Cheddar Cheese Flavor. IV. Directed and Accelerated Ripening Process

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Abstract
A process has been developed by which a liquid cheese product of characteristic Cheddar, Brick, or Romano flavor can be obtained from fresh curd in 4 or 5 days. The process appears to have industrial applications, and the products to have commercial uses. Basically, the process involves mixing 2 parts of 24-hr.-old salted, impressed Cheddar curd with one part of 5.2% NaCl solution and storage of the homogenous slurry at 30[degree]C. The flavor of the untreated slurry becomes like that of mild Cheddar cheese. Addition of reduced glutathione (10-100 pmm) results in fuller Cheddar flavor which, upon prolonged storage, changes to Brick-type flavor. Addition of porcine Upase (100 ppm) and reduced glutathione yields a Romano-type flavor. Addition of reduced glutathione to the slurries results in increased formation of free C4 and longerchain fatty acids and soluble protein, in particular, and in accelerated bacterial growth. The process has been applied equally successfully to curd manufactured from both grade A and manufacturing grade milk. Maximum control over the flavor quality of the liquid cheese was obtained with curd manufactured from pasteurized milk.