Acid-set cheese

Last updated
Paneer in sieve Paneer-in-sieve.jpg
Paneer in sieve
Fresh Bai cheese "Rushan cheese" is stretched and dried on bamboo. Xizhou Rushan.jpg
Fresh Bai cheese “Rushan cheese” is stretched and dried on bamboo.

Acid-set or sour milk cheese is cheese that has been curdled (coagulated) by natural souring, often from lactic acid bacteria, or by the addition of acid. This type of cheese is technologically simple to produce. [1]

Contents

When making soft acid-set cheese using bacteria, the coagulum results from production of lactic acid by the starter microorganisms. [1]

Cheeses can be classified according to a variety of features including ripening characteristics, special processing techniques (such as cheddaring) or method of coagulation. Acid-setting is a method of coagulation that accounts for around 25% of cheese production. These are generally fresh cheeses like, queso blanco, quark and cream cheese. The other 75%, which includes almost all ripened cheeses, are rennet cheeses.

Ricotta and most other whey cheeses are made by first heating the milk to between 90 and 92 degrees Celsius to create coprecipitation of casein and whey protein before addition of lactic or citric acid. [2]

Production

Rennet is also sometimes used in the processing of other fresh, soft cheeses like fromage frais, but it is not an essential ingredient and these cheeses can be produced by traditional methods without rennet or other enzymes. [3]

Ricotta is a high-moisture cheese, like cottage cheese, but it is not a pressed curd cheese. It can be made from whey or a blend of milk and whey. Traditionally, ricotta was produced from the whey byproduct of mozzarella and provolone production, but modern techniques usually use whole milk (sometimes without any whey). Milk can be blended into the whey to improve curd cohesiveness, neutralize the acid in whey and increase yield. This mixture of milk and whey is heated before enough food grade acid is added to drop the pH to the needed level (this could be some type of lactic, citric or acetic acid). Whichever type of acid is used by the cheesemaker it is important to maintain correct PH levels for the sweetness of the cheese's flavor. Some methods of mass-produced cheeses will use food grade caustic soda to neutralize the acid of the whey, before heating the blend and adding the coagulating acid. [4]

Regional varieties

Ripened Harzer cheese Harzer Kase.jpg
Ripened Harzer cheese

In Germany the term Sauermilchkäse is usually applied to ripened acid-set cheeses only, but not to fresh cheeses. The various types of ripened sour milk cheese include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mozzarella</span> Type of semi-soft Italian cheese

Mozzarella is a southern Italian semi-soft, non-aged cheese traditionally made from Italian buffalo's milk by the pasta filata method.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rennet</span> Complex of enzymes from the stomachs of young ruminant mammals, used in the production of cheese

Rennet is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a lipase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottage cheese</span> Type of cheese

Cottage cheese, also known as curds and whey, is a curdled milk product with a mild flavor and a creamy, heterogenous, soupy texture. It is made from skimmed milk by draining curds but retaining some of the whey and keeping the curds loose. An essential step in the manufacturing process distinguishing cottage cheese from other fresh cheeses is the addition of a "dressing" to the curd grains, usually cream, which is mainly responsible for the taste of the product. Cottage cheese is not aged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curd</span> Result of curdling milk

Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet, a culture, or any edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then allowing it to coagulate. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins (casein) to tangle into solid masses, or curds. Milk that has been left to sour will also naturally produce curds, and sour milk cheeses are produced this way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream cheese</span> Soft, mild-tasting cheese with a high fat content

Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream. Cream cheese is not naturally matured and is meant to be consumed fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie and Neufchâtel. It is more comparable in taste, texture, and production methods to Boursin and mascarpone. Stabilizers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan are often added in industrial production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricotta</span> Italian cheese

Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheesemaking</span> Craft of making cheese

Cheesemaking is the craft of making cheese. The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes, allows the nutritional and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved in concentrated form. Cheesemaking allows the production of the cheese with diverse flavors and consistencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paneer</span> Type of fresh cheese commonly used in Indian subcontinental cuisine

Paneer, also known as ponir, is a fresh acid-set cheese common in cuisine of the Indian subcontinent made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice.

The manufacture of Cheddar cheese includes the process of cheddaring, which makes this cheese unique. Cheddar cheese is named for the village of Cheddar in Somerset in South West England where it was originally manufactured. The manufacturing of this cheese has since spread around the world and thus the name has become generically known.

