Influence of rate and temperature of cooking on the time required to manufacture cheddar cheese from pasteurized milk

One of the important items that influence the cost of manufacturing cheddar cheese is the amount of labor required. The supply of, and demand for, cheese milk in any given area largely determines the price paid for raw milk. In a competitive market a cheese plant cannot control the price paid for milk. By shortening the time required to make cheese the labor cost can be reduced, thereby giving more control over the cost required to manufacture cheddar cheese from pasteurized milk.

The time required to make a vat of cheese is governed largely by the rate of acid production within the curd. In many cases the slow rate of acid development from draining to milling has been attributed to cooking temperatures above 102° F. Increased interest in rate of acid development appears to be due largely to the large amount of cheddar cheese now being made from pasteurized milk, and the use of definite time schedules in manufacturing operations. All these schedules assume that a certain degree of acidity will be developed in a definite time. It is believed that, by altering the rate and temperature of cooking, a significant amount of time and labor can be saved in the manufacturing of cheddar cheese from pasteurized milk.