GB2072481A - A method of brining cheese - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of brining cheese is disclosed in which, after the pressing of the curd composition and optional circulation of the cheeses formed, these are subjected to a brine treatment by flowing a brine solution over the cheeses. The cheeses thus treated are pre-dried and subsequently cured. Suitable apparatus comprises a plurality of at least locally liquid-permeable tiers on which the cheeses may be placed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of brining cheese This invention relates to a method of brining cheese. More particularly this invention relates to a method of brining cheese, in which, after the pressing of the curd composition in appropriate moulds and, if desired, circulation of the moulded cheeses, these are subjected to a treatment with a brine solution for some time, and then pre-dried and subjected to a curing process.

The object of this brine treatment is to affect the taste, the curing and the keeping characteristics of the cheese, and also to improve the consistency and dimensional stability of the cheese.

Brining cheese can be done in various ways. The old brining system involved the use of large concrete tubs filled with brine solution, in which the cheese floated around. Both the introduction and the removal of the cheeses was done by hand, and the system can accordingly be described as labour-intensive. A further drawback of this way of bringing was that the tubs occupied much space, in particular because the surface was utilized only, and that the tubs were expensive to make. Moreover, this manner of brining resulted in clear differences in concentration in the brine liquid.

In order to use the brine tubs more intensively, the so-called deep-brining system was developed, in which the cheeses were introduced and removed in layers through flowing brine.

In this system the cheeses are positioned on horizontal nets placed one above the other in cages. Filled with cheeses these cages are lowered bodily into the brine tub, so that the cheeses are arranged tier upon tier in the tub. Thus system, too, is liable to differences in concentration in the brine, in particular around the cheeses. These differences in concentration are caused by diffusion phenomena around the cheeses. In fact, an interaction develops between the moisture in the cheeses and the salt in the brine liquid. The result is a decreasing salt concentration around the cheeses relative to the remaining brine liquid. This leads to stagnation in the brining process.

Another brining method uses the mechanized surface brining system, in which use is made of shallow trays of very large dimensions matching production, the cheeses being introduced into, and removed from, the trays in a single layer by means of flow of the brine liquid. As, in this method, a minor portion of each cheese projects above the liquid, the cheeses must be regularly immersed by means of dipping trolleys, or the cheeses must be kept wet at their upper surface by being watered with brine.

Although, generally speaking, the above methods lead to good results of the brining process, the following drawbacks have remained: high capital investment in land, buildings, basins and appurtenances; large quantities of brine solution; after brining, the cheeses must be transferred to racks for further curing and treatment; in spite of the brine solution being continuously agitated, a film with a lower salt concentration is formed around the cheeses, which causes a delay in the brining process; contamination of the brine by cheese particles which remain behind in the brine liquid.

It has now been found that, by flowing the brine solution over the cheeses, the above drawbacks are avoided while yet an efficient and rapid brine treatment is brought about.

Thus the present invention provides a method of brining cheese, in which, after the pressing of the curd composition in an appropriate mould the resulting cheese is subjected to a treatment with a brine solution by flowing a brine solution over the cheeses, and thereafter the cheese is pre-dried and subjected to a curing process.

The moulded cheeses may be circulated, if desired, before being subjected to the brine treatment.

In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the cheeses are placed directly, after the moulding and pressing steps, in mobile racks comprising a plurality of tiers of structures at least locally permeable to liquid, the brine solution being flowed over the cheeses placed on the tiers.

According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the cheeses are placed in mobile racks, in which they are subjected to the brine treatment, whereafter they are transported further and pre-dried in a space provided for the purpose, and subsequently subjected to the curing process in the cheese storage room, with the cheeses being allowed to rest in the racks throughout the entire subsequent procedure. Brining, pre-drying and curing are thus effected integrally on one and the same carrying unit.

In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the racks with the cheeses placed in them are moved under a fixedly arranged watering system for treatment with the brine solution.

Thus, one embodiment of the method according to the invention comprises arranging a fixed watering installation under which the racks can be placed during brining.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, use is made of an apparatus comprising a mobile rack including a plurality of tiers of carrying structures at least locally permeable to liquid, and means for causing a brine solution to flow at least locally over such carrying structures.

Preferably, each carrying structure comprises nets made of flexible threads and arranged next to each other in a freely suspended state. It is thus ensured that, in particular during brining, the original shape of the cheese is retained.

