Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop

Appearance & taste

Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop is cylindrical and has a hard, thin, golden rind with a very fine texture. Traditionally there are three sizes: about 9 cm in diameter and 8 cm high at 350 g, about 18 cm and 11 cm at around 3 kg, and about 33 to 38 cm and 23 cm at around 20 kg; other sizes are possible. The paste is naturally pale yellow, moderately firm, supple and moist when cut, and slightly open. According to the specification, the pale yellow colour comes from the milk of Ayrshire cows with its smaller fat globules.

When young the cheese tastes very mild and nutty and is slightly elastic. As it matures the taste becomes stronger, nutty and creamy, and the texture more supple and, because the cheese loses moisture, drier. There are three stages of maturity: mild (6 to 10 months), mature (10 to 12 months) and extra mature (12 to 18 months). The cheese contains 1.6 to 1.8 % salt.

Production

The Ayrshire cows graze in summer, usually from May to September, and receive additional feed at milking if needed. In winter they are housed and fed hay, haylage or silage with compound feed. Their raw or pasteurised whole milk is used.

The cheese is made in open vats. The curd is cut and gently stirred and heated by hand while the cheesemaker measures the acidity; when stirring ends is decided by his judgement, because curd that is too firm gives a dry cheese and curd that is too soft a moist one. After the whey is drained, the curd is pressed against the sides of the vat until it has the so-called “chicken breast consistency”: smooth on the surface, moist and fibrous when broken. At about 0.55 % titratable acidity it is milled, salted, filled into moulds and pressed overnight.

The next day the wheels are scalded, small ones dipped in boiling water, large ones doused with it, and wrapped in cloths that have also been scalded. This creates a smooth rind that does not become too thick, and the cheese keeps its shape. After another day in the mould the wheels are hung up to dry and then ripen on wooden shelves, where they are checked regularly. All steps from treating the milk to ripening take place in the area.

Origin & history

The area lies around the village of Dunlop and is bounded by roads between Neilston, Lugton, Beith, Dalry and Stewarton. The climate is mild, damp and rainy, influenced by the Gulf Stream. On the heavy clay and loam soils lush grass and clover grow, good pasture for Ayrshire cattle. According to the specification, the humidity lets the cheese ripen without drying out. Because the milk changes over the year, cheesemakers have to respond to this to achieve consistent quality.

The recipe is attributed to Barbara Gilmour, who came from the area and around 1660 had to go into exile in Ireland for religious reasons, where she learned to make cheese from whole milk. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688 she returned to Dunlop, first made the cheese around 1690 and passed her method on to other farmers; it became known as Dunlop cheese. In 1989 production to the original recipe was resumed in the parish of Dunlop, observing modern hygiene rules but with manual work, scalding, cloths and slow ripening as before. Cheese called “Dunlop” is also made in other parts of Scotland.