NL1016861C2 - Method for the controlled shaping of cheese of the semi-hard type. - Google Patents

Description

Short description: Method for the controlled shaping of semi-hard cheese.

The present invention relates in the first place to a method for shaping cheese of the semi-hard type.

Half-hard type cheese is known in the art in many forms. One can think of the usual round Gouda and Emmental forms, but also the high forms such as Stilton and the like. Rectangular cheeses are also produced. The shaping of the cheese, however, always takes place in the cheese mold during pressing of the curd.

In practice, it is preferable to give the cheese as many round shapes as possible, since such cheeses pick up even salt during brining and dry evenly during ripening. For slicing the cheese prior to sale, packaging or the like, it is precisely preferable to have more rectangular cheeses, since in practice the consumer prefers straight pieces of cheese as opposed to segment shapes. There are also fewer cutting losses when cutting straight pieces of cheese from rectangular cheeses.

There is therefore a demand in the state of the art for cheeses which combine the advantages of round cheeses and the advantages of rectangular cheeses.

The present invention has for its object to meet said demand and to that end provides a method for shaping cheese of the semi-hard type, which method is characterized in that the cheese is pressed into the desired shape after ripening and crusting, while damaging the crust in essential is avoided.

Surprisingly, it has been found that cheeses of the semi-hard type can be deformed to any desired shape after crusting, while damage to the crust is substantially avoided.

It will be clear that depending on the age of the cheese, the moisture and fat content, temperature and the like, as well as the speed of deformation, the deformation has its physical limitations. It will be clear that younger cheese with a higher moisture content can be deformed to a greater extent than older cheese. In other words, the ripening time is not important, apart from the physical limitations.

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Advantageously, after pressing the cheese according to the invention, the texture of the cheese is substantially unchanged.

With the method according to the invention the possibility is offered to prepare cheese of the semi-hard type in almost any desired form, while the usual cheese-making installations can be maintained, because the cheese is shaped afterwards.

The starting cheese for the method according to the present invention is preferably a conventional flat round cheese and in particular the shape of the cheese after the pressing operation according to the invention is polygonal with rounded corners.

When a conventional flat round cheese is used as starting cheese, the advantages of an even salt content during brining and an even drying during ripening are obtained. When after some time ripening, i.e. after crusting, the cheese is subjected to a pressing operation according to the invention, the cheese can be given a polygonal shape, preferably a rectangular shape. The additional advantages are thereby obtained, which are due to the fact that substantially straight pieces can be cut from such a cheese.

Advantageously, during the pressing operation, the cheese is compressed from two opposite sides. In this way a cheese with two round sides and two flat sides can be obtained.

Such a cheese provides the option of cutting both straight pieces and segment pieces.

25 semi-hard cheeses are Gouda, Edam, Emmental, Gruyere,

Maasdammer, Stilton, Cheddar and cheese with similar hardness and structure with or without a reduced or increased fat content.

In the particular embodiment of the method according to the invention, the maximum change in size after the pressing operation in the pressing direction is no more than 20%, preferably no more than 15% and most preferably no more than 10%.

Finally, the invention provides cheese of the semi-hard type, which can be obtained with the method according to the invention.

The invention will be explained below with reference to a number of examples.

Example 1

A square Landliebe cheese (50+ cheese) was prepared in the usual way and matured for 15 days at a temperature of 40 ° C. The cheeses were then clamped along the side edges between 1016861-3 boards and the width of the cheeses was reduced from 35 cm to 30-32 cm.

The cheese was then cooled (7 ° C). The cheese kept its shape.

In this example, a square cheese of 35 x 35 cm was thus changed in shape by the method according to the invention to an elongated cheese of 32 x 38 cm. The change in shape could easily be deduced from the changed surface structure of the crust.

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Example 2

A round Maasdam cheese was clamped between two boards after maturing for 15 days at 19 ° C. Thus a cheese was obtained with a very special shape, a flat top and bottom, two straight opposite sides and two semi-circular sides. This cheese mold is also called the circle model

The cheese was then cooled (7 ° C) and then retained the shape.

Example 3

A round Gouda cheese (48 +) was matured at 13 ° C for 6 weeks. The cheese was then pressed between four planks into a square with rounded corners. The cheese was then cooled to 7 "C. The shape was retained.

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In all examples, no significant texture changes were observed in the cheeses produced according to the invention.

The cheeses deformed with the method according to the invention have fewer cutting losses and yet a homogeneous salt and moisture distribution.

With the aid of the method according to the present invention, cheeses of the semi-hard type can be brought into any desired shape. This can also be advantageous when cheese is sagged or otherwise distorted by unforeseen circumstances.

Apart from polygonal, locally flattened shapes and the like, very many other shapes can also be given to the cheese. Think of diamond shapes, heart shapes, full square dice shapes etc.

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Claims (6)

A method for shaping cheese of the semi-hard type, characterized in that the cheese is pressed to the desired shape after ripening and crusting, while damage to the crust is substantially avoided. 5 Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the starting cheese is a conventional flat round cheese. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shape of the cheese after the pressing operation is polygonal with rounded corners. 4. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the cheese is compressed from two opposite sides during the pressing operation. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the maximum change in size of the cheese after the pressing operation in the pressing direction is no more than 20%, preferably 20 no more than 15% and most preferably no more than 10%. 6. Half-hard cheese, obtainable by the method according to one or more of claims 1-5. 25 1016861 COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) REPORT ON NEWNESS RESEARCH OF INTERNATIONAL TYPE IDENTINCATURE OF THE NATIONAL APPLICATION FEATURE OF THE APPLICANT OR OF THE AUTHORIZED __A00-5O248 / RB. / AKE__ Dutch application no. BV Date of request for an international type examination by International Institution (ISA) request for an international type examination no. __SN 36324 EN__ I. CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBJECT (if different classifications are applied, state all tie-down symbols ) According to the international classification (IPC) Int. 0.7: A01J25 / 15 A01J27 / 00 II. TECHNICAL FIELDS EXAMINED Minimum Documentation Examined Dassification Symbols Classification System Int. CI.7: A01J A23C Documentation examined other than the minimum documentation, insofar as such documents are included in the areas examined III. □ NO INVESTIGATION POSSIBLE FOR CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS (comments on supplement sheet) ^ IV. □ LACK OF UNIT OF INVENTION (comments on supplement sheet) Form PCT / ISA 201 a (11/2000)