Dairy Ingredients for Food Processing

Manufacturing Outlines and Applications of Selected Cheese Varieties 295

Mechanized production for continuous

manufacture of ricotta cheese involves

adjustment of the pH of the whey - milk

mixture to 6.9 to 7.1 with caustic soda,

heating the blend to 88 ° C to 92 ° C (190 ° F to

198 ° F), and injecting the appropriate quan-

tity of salt and acid in - line. Again, the target

pH is 5.3 to 5.5. The hot acidifi ed whey - milk

blend is pumped into the bottom of a V - shaped

vat and the resulting curd is mechanically

collected from the top of the vat into nylon

mesh for the curd to drain. It is transferred to

perforated hoops, cooled, and hot packaged

for sale.

The ricottone cheese process is similar to

that of ricotta, in that sweet whey is blended

with whole milk, skim milk, or buttermilk.

The pH of the blend is adjusted to 6.1 to 6.2

with a starter culture or edible acid. Ricottone

curd is pressed and dried for four weeks at

21 ° C (70 ° F) to obtain dry ricotta cheese, a

grating type of product.

Another variant of ricotta is mascarpone,

which is made from cream (25% to 35% fat)

by direct addition of citric or acetic acid to

pH 5.0. Following drainage of whey in cloth

bags, the cheese may be slightly salted,

whipped, and formed into a cylindrical shape.

Mascarpone has a creamier texture and rich

fl avor compared to ricotta. Unsalted mascar-

pone is used in the preparation of cakes and

desserts such as tiramisu.

Impastata cheese is a starting material for

pastry. It is made similar to ricotta, but the

curds are allowed to sink to the bottom by

be used as a replacement for cream cheese or
sour cream in dips. It is basically a non -
melting cheese. Its major use is in Italian
cuisine (e.g., lasagna and ravioli) and
confectionery.
Ricotta Cheese Process : Most of the
ricotta production is confi ned to a batch
process. Traditionally, open kettles are used.
Heating may be direct, or steam jackets may
provide heat transfer. Sweet whey from
Italian cheese manufacture is suitable as long
as its pH is 6.2 or higher. It is common to
blend 10% to 25% milk to neutralize acid in
the whey and enhance yield and curd cohe-
siveness. The mixture is heated in a kettle to
82 ° C to 93 ° C (180 ° F to 199 ° F), followed by
the addition of a food - grade acid (such as
lactic, acetic, or citric) in quantity enough to
drop the pH of the mixture to 5.9 to 6.1. In
some plants, cultured milk and whey may be
used as a source of lactic acid. The pH range
is crucial to maintain the sweet fl avor of the
cheese. As a result of heat and acidity, the
proteins denature and foam - type curd ascends
to the surface.
The mixture is held for 15 to 20 minutes,
after which the curd is dipped with a perfo-
rated ladle and collected in a muslin bag,
which is allowed to drip and cool in a cold
room. Alternatively, the curd is drained in
perforated stainless hoops and allowed to dry.
The curd is soft, fragile, and grainy, and may
be pressed slightly to achieve cohesiveness.
The yield of ricotta is low, around 5% to 6%,
if no milk is mixed with the whey.

Table 11.11. Approximate composition of directly acidifi ed cheeses.

Cheese pH % Moisture % Fat % Protein % Salt % Lactose

Ricotta, whole milk 5.8 72 13 11 < 0.5 2.9

Ricotta, part skim 5.8 74 8 12 < 0.5 3.2

Ricottone – 82 0.5 19 < 0.5 3.3

Mascarpone 5.0 46 47 5 0 –

Chhana, cow ’ s milk 5.7 53 25 17 0 2.2

Chhana, buffalo milk 5.4 52 27 14 0 2.3

Paneer, buffalo milk 5.8 51 26 17 0 2.3

Queso blanco 5.2 55 15 – 27 23 2.5 2.5

Cheddar 5.6 37 32 25 1.8 0

Adapted from Chandan (2007) , Lucey (2003)