Manufacture of Blue Cheese by Direct Acidification Methods

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Abstract
Direct acidification procedures were developed to produce a Blue cheese curd similar in body and texture to curd made by traditional methods. Curd with the most optimum body and textural characteristics was formed from milk acidified to pH 5.6 with HC1 prior to coagulation with rennet. It was necessary to use 0.5% lactic starter culture to control undesirable fermentations and aid in flavor development of cheese during ripening. Curd formed by rennet at pH 5.9 was soft and excessively high in moisture. A tough elastic curd formed very rapidly with rennet coagulation of milk at pH 4.85 and 5.0. Curd formed at 4.7 was soft and grainy and shattered during handling. Acidification of milk with lactic acid produced curd with a higher moisture content than HC1. Moisture contents of curd were slightly higher when the level of rennet was increased and the level of lactic starter decreased. Increases in rennet produced higher levels of soluble N in cheese during ripening, whereas increases in lactic starter had a greater effect on levels of formol N.