Preparation of pizza cheese

Claim 2

The process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with a starter culture comprising from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus, L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at 100° to 125° F., mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature above 130° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 0.5 to 3.0% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a non-freezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 30 days while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content below 0.3%.

Claim 3

The process improvement of claim 1 in which said additional culture is Pediococcus cerevisiae.

Claim 4

The process improvement of claim 1 in which said additional culture is Lactobacillus plantarum.

Claim 5

The process improvement of claim 1 in which said additional culture is Streptococcus durans.

Claim 6

The process improvement of claim 1 in which said additional culture is Lactobacillus casei.

Claim 7

The process improvement of claim 1 in which said additional culture is Streptococcus faecalis.

Claim 8

The process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with a starter culture comprising from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus, L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at a temperature of 100° to 125° F., mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature in the range of 135° to 155° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 1.5 to 2.5% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a nonfreezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 15 days, while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content below 0.25%.

Claim 9

The process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with a starter culture comprising from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus, L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at a temperature of 100° to 125° F., mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature in the range of 135° to 155° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 1.5 to 2.5% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a nonfreezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 15 days, while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content below 0.25%.

Claim 10

The process improvement of claim 7 in which said additional culture is Pediococcus cerevisiae.

Claim 11

The process improvement of claim 7 in which said additional culture is Lactobacillus plantarum.

Claim 12

The process imporvement of claim 7 in which said additional culture is Streptococcus durans.

Claim 13

The process improvement of claim 7 in which said additional culture is Lactobacillus casei.

Claim 14

The process improvement of claim 7 in which said additional culture is Streptococcus faecalis.

Claim 15

The process of claim 7 in which said additional inoculant is added to the milk in an amount of about 1 to 2% by weight based on the milk.

Claim 16

The process of claim 7 at which said holding is carried out at a temperature of about 35° to 50° F.

Claim 17

The stored curd process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of a starter culture comprising S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at a temperature of 100° to 125° F., storing the cooked curd in a cold storage room until the internal pH of the curd reaches the proper pH for mixing and stretching, mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature above 130° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 0.5 to 3.0% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a nonfreezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 30 days while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued at least until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content of below 0.3%.

Claim 18

The stored curd process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of a starter culture comprising S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at a temperature of 100° to 125° F., storing the cooked curd in a cold storage room until the internal pH of the curd reaches the proper pH for mixing and stretching, mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature above 130° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 0.5 to 3.0% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a nonfreezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 30 days while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued at least until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content of below 0.3%.

Claim 19

The stored curd process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of a starter culture comprising S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus, L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at a temperature of 100° to 125° F., storing the curd in a cold storage room until the internal pH of the curd reaches the proper pH for mixing and stretching, mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature above 130° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 0.5 to 3.0% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a non-freezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 15 days while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued at least until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content of below 0.25%.

Claim 20

The stored curd process of manufacturing low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, including the steps of inoculating a batch of pasteurized cow's milk with from 1 to 3% based on the weight of the milk batch of a starter culture comprising S. thermophilus together with Lactobacillus selected from L. bulgaricus, L. helveticus, or both L. bulgaricus and L. helveticus, making cheese curd from the thus-inoculated milk including cooking the curd at a temperature of 100° to 125° F., storing the curd in a cold storage room until the internal pH of the curd reaches the proper pH for mixing and stretching, mixing and stretching the curd in water at a temperature above 130° F. to impart a stringy texture to the cheese, molding the mixed curd into bodies, and salting the molded bodies, wherein the improvement comprises: also inoculating said milk batch before making the cheese curd with from 0.5 to 3.0% based on the weight of the milk batch of an additional viable culture selected from cultures of Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus durans, and Lactobacillus casei, and at the conclusion of said process holding the salted cheese bodies at a non-freezing temperature below 55° F. for 5 to 15 days while reducing the residual lactose sugar content of the cheese, said holding being continued at least until said cheese bodies have an average lactose sugar content of below 0.25%.