Crowdie is a type of soft, fresh cheese made from cows' milk, traditionally from Scotland.

White cheese includes a wide variety of cheese types discovered in different regions, sharing the sole common characteristic of their white hue. The specific type of white cheese can vary significantly depending on the geographical location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Requeijão</span> Whey cheese popular in Portugal and Brazil

Requeijão is a milk-derived product, produced in Portugal and Brazil. It is a loose, ricotta-like cheese used to make cheese spreads. It can be a good substitute to mild, unsalty ricotta. This variety is sometimes sold in the markets wrapped in fresh corn husks. In El Salvador, cheeses such as requesón can sometimes be transported wrapped in banana leaves instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tvorog</span> White European cheese

Tvorog is a European variant of white cheese. This is a non-liquid white fermented milk product, traditional for Eastern, Northern and Central Europe, obtained by fermenting milk with subsequent whey removal. It is officially customary to classify Tvorog produced in the traditional way, according to its fat content. According to GOST RF, according to physical and chemical indicators, Tvorog is divided into the following categories: fat-free, low-fat, classic and fatty. Also, according to the method of manufacture, such types of Tvorog are distinguished as simple, soft, and grained Tvorog, which is a type of low-fat Tvorog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheese</span> Curdled milk food product

Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk. During production, milk is usually acidified and either the enzymes of rennet or bacterial enzymes with similar activity are added to cause the casein to coagulate. The solid curds are then separated from the liquid whey and pressed into finished cheese. Some cheeses have aromatic molds on the rind, the outer layer, or throughout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesong puti</span> Filipino soft carabaos milk cheese

Kesong puti is a Filipino soft, unaged, white cheese made from unskimmed carabao milk and salt curdled with vinegar, citrus juices, or sometimes rennet. It can also be made with goat or cow milk. It has a mild salty and tart flavor. When an acidifying agent is used, it resembles queso blanco or paneer. When rennet is used, it resembles buffalo mozzarella. Moisture content can also vary, ranging from almost gelatinous to pressed and firm. It can be eaten as is, paired with bread, or used in various dishes in Filipino cuisine. It is usually sold wrapped in banana leaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprino cheese</span> Italian goat cheese

Caprino is an Italian cheese traditionally made from whole or skimmed goat's milk. The name of the cheese derives from the Italian word for goat, capra. With modern methods of production, the cheese is made from cow's milk as well or a combination of both cow's and goat's milks. The two major styles of caprino are fresco ("fresh") and stagionato ("aged").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of cheese</span> Classification of coagulated milk products

There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most commonly and traditionally used is based on moisture content, which is then further narrowed down by fat content and curing or ripening methods. The criteria may either be used singly or in combination, with no single method being universally used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhena</span> Type of cheese curds originating in India

Chhena or chhana are a style of cheese, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from water buffalo or regular cow milk by adding food acids such as lemon juice and calcium lactate instead of rennet and straining the whey through filtration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quark (dairy product)</span> Acid-set cheese

Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made from milk. The milk is soured, usually by adding lactic acid bacteria cultures, and strained once the desired curdling is achieved. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Traditional quark can be made without rennet, but in modern dairies small quantities of rennet are typically added. It is soft, white and unaged, and usually has no salt added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziger</span> Swiss whey cheese

Ziger (German), Sérac (French) or Ricotta (Italian), is a group of fresh cheeses originating in Switzerland. Ziger is nationally widespread as it is the by-product of the manufacture of hard Swiss-type cheeses, such as Gruyère and Emmental. Made of whey, it is rich in proteins and it is historically a staple food in the Alpine regions.

References

  1. 1 2 Jones, D.G. (2012-12-06). Exploitation of Microorganisms. Springer. p. 284. ISBN   9789401115322 . Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. Ullmann's Food and Feed, 3 Volume Set. Wiley. 2017-06-19. p. 584. ISBN   9783527339907.
  3. Fundamentals of Cheese Science. Aspen. 2000. p. 363. ISBN   9780834212602 . Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  4. Sinha, Nirmal (2007-04-27). Handbook of Food Products Manufacturing, 2 Volume Set. Wiley. p. 638. ISBN   9780470049648 . Retrieved 23 March 2019.