How The Cheese Ripens

Video: How The Cheese Ripens

Video: How The Cheese Ripens
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How The Cheese Ripens
How The Cheese Ripens
Anonim

The process of maturing the cheese is the last stage of its preparation. It is preceded by curdling, draining and pressing the cheese, slicing and salting. It produces the most complex changes in its components. During this period, the properties are formed, giving the characteristic features of the type of cheese, namely - organoleptic.

During ripening, the most significant changes occurring in the cheese are those in the proteins and to a lesser extent in the fats. Only in the first hours after curdling the microorganisms from the yeast multiply rapidly, the lactose is broken down to glucose and galactose, and from there to lactic acid.

Ripening cheese
Ripening cheese

The overall titratable acidity increases during the process. By increasing lactic acid, calcium from calcium paracaseinate is converted to monocalcium. This new compound can swell, thus helping the individual grains to stick together and give the cheese elasticity.

Cheese
Cheese

In order to obtain the organoleptic and nutritional properties characteristic of the cheese, the change in casein is of the greatest importance. It goes through five complex stages.

White cheese
White cheese

During the ripening process, as a result of the decomposition products obtained, the typical specific taste and smell of the cheese are obtained. This set is called the "cheese bouquet".

The taste of the cheese after ripening is mainly due to certain amino acids. They are most strongly determined by glutamic acid, as well as by 130 other types of volatile substances. Among them are the amines tyramine, tryptamine, histamine, methylalanine, dimethyl and trimethylamine and others.

Maturation takes place at 15 ° and lasts 45 days. During the first few proteins, they are broken down by chymosin. After 12 - 14 days, the action of proteolytic endoenzymes, released after the death of lactic acid microorganisms, begins.

The maturation process aims to thicken the resulting lactic acid, which is also its preservative. According to the raw material in our country cheeses are divided into several types:

- Goat cheese and buffalo cheese;

- Cheese;

- Sheep cheese;

- Mixture;

In addition, the cheeses are divided according to the area in which they are made. However, the processes are almost the same everywhere, with small differences at the local level.

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