372. Control of the moisture content and ‘body-firmness’ of cheddar cheese

Abstract

Cheesemaking experiments were carried out to investigate the moisture-retaining characteristics of curd made from milks of varying fat and casein content. The results indicate:(a) That milk fat helps to retain moisture in a cheese curd. The higher the proportion of fat present the more drastic the treatment required in the cheese vat to reduce the moisture content of the finished cheese to the desired level. A higher cooking temperature, more dry-stirring of the curd and a larger proportion of salt are all necessary with rise in fat content of the curd.(b) That curd formed from milk of a low-casein content (from Friesian cows) retains moisture in the cheesemaking process more tenaciously than curd from milk of a highcasein content (from Jersey cows).