The method according to the invention also makes it possible to increase the capacity of a brine basin system by arranging mobile or immobile racks and watering systems over the basins. The cheeses are then watered with brine solution from the basisn, which after conditioning is pumped to the watering systems over the racks.

The application of the method according to the invention affords using a relatively small quantity of brine solution, as a consequence of which the brine solution can be kept in the desired conditions as to kitchen salt concentration, temperature, calcium concentration, pH value, and purity or cleanness.

As, furthermore, the liquid on the cheeses is continuously being renewed, rapid and uniform salt absorption in the cheeses is realized.

The method according to the invention therefore proves to result in a considerable saving in time as compared with conventional methods. Furthermore, this manner of brining affords the possibility of giving the entire successive production of a day a brining treatment of exactly the same duration, while it is also possible for the brining process to be automatically discontinued at any desired moment.

In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, simultaneously with the treatment with brine solution by watering, the cheese is treated with agents penetrating the cheese rind, which may or may not be water-soluble, such agents not being ingredients normally contained in the brine solution.

In a particular embodiment of the method according to the invention, a treatment with at least one water-insoluble cheese rind penetrating agent is given simultaneously with the treatment with brine solution. Thus, for example, the customary surface treatment with fungicides such as sorbates and natamycin, which is often given after the brine treatment by the application of a cheese rind coating, such as cheese plastic, can be combined with the treatment with brine solution according to the invention by incorporating the fungicide in the brine solution, by virtue of which the additional surface treatment of the cheese can be omitted.In brining methods of the prior art, the combination of the brine treatment with the treatment with agents not soluble in water involves difficulties as a result of the fact that these agents do not form a stable suspension with the brine solution, which was found not to play a role in the application of the method according to the present invention.

Also, the method according to the present invention can be realized with smaller capital investment than required for the performance of any of the known methods as regards required working accommodation and further investments.

In carrying out the method according to the invention, the cheeses may be placed on cheese shelves of the type described in Dutch patent application No. 77 00794 or in cheese curing nets as described in Dutch patent application No. 73 1 3365, or some plait support other as described in Swiss patents Nos. 494,529 and 488,391. These cheese shelves, cheese nets, screen mats and the like may be mounted in wooden, metallic or plastics frames, which can be handled by means of a lifting truck. They may alternatively be mounted on trolleys or transporting units which can be moved sliding on rails or suspended from rails.

The method according to the invention can be used for treating different kinds of cheese, and for cheeses of varying weight classes, such as Edam cheese of weight classes 1.8 and 2.0, and of the "Commision" class (approximately 4 kg), Baby Edam cheese, Gouda cheese, Parmesan cheese and Tilsit cheese.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an elevation of a mobile rack arranged below a watering system.

Referring to the drawing a mobile rack 1 comprising 10 tiers of carrying structures 2 on which, in cheese nets 3, four rows of six Edam cheeses 4 have been placed. The mobile rack shown in the drawing has been placed under sprinkling tubes 5 with half-round hoods 6 arranged over the tubes 5, with which the cheeses are watered.

The invention is further illustrated by the following Examples.

EXAMPLE 1 A plurality of frames, equal in structure to the frame which forms part of the rack shown in the accompanying drawing, were provided with carrying structures with cheese nets, in which Edam cheeses with a weight of 1.8 kg were placed. The racks thus arranged were placed under a watering system comprising tubes with an interior diameter of approximately 7 cm. These tubes were provided at their top portions with holes having a diameter of 5 mm. Placed over the tubes were half-round hoods of sheet steel. The racks comprised ten tiers of carrying structures, each comprising four rows of six cheeses.The brine flowing off was collected on the floor of the brining compartment, which floor consisted of sait-resistant material, and in which brine channels had been formed, which terminated in a small reservoir, from which the brine was pumped up and passed via a heat exchanger to the sprinkling system.

The salt content of the cheeses was checked by the Van der Burg method using Vow hard tritration. For a description of the Van der Brug method reference is made to the booklet entitled "Voorschriften voor het Onderzoek in de Laboratoria van Zuivelfabrieken" (Directions for Laboratory Tests in-Dairy Factories), Ed. 1962, pages 60 and 61, published by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Zuivelbond FNZ (Royal Netherlands Diary Federation FNZ). Three different manners of expressing the salt content in cheese are in use, viz.

a) calculated on the cheese as such (Zk) b) calculated on the dry mass in the cheese (Zdk) c) calculated on the cheese moisture (Zw).

