Cheese and proces and system for making it

A process for making a fermented high or very high solids cheese containing both casein and soluble proteins but having the body and the texture of a conventional natural cheese, from a feed stock which comprises unrenneted casein, soluble proteins and other cheese ingredients in the required proportions, on a dry basis, desired in the cheese, said process comprising the following sequential steps:

• (a) reacting a coagulating amount of a milk clotting enzyme with said feed stock;
• then
• (b) heating the feed stock to an elevated temperature for a time period sufficient to substantially coagulate it and substantially deactivate said enzyme;
• (c) adding lactic cultures to the coagulated feed stock;
• (d) removing water to produce an unfermented cheese;
• and
• (e) allowing the lactic cultures to ferment said unfermented cheese to produce said fermented cheese which contains casein and substantially all of the soluble proteins present in the feed stock and has the body and the texture of a conventional natural cheese.

A process for making a fermented high or very high solids cheese having the body and the texture of a conventional natural cheese but containing casein and substantially all soluble proteins present in the feed stock, from a feed stock comprising unrenneted casein, soluble proteins and all the necessary cheese ingredients in the required proportions, on a dry basis, desired in the cheese, said process comprising:

• (a) reacting a milk clotting enzyme, the amount of said enzyme being in the range of about 0.05 to 0.5 percent by weight of said feed stock with said feed stock;
• (b) heating said enzyme-treated feed stock to a selected temperature in the range from about 120.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F. holding it at the selected temperature for a time period in the range of about 0.1 seconds to 600 seconds;
• (c) adding lactic cultures to the feed stock;
• (d) evaporating water from said feed stock to produce an unfermented cheese;
• and
• (e) allowing said lactic cultures to effect fermentation of said unfermented cheese to produce fermented cheese which contains casein and substantially all of the soluble proteins present in said feed stock, said cheese having the body and texture of a conventional cheese.