will curdle.

Bibliography

Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science And Lore Of The Kitchen, 1984–2004.
Bethany Moncel "Why Does Milk Curdle" Archived 2016-12-17 at the Wayback Machine. Foodreference.about.com.

References

^ "Why does Milk Curdle?". www.scienceofcooking.com. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
"CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". www.accessdata.fda.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
Brown, Mairi; Laitano, Francesca; Williams, Calum; Gibson, Bruce; Haw, Mark; Sefcik, Jan; Johnston, Karen (1 October 2019). "'Curdling' of soymilk in coffee: A study of the phase behaviour of soymilk coffee mixtures" (PDF). Food Hydrocolloids. 95: 462–467. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2019.04.032. S2CID 145932645.

Cooking techniques

List of cooking techniques

Dry

Conduction	Dry roasting Hot salt frying Searing
Convection	Baking Roasting (modern) Smoking Barbecue
Radiation	Charbroiler Grilling (charbroiling) Roasting (traditional) Rotisserie Toasting

Wet

High heat	Blanching Boiling Decoction Parboiling Shocking Reduction
Low heat	Coddling Creaming Infusion Poaching Simmering Slow cooking Smothering Steeping Stewing
Indirect heat	Bain-marie (Double boiling) Sous-vide Double steaming Steaming

Fat-based

High heat	Basting Blackening Browning Frying Deep frying Pan frying Shallow frying Stir frying Sautéing
Low heat	Gentle frying Sweating

Mixed medium

Device-based

Non-heat