Empleo de citrato de sodio en la elaboración de queso asadero

Abstract

Asadero cheese is one of the most important spun paste cheese of Mexico; this is traditional cheese, made with raw cow milk generally produced using traditional methods, existing for decades. In the case of typical asadero cheese, so that paste plasticizes and stretches during kneading, the milk must be fermented with acidulated or lactic acid with an organic acid such as lactic acid, acetic acid or citric acid. Another way to achieve the right stretched is using calcium-sequestering salt such as sodium citrate (trisodium citrate); or combine the effect of the organic acid with calcium-sequestering salt. In this study we made asadero cheese like that made in Aguascalientes using sodium citrate and three levels of acidity of milk. Proximate analysis, some physicochemical properties and yield of the cheeses were also assessed. It was found that, functionally, sodium citrate together with milk acidity allow to make asadero cheese; whose composition varies according to the concentration of citrate added to the paste at the time of kneading. To higher concentration of salt, higher product yield; but also lower acidity (pH greater than 6.7 on the product). The texture of the cheeses analyzed was different; less firm and chewiness with increasing concentration of sodium citrate.