Cheese Flashcards
What is the primary definition of cheese?
The fresh or ripened solid or semi-solid product in which the whey protein/casein ratio does not exceed that of milk obtained by coagulating (wholly or partly) the following raw materials: milk, skimmed milk, partly skimmed milk, cream, whey cream, or buttermilk., through the action of rennet or other suitable coagulating agents and by partially draining the whey resulting from such coagulation.
What is the secondary definition of cheese?
The fresh or ripened solid or semi-solid product in which the whey protein/casein ratio does not exceed that of milk obtained by processing techniques involving coagulation of milk/and or materials obtained from milk which give an end product which has similar chemical, organoleptic, and physical characteristics as the product systemized under the classification of cheese.
What are the 3 ways cheese is classified?
- Hardness.
- Fat content.
- Curing technique.
What are the 5 designations of cheese hardness and there associated moisture levels?
- Extra hard (<41%).
- Hard (45-60%).
- Semi-hard (54-63%).
- Semi-soft (61-69%).
- Soft (>67%).
What are the 5 designations of fat level and there associated fat percentage?
- High fat (>60%).
- Full fat (45-60%).
- Medium fat (25-45%).
- Low fat (10-25%).
- Skim (<10%).
What are the 3 curing options for cheese?
- Cured or ripened (mainly surface or mainly interior).
- Mold cured or ripened (mainly surface or mainly interior).
- Uncured or unripened (Done with pasteurized milk).
What is the first step of the cheese making process?
Milk pasteurization.
What is pasteurization?
Heating milk to a specific temperature for a set period to kill harmful bacteria and extend shelf life.
What are the pros of milk pasteurization?
- Removal of bacteria capable of affecting the quality of the final product.
- Removal of pathogenic organisms.
- Standardization of favors.
What is the con of pasteurization?
The removal of environmental organisms that produce specific flavors.
Where is Low-Temperature Long Time (LTLT) Pasteurization used in?
Smaller cheese plants.
Where is High-Temperature Short Time (LTLT) Pasteurization used in?
Large scale cheese plants.
How long should cheese from unpasteurized milk be aged?
60 days.
What is the second step of cheese making?
The addition of starter cultures and calcium chloride.
What do starter cultures produce?
CO2 and lactic acid from protein and lipid breakdown.
What are the 3 types of starter cultures?
- Adjunct cultures.
- Mesophilic cultures.
- Thermophilic cultures.
What do the bacteria in mesophilic cultures produce?
Lactic acid.
What do the bacteria in thermophilic cultures produce?
Mainly CO2.
What element is key in coagulum formation?
Calcium.
What does low calcium in a cheese result in?
A soft coagulum that does not hold fine casein and fat due to reduced syneresis.
How many g of CaCl should be added per 100kg of milk?
5-20.
What are common coloring agents added to cheese?
- Anatto.
- Carotene.
- Orleana.
What is the third step of cheese making?
Coagulation/Renneting.
How does rennet react with milk?
It forms a 3D gel net of casein micelles that trap fat in between them by reacting with k-casein.
Where was rennet first obtained?
The abomasum of a young calf, specifically in the enzyme chymosin.
What is the optimal temperature for rennet action?
35-40 C.
What is the first stage of a rennet reaction?
Chymosin breaks k-casein on the position Phe105-Met106.
What is the second stage of a rennet reaction?
The para-k-casein connect to each other through calcium phosphate to form a coagulum.
What are the two other sources of rennet?
- Vegetable/plants.
- Microbial.
What vegetables/plants is rennet derived from?
- Artichokes.
- Cardoon.
- Nettles.
How does the product of vegetable/plant rennet differ from that of animal rennet?
- Softer coagulum.
- Bitter taste from aging.
Where does microbial rennet come from?
Microbes that either naturally produce rennet or have been genetically modified to do so.
What is acid coagulation?
The use of acids or microbial fermentation to lower the pH of milk and additives to the isoelectric point, causing the micelles to fall out of solution.
What is the fourth step of the cheese making process?
Curding/Cutting the coagulum.
What does this curding process allow for?
Syneresis or the expelling of the whey from the curds.
How small are the curds cuts?
3-15 mm grain sizes.
What is the relationship between curd size and syneresis?
Inverse.
What is the fifth step of cheese making?
Cooking and stirring?
What is the objective of cooking and stirring?
To increase syneresis.
What are the special steps that can be taken at this point, depending on the cheese being made?
- Cheddaring.
- Pasta filata/filatura/string cheese.
What is cheddaring?
Cutting the curds into blocks and piling them up in a warm vat to increase syneresis and milk protein elasticity.
How is pasta filata/filatura/string cheese made?
the curds are cooked in hot water and stretched until the curds form a string.
What is the sixth step of cheese making?
Salting.
What are the benefits of salting?
- Altering texture.
- Enhancing flavor.
- Promoting syneresis.
- Regulating microbial growth.
What are the 3 types of salting?
- Brine.
- Dry salting.
- Surface rubbing.
What is the seventh step of cheese making?
Molding and pressing.
What is the purpose of molding and pressing?
- To drain off any remaining whey.
- Form the final shape of the cheese.
What is the eighth step of cheese making?
Aging.
What are the steps of aging cheese?
- Water evaporation.
- Lactose fermentation.
- Proteolysis.
- Lipolysis.
- Rind formation.
- Flavor formation.
What are the 5 rind types?
- Bandaged/Cloth-Bound.
- Bloomy.
- Natural.
- Washed.
- Waxed.
How are bandaged/cloth-bound rinds developed?
After the cheese is wrapped in cloth during aging.
How are bloomy rinds developed?
A mold culture is sprayed on the exterior of the cheese.
How is a bloomy rind described?
Soft, velvety, white.
How is a natural rind developed?
Letting the cheese age w/o the addition of molds or washing.
How is a waxed rind developed?
Dipping the cheese in one or more layers of food grade wax.
What does a wax rind protect the cheese from?
- Moisture.
- Contamination.
How are washed rinds developed?
By regularly washing the cheese with beer, brine, spirits, or wine.
How is a washed rind described?
- Sticky.
- Orange or reddish.
