Manufacturing Outlines and Applications of Selected Cheese Varieties 287the cheese may be scraped to remove surface
growth of undesirable organisms. After rip-
ening, the pH should increase to 6.0 to 6.2.
Blue cheese is vacuum packed and ready for
market. In some cases, vegetable fats may be
used to coat the rind. Antimycotics may be
applied to the surface of bulk cheese during
ripening and to cheese cuts prior to packag-
ing in fi lms.Roquefort Cheese
Roquefort cheese also can be called sheep ’ s
milk blue - mold cheese or blue - mold cheese
from sheep ’ s milk. It is characterized by the
presence of bluish - green mold, Penicillium
roqueforti, throughout the cheese. The
minimum milk fat content is 50% by weight
of the solids and the maximum moisture
content is 45%. Roquefort cheese is ripened
for at least 60 days. The process resembles
the blue cheese process above.Gorgonzola Cheese
Gorgonzola cheese is characterized by the
presence of bluish - green mold, Penicillium
roqueforti , throughout the cheese. The
minimum milk fat content is 50% by weight
of the solids and the maximum moisture
content is 42%. Gorgonzola cheese is made
from milk of either cows or goats or mixtures
of the two milks. In contrast, blue cheese is
made exclusively from pasteurized cow ’ s
milk. Gorgonzola is ripened for at least 90
days, whereas blue cheese can be sold after
ripening for 60 days.
Gorgonzola Cheese Process : The process
resembles the manufacture of blue cheese,
given above. Milk (goat, cow, or a mixture
thereof) is pasteurized. Lipases may be used
for fl avor development and blue or green
color may be added to neutralize the creamy
yellow color of cow ’ s milk. In addition,
bleaching agents (benzoyl peroxide) also
may be used. The starter, consisting of meso-
philic culture, is added to the milk, followed
by rennet addition to develop coagulum. TheBlue Cheese Process: The milk is stan-
dardized to a P/F ratio of 0.87, and pasteur-
ized. Milk may be homogenized to promote
fat hydrolysis. Alternatively, 30 g of lipase
preparation is added per 1,000 kg of milk.
Milk may be whitened by adding 0.03% to
0.04% titanium dioxide to simulate the white
color of ewe ’ s milk. Starter containing
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis/cremoris is
added at the 3% level and the milk is set at
32 ° C (90 ° F). After an hour, the pH should
drop by 0.05 to 0.1 pH unit (increase in TA
of 0.05%). Then rennet is added
(200 ml/1,000 kg of milk, diluted 20 times
with water) and allowed to coagulate.
After setting for an hour, the curd is cut
with 1.27 - cm (1/2 - inch) knives and allowed
to settle to the bottom of the vat. After 10
minutes, slow stirring is started. When the TA
increases by 0.01% as compared to the
cutting TA, the whey is drained enough to
expose the curd. The curd is broken and all
of the whey is drained off. The curd is ditched
along the sides of the vat and turned over
after 10 minutes. Salt is added to the curd at
the 1% level, mixed, and inoculated with
powder containing spores of blue mold,
Penicillium roqueforti. The curd is trans-
ferred to cylindrical hoops placed on the
draining table. The molds are turned every
fi ve to 10 minutes in the initial stages and
later at 30 - minute intervals. They are incu-
bated at room temperature for 16 to 20 hours,
until the pH drops to 4.5 to 4.7.
At this point, the cheese forms are removed
from the hoops and salt (50 g salt/kg cheese)
is rubbed over the cheese surface. The salted
cheese is stored at 12 ° C to 13 ° C (54 ° to
55 ° F) for 24 hours. It is turned and brushed
for smear development. The cheese is then
mechanically perforated (approximately 60
holes) on the top and bottom with a 3 - mm
skewer to facilitate oxygen availability for
mold growth. Cheese blocks are ripened at
95% relative humidity for six to eight weeks
at 12 ° C to 14 ° C (54 ° F to 57 ° F). Mold growth
should be visible at this point. The surface of