Effect of seasonal variation on the properties of whipping cream, soft cheese and skim milk powder in the UK

Properties of Rennet Cheese Made from Whole and Skimmed Summer and Winter Milk on a Traditional Polish Dairy Farm

Simple Summary

Milk from traditional family farms is a valuable raw material for cheese making. The aim of the study was to compare the textural and physicochemical characteristics, as well as the organoleptic properties, of soft rennet cheese from the milk of Polish Holstein–Friesian cows. The tests were carried out on 24 cheeses made from the bulk milk in the two production seasons: summer (July–September) and winter (January–March). The results indicate that both the season and the fat content of the milk affected the physicochemical (acidity, color) and rheological parameters (firmness and stickiness) of the cheese. What is more, the fat content of the milk had a more significant effect on the organoleptic parameters of the cheese than the season. In addition, low-fat cheeses received satisfactory organoleptic assessments, which indicates that they can serve as substitutes for full-fat cheeses for people looking for low-fat products.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the rheological and physicochemical parameters, as well as the organoleptic properties, of soft rennet cheese made from whole and skimmed milk in different seasons on a traditional family farm. We analyzed milk from twenty Polish Holstein–Friesian cows for basic composition, number of somatic cells, acidity, and color in terms of the Comission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) lightness*redness*yellowness (L*a*b*) system, and 24 cheeses in terms of texture, acidity, color in terms of the CIE L*a*b* system, and organoleptic parameters in summer and winter. We determined the effects of the season and the fat content of milk on the pH, titratable acidity, color, firmness, and stickiness of the cheese. Cheeses from summer milk showed greater acidification than those from winter milk (p ≤ 0.05). Skimmed milk cheeses from both seasons showed increased firmness and stickiness, and worse organoleptic characteristics, particularly in taste and consistency, than whole milk cheeses (p ≤ 0.05). The highest level of yellow (b*) was found in whole milk summer cheeses; those produced in winter were 16% less yellow. Milk from traditional family farms is a valuable raw ingredient for the production of soft, unripe rennet cheese. However, the variability of organoleptic characteristics related to the season should be taken into account in cheese production. Skimmed cheese can serve as an alternative to full-fat cheese, especially for people looking for low-fat products, regardless of the time of year.

Changes in chosen properties of soft cheeses with chilli pepper during storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate chosen physicochemical and sensory properties of soft cheeses with addition of chilli peppers Fatalii. These samples were packed into plastic vacuum packages and analysed during 14 days of storage at cooling temperature (6 ±1 °C). Within the physicochemical properties, dry matter content, fat content, moisture in fat-free-substance, fat in dry matter and pH values were determined. Physicochemical analyzes, except pH value measure, were carried out only on the 1th day following the cheeses production. Textural properties hardness and stickiness were measured by the texture analyser. Within the sensory properties, consistency (hard, spreadable and friable) and taste (salty and spicy) were evaluated. Measurements of pH value, textural and sensory analysis were carried out on the 1st, 7th and 14th day of storage. All of cheese samples were classified as full-fat (FDM 48.21%) soft (MFFS 71.92%) cheeses. Their pH values decreased during 14 days of storage. The hardness of cheese samples decreased (p ˂0.05), while their stickiness statistic significantly increased during storage. From the view of sensory evaluation, the hard consistency of cheeses statistic significantly decreased and the spreadable consistency increased (p ˂0.05) during storage. The changes of friable consistency were no statistic significant. During storage of cheese samples were observed statistic significantly increase in the spicy taste and statistic significantly decrease in the salty taste.