Preparation of feta cheese

Claim 2

IN A PROCESS FOR MAKING SOFT, WHITE, PICKLED, FETA-TYPE CHEESE, THE STEPS OF PASTEURIZING THE MILK, THE STEP OF OF ACIDIFYING THE MILK TO A SUFFICIENT INCREASE OF TITEATABLE ACIDITY TO EFFECT OPTIMAL COAGULATION USING CONVENTIONAL MEANS SUCH AS LACTIC ACID POUNDING BACTERIA OR FOOD ACID, THE STEP OF INCLUDING COAGULATION, THE STEP OF ALLOWING COAGULATION TO PRODUCE A CURD, THE STEP OF CUTTING THE CURED INTO SUITABLE PIECES TO REMOVE WHEY, THE STEP OF MECHANICALLY AGITATING THE CUT CURD TO FACILITATE FURTHER WHEY EXPULSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF FIRMNESS, THE STEP OF DIPPING THE CURD INTO PERFORATED CONTAINERS TO FURTHER EXPEL WHEY, GIVE SHAPE TO THE CHEESE AND EFFECT INITIAL RIPENING, THE STEP OF AGITATING THE CONTAINERS TO ENHANCE UNIFROM DRAINERS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, THE STEP OF TRANSFERRING THE CONTAINERS TO CURING ROOM MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW APPROXIMATELY 68* F. WITH A HIGH RELATIVE HUMINITY, THE STEP OF CUTTING THE CHEESE INTO SUITABLE PIECES WHICH ARE SALTED UP TO APPROXIMATELY 3 PERCENT OF THE WEIGHT OF THE RIPENED CHEESE, THE STEP OF EXPOSING THE CHEESE UNIFORMLY TO RIPENING CONDITIONS BY SUITABLE MANIPULATION, AND THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPOF ADDING DURING THE STEP OF ACIDIFYING THE MILK THE COMBINATION OF RIPENING AGENTS COMPRISING A RATED AMOUNT OF PROTEOLYTIC LACTO-BACILLI TO EFFECT A CONTROLLED, ADVANCED DEGREE OF PROTEOLYTIC ASSOCIATED WITH CREAMY, SOLUBLE BODY AND STREPTOCOCCUS FAECIUM STRAINS OF ENTEROCOCCI VIABLE AND ACTIVE THROUGH THE RANGE OF RIPENING PARTAMETERS, SAID PROCESS PRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY PREDETERMINED HIGH LEVEL OF ACETIC ACID AGAINST A LOW PROFILE OF FREE FATTY ACID AND A PIQUANT, PICKLED CHEESE, THE FLAVOR OF WHICH IS PARTICIALLY DEVOID OF RANGIDITY AND BITTERNESS.

Claim 3

In a process for making soft, white, pickled Feta-type cheese, the step of pasteurizing the milk, the step of acidifying the milk to a sufficient increase of titratable acidity to effect optimal coagulation using conventional means such as lactic acid producing bacteria or food acid, the step of adding pregastric esterases of kid and lamb origin to effect a specific type of rancid flavor, the step of inducing coagulation, the step of allowing coagulaltion to produce a curd, the step of cutting the curd into suitable pieces to remove whey, the step of mechanically agitating the cut curd to facilitate further whey expulsion and development of firmness, the step of dipping the curd into perforated containers to further expel whey, give shape to the cheese and effect initial ripening, the step of agitating the containers to enhance uniform drainage at room temperature, the step of transferring the containers to a curing room maintained at a predetermined temperature less than approximately 68* F. and a high relative humidity, the step of cutting the cheese into suitable pieces which are salted up to approximately 3 percent of the weight of the ripened cheese, the step of exposing the cheese uniformly to ripening conditions by suitable manipulations, and the improvement which comprises the step of adding during the step of acidifying the milk the combination of rated amounts of selected strains of proteolytic lacto-bacilli which are responsive to a control by said esterases to effect a rapid limited degree of proteolysis and strains of Streptococcus faecium viable and active through the range of ripening parameters to produce a substantially predetermined relatively high level of acetic acid against a moderate, low profile of free fatty acids and to advance the degree of proteolysis to the point where the cheese possesses the characteristic acetic rancid flavor but which is substantially free of bitter flavor.

Claim 4

In a process for making soft, white, pickled Feta-type cheese, the step of pasteurizing the milk, the step of acidifying the milk to a sufficient increase of titratable acidity to effect optimal coagulation using conventional means such as lactic acid producing bacteria or food acid, the step of adding pregastric esterases of kid and lamb origin to effect a specific type of rancid flavor, the step of inducing coagulation, the step of allowing coagulaltion to produce a curd, the step of cutting the curd into suitable pieces to remove whey, the step of mechanically agitating the cut curd to facilitate further whey expulsion and development of firmness, the step of dipping the curd into perforated containers to further expel whey, give shape to the cheese and effect initial ripening, the step of agitating the containers to enhance uniform drainage at room temperature, the step of transferring the containers to a curing room maintained at a predetermined temperature less than approximately 68* F. and a high relative humidity, the step of cutting the cheese into suitable pieces which are salted up to approximately 3 percent of the weight of the ripened cheese, the step of exposing the cheese uniformly to ripening conditions by suitable manipulations, and the improvement which comprises the step of adding during the step of acidifying the milk the combination of rated amounts of selected strains of proteolytic lacto-bacilli which are responsive to a control by said esterases to effect a rapid limited degree of proteolysis and strains of Streptococcus faecium viable and active through the range of ripening parameters to produce a substantially predetermined relatively high level of acetic acid against a moderate, low profile of free fatty acids and to advance the degree of proteolysis to the point where the cheese possesses the characteristic acetic rancid flavor but which is substantially free of bitter flavor.

Claim 5

A soft, white, pickled, Feta-type cheese product produced from cow''s milk by the process of claim 1.