Method for smoke-infusing cheese

A method for smoke infusing cheese comprising the steps of:

• (A) introducing cheese into an enclosable smoke-infusing zone;
• (B) repeatedly cycling said enclosable smoke-infusing zone with a plurality of smoke-infusing cycles, each said smoke-infusing cycle comprising the steps of:
• a) converting said enclosable smoke-infusing zone into an enclosed smoke-infusing zone, and then pulling a vacuum on said enclosed smoke-infusing zone to convert said enclosed smoke-infusing zone to an enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone,
• b) flowing smoke at atmospheric pressure, or at above atmospheric pressure, from a smoke generation/providing zone into said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone, thereby substantially filling said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone with said smoke,
• c) terminating said flow of said smoke into said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone;
• d) providing a time for each flow of said smoke into said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone in the range of between about 5 seconds and about 7 seconds,
• e) repeating steps a)-d) between a range of about 360 to about 400 cycles to produce cheese which is smoke-infused;
• (C) releasing the vacuum in said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone by admitting ambient pressure air into said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone, whereby said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone is brought to a state of ambient air pressure, and residual smoke remaining in said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone is expelled from said enclosed vacuum smoke-infusing zone,
• (D) withdrawing said smoke-infused cheese from said vacuum smoke-infusing zone, which is now in a state of ambient air pressure, and
• (E) subjecting said withdrawn smoke-infused cheese to a chilled resting cycle in a cold zone, at a suitable low temperature of between about 0° C. to about 4° C. and for a suitable period of time between about 1-10 hours,
• thereby to provide smoke-infused cheese.