Lindsey's Extreme Cheese Challenge Blue Peter Bite

This is Blue Peter, but mini.

Expect epic adventures, makes, bakes, badges, pets,

presenters and your post.

We've only got five minutes, so get ready for your Blue Peter adventure.

Cheese. I absolutely adore it.

So why, may you ask, am I starting a film about cheese

outside a cave in Somerset?

Well, all is going to be revealed,

but first I need to head about 45 miles that way, to Dorset.

This is Ford Farm,

and I'm here because we need to go back to the beginning

and find out how cheese is made.

Nice hairnet, Lindz.

So, where do we start? With milk, of course.

Meet Martin, a cheese-making expert.

Hello, Martin, I am here

and I am ready to milk some cows.

Let's do this.

We've already done that, so we'll crack on and make some cheese today.

Right. Yes. I knew that!

Hands washed and sanitised, we are good to go.

Oh, my goodness, is that milk?

We fill the tanks with milk.

This is now curds and whey.

-So that's why there's kind of little bits in it?

-Yeah.

When a special ingredient is added to milk,

it splits into curds and whey.

Curds are the solid bits, and whey is the liquid.

The curds and whey are now being drained and separated.

It's foaming, it's hot.

It is hot. It is 40 degrees.

Once most of the whey has been drained,

it's time to cheddar the curds.

-So the idea is we cut it with a knife.

-Yeah.

And then we roll the loaf over.

Oh, right.

-And that's cheddaring?

-And that's cheddaring.

-And that's why it's called cheddar cheese.

-Absolutely.

You cut, I'll roll.

Oh, it's quite heavy, isn't it?

Oh, it's really hot!

It's like wet, hot, scrambled egg.

And it's really heavy.

How long do you just keep doing this for?

-About two hours.

-Two hours?!

Get strong. It's a good workout, cheddaring.

'After cutting and turning the curds into blocks,

'all our hard work is undone by this machine

'which breaks it up again into small pieces,

'to make sure that the cheese gets an even scattering of salt.

'The curds are then are put into moulds to be pressed into shape.'

Still wouldn't want to eat this in a sandwich, would you?

'After four hours of being pressed, our cheese is carefully...

'Yeah, very carefully...'

Come on, cheese!

'..taken out and covered with a layer of lard,

'to protect it from drying out.'

It's like a proper Blue Peter make.

'It's then wrapped and left to mature for 12 months.'

Quite proud of that, Martin. Done.

'I've just got one more thing on my to-do list

'because this cheese doesn't just sit on the farm for 12 months.

'Oh, no.

'Remember the cave from earlier?

'Well, it's about to take centre stage

'because this type of cheese is special.

'To give it a unique, earthy flavour

'it's kept 16 metres underground,

'at the Wookey Hole caves in Somerset,

'and that's exactly where our cheese is heading.

'To get our cheese into its home for the year,

'I'm going to take it caving.

'Guys, this is extreme cheese!

'I don't really know what that is, but luckily,

'caving guide Becca is here to help me.'

Hi, how are you doing? Thank you for helping me today.

Let's do this.

I'm taking our cheese through some of the ancient tunnels

and caverns that have only recently been opened,

so I've wrapped it carefully in a bag.

That is a tight squeeze.

SHE GROANS AND STRUGGLES

It's incredible to think that some of the caves I'm travelling through

were created 50,000 years ago.

This cheese had better taste good. I'll tell you that much.

But caving is only the beginning.

It turns out I'll do anything for cheese.

Not just crawling through tunnels.

So, Becca, what are we doing? I'm scared.

Lindsey, you're going to do an abseil.

So when you're ready,

if you just want to kneel down, and go out to the edge.

-Let go?

-Let go.

-OK.

-Oh, my goodness.

-This is an intense way to store cheese, I've got to say.

-It is.

We could have just put it in the fridge, you know?

'This is ridiculous.

'I'm dangling from a rock face, all for a block of cheddar.'

Just managed to do an abseil with two kilos of cheese on my back.

Can't say that every day, can you?

After travelling nearly 500 metres through these beautiful caverns,

I've finally come to the place where the cheese is going to rest

for the next 12 months,

and just through here is cheese chamber expert Tanis.

-Tanis, hi.

-Oh, hi! Nice to meet you.

Good to meet you. It's great to be here.

-How did you get here?

-There's a path just down there.

'OK, that's a little bit annoying.'

Oh, right.

So, whereabouts is my cheese going to go?

It's going to go right here.

-Amazing! Shall we get it out?

-Yeah.

I don't know if it's a bit battered and bruised.

-No, I'm sure it will be perfect.

-Here we go.

The moment of truth. It's come a long way.

There we go.

Well done!

Blue Peter cheese!

So why is it important that it's in here, Tanis?

It's 11 degrees all year round,

it has a perfect humidity,

and it has a nice earthy flavour the caves bring out in it.

Our BP cheddar will take on those cave-y tastes

as it matures 16 metres below the ground for the next year.

Job done.

Do you know what? I'm actually really proud of that,

cheese made with my own fair hands.

That is extreme cheese.

Join in every Thursday on CBBC.