Final answer:
The higher the cooking temperature of the curds, the harder the cheese.
Step-by-step explanation:
The higher the cooking temperature of the curds, the harder the cheese.
When curds are subjected to higher temperatures, the proteins in the milk, mainly casein, undergo further denaturation and start to coagulate more tightly. This results in a stronger network structure, leading to a firmer texture in the cheese.
For example, if the curds are cooked at a lower temperature, they will retain more moisture and have a softer texture, such as in a fresh cheese like ricotta. On the other hand, if the curds are cooked at a higher temperature, more whey will be expelled, resulting in a denser and harder cheese, like a cheddar or Parmesan.