The relationship between these different values is expressed in the formulae given in "Kaasbereiding" (Cheese Manufacture) by H. Lolkema and J. Blauw, a publication by the Landelijke Stichting Beroepsopleiding voor de Levensmiddelenindustrie (National Foundation for Vocational Education in the Food Industry), Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, 1974: Zw X Wk Zk X 100 Zk X 100 Zk= Zdk= Zw= 100 100-Wk Wk in which Wk represents the water content in the cheese. Using the method of the present invention, exactly the same average salt content of 2.30%, expressed as Zk value, was obtained in 60 hours as in brining in brine basins for 72 hours.

EXAMPLE 2 Using the procedure as described in Example 1, instead of Edam cheeses, cheeses of the Gouda type were subjected to the brining process by watering. The cheeses were placed on edge in cheese nets, and orientated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the rack. It was found that the salt was distributed in the cheese perfectly uniformly with Zk values of 2.00%.

EXAMPLE 3 Using the procedure as described in Example 1, instead of mobile racks, racks were used that had been installed over an existing brine basin and supported on the edges of the basin. The brine solution for the spraying treatment was derived from the brine basin, which also contained Edam cheeses. In this procedure, the brine basin had a dual function, viz.

a. the normal one as a brine basin for cheeses b. as a supply tank for the watering system.

The brine solution from the brine basin passed a filter and was thereafter pumped through a heat exchanger to the watering system. The brine solution in the basin was regularly checked for salt content, pH value, and calcium content, and adjusted to the extent necessary.

The results obtained with the cheeses watered in this way were entirely similar to those described in Example 1.

EXAMPLE 4 The procedure as described in Example 1 was followed in full, but pimaricine had been suspended in the brine solution in a proportion of 20 ppm. The brine treatment was continued for 60 hours. After brining the cheeses were pre-dried for 1 5 days and cured. Thereafter the cheeses were transported to the central warehouse, where they were allowed to lie for thirty days. During storage in the central warehouse the cheeses were compared with cheeses subjected to the normal treatment of two coatings with pimaricine containing cheese plastics.

The results are summarized in the following table, the evaluation marks having the following meanings: 4.0 = clear fungal growth 5.0 = slight local fungal growth 6.0 = just some initial development of fungus 7.0 = no development of fungus Table: Development of fungus on the cheese rind After lying in Direct in central ware central house for 30 warehouse days A. Watered with pimaric ine containing brine solution, non plasticized 6.9 5.9 B. Treated normally 7.0 6.2

Claims (12)

1. A method of brining cheese, in which, after the pressing of the curd composition in an appropriate mould the resulting cheese is subjected to a treatment with a brine solution by flowing a brine solution over the cheeses, and thereafter the cheese is pre-dried and subjected to a curing process.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein prior to the treatment with the brine solution, the cheese is circulated.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein directly after the pressing and optional circulation steps, the cheese is placed in mobile racks comprising a plurality of tiers of structures at least locally permeable to liquid, the brine solution being flowed over the cheese placed on the tiers.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the racks with the cheese placed in them is moved under a fixedly arranged watering system for treatment with the brine solution.

5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein after the treatment with the brine solution the cheese is transported, allowed to pre-dry and allowed to cure in racks.

6. A method according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cheese is placed in racks comprising means for flowing brine over the cheeses.

7. A method according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein simultaneously with the treatment with the brine solution by watering, the cheese is treated with agents penetrating the cheese rind, which agents may or may not be soluble in water, and such agents not being normal ingredients of the brine solution.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein simultaneously with the treatment with the brine solution by watering the cheese is treated with at least one water-insoluble agent penetrating the cheese rind.

9. A method according to claims 7 or 8, wherein the agent penetrating the cheese rind is a fungicide.

10. Apparatus for carrying out the method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, which comprises a mobile rack including a plurality of tiers of at least locally liquid-permeable carrying structures, and means suitable for flowing a brine solution at least locally over said carrying structures.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each carrying structure comprises nets made of flexible threads, the nets being arranged next to one another in a freely suspended state.

12. A method of brining cheese according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to any of the specific Examples and/or the accompanying drawing.