Manufacturing Outlines and Applications of Selected Cheese Varieties 281hours. Vacuum packing of cheese prevents
mold growth on the cheese surface.
Provolone cheese should display a charac-
teristic compact and thread - like texture. The
fl avor of provolone after a few months of
ripening is mild and creamy, which changes
to sharp and piquant upon further ripening.Parmesan and Reggiano Cheese
The main types of grana or parmesan cheese
in Italy are called Parmigiano Reggiano and
grana Padano. In the United States, parmesan
or Reggiano cheese is characterized by a
granular texture. It may have a hard and
brittle rind. It grates readily. According to the
FDA regulations (CFR 2009a ), this cheese
contains not more than 32% of moisture, and
its solids contain not less than 32% of milk
fat. It is cured for not less than 10 months.
Parmesan Cheese Process : For the man-
ufacture of parmesan cheese, milk is fi rst
standardized to 1.8% fat and pasteurized. An
enzyme preparation aiding in the curing or
development of fl avor of parmesan cheese
may be added during the procedure, in such
quantity that the weight of the solids of such
preparation is not more than 0.1% of the
weight of the milk used. Milk may be
bleached by the use of benzoyl peroxide or a
mixture of benzoyl peroxide with potassium
alum, calcium sulfate, and magnesium car-
bonate; but the weight of the benzoyl perox-
ide is not more than 0.002% of the weight of
the milk bleached, and the weight of potas-
sium alum, calcium sulfate, and magnesium
carbonate, singly or combined, is not more
than six times the weight of the benzoyl per-
oxide used. If milk is bleached in this manner,
suffi cient vitamin A is added to the curd to
compensate for the vitamin A or its precur-
sors that are destroyed in the bleaching
process. Artifi cial coloring is not allowed.
Milk is set at 32 ° C to 35 ° C (90 ° F to 95 ° F).
Natural cheese color may be added.
The starter, consisting of themophilic
organisms Streptococcus thermophilus andProvolone Cheese
Like mozzarella, provolone is also a pasta
fi lata, or stretched - curd - type cheese. It has
less moisture than mozzarella and is addi-
tionally cured by suspending in ropes or
plastic mesh at 85% humidity. It has a stringy
texture. The minimum milk fat content is
45% by weight of the solids, and the
maximum moisture content is 45%.
Provolone Cheese Process : Milk is stan-
dardized to a P/F ratio of 1.17, pasteurized,
and tempered in a vat at 30 ° C (86 ° F). Green
or blue color may be added to milk to neutral-
ize the creamy color of cow ’ s milk. Lipase
preparation is then added as per recommen-
dations from the supplier, followed by 1% to
2% mesophilic and thermophilic culture.
Rennet (190 ml/1,000 kg) is added after dilu-
tion with water (1 : 10). After setting for 30
minutes, the coagulum is cut with 0.62 - cm
(1/4 - inch) knives. The mixture is gently
stirred for 10 minutes and the curd is allowed
to settle. At this stage, the procedure for
cooking to 39 ° C (102.2 ° F) in 30 minutes is
identical to that for mozzarella and cheddar
cheeses.
After stirring the curd for 10 minutes, the
curd is allowed to settle and 33% of the whey
is drained. Agitation is resumed until the
whey pH reaches 6.1 to 6.2. The agitation is
then stopped and all the whey is removed.
The curd is trenched along the vat and piled
to form slabs. The slabs are cut and repiled
until the pH reaches 5.4. The slabs are
mechanically cut into ribbons or small pieces
and stretched and molded as in mozzarella
cheese.
Following the stretching step, provolone
may be shaped as a cylinder, truncated cone,
ball, sausage, or melon and fl oated in cold
brine. After the curd forms or shapes are
brined, the cheese is suspended in traditional
smooth twine or rope or in plastic netting for
drying, followed by curing at 7 ° C (45 ° F) in
rooms with humidity around 85%. Provolone
may be smoked in a cold room for two to four