Editing Halloumi (section)

== Production ==
Production of halloumi cheese involves several key steps.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Özer |first=Barbaros H. |title=CHEESE {{!}} Microflora of White-brined Cheeses |date=1999-01-01 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0122270703003159 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology |pages=397–403 |editor-last=Robinson |editor-first=Richard K. |access-date=2023-04-21 |place=Oxford |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |isbn=978-0-12-227070-3}}</ref>

The first step of halloumi production involves the coagulation of the milk in order to make [[curd]]s. This occurs by stirring rennet into the milk mixture while keeping it at a temperature of 30–34&nbsp;°C until the milk coagulates (a process which takes approximately 30–45 minutes). Once the curd is formed it is then cut, reheated and stirred in order to increase its firmness. The curds are then added to special molds and pressed until a sufficient amount of [[whey]] has been removed.<ref name=":0" />

The next step of production involves the boiling of the pressed curds in hot whey (collected during the pressing of the curds) for at least 30 minutes,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Papademas |first1=Photis |last2=Robinson |first2=Richard K |date=August 1998 |title=Halloumi cheese: the product and its characteristics |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0307.1998.tb02646.x |journal=International Journal of Dairy Technology |language=en |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=98–103 |doi=10.1111/j.1471-0307.1998.tb02646.x |issn=1364-727X}}</ref> during a process known as scalding.<ref name=":3" /> This is the most crucial step in the halloumi production as it contributes to the characteristic texture of the cheese. The cooked pieces are then removed from the whey and are salted and garnished with fresh or dried mint (''[[Mentha viridis]]'') leaves. They are then folded and stored in salted whey for 1–3 days before being packed in airtight containers, ready to be sold and consumed.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=How Halloumi is Made {{!}} Charalambides Christis |url=https://www.halloumicheese.eu/halloumi-cheese/how-halloumi-is-made |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421204803/https://www.halloumicheese.eu/halloumi-cheese/how-halloumi-is-made |archive-date=21 April 2023 |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=Charalambidis Christis}}</ref>

For the production of mature halloumi, the cheese needs to be kept in the brine whey for at least 40 days.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Kamilari |first1=Eleni |last2=Anagnostopoulos |first2=Dimitrios A. |last3=Papademas |first3=Photis |last4=Kamilaris |first4=Andreas |last5=Tsaltas |first5=Dimitrios |date=2020-05-01 |title=Characterizing Halloumi cheese's bacterial communities through metagenomic analysis |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643820302875 |journal=LWT |language=en |volume=126 |page=109298 |doi=10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109298 |arxiv=2004.01710 |s2cid=214802525 |issn=0023-6438}}</ref>