Wiki: Dry Salting Rinds

Four 10 cm diameter Camemberts after dry salting.

This Wiki Article discusses dry salting cheese rinds, a procedure normally performed after forming the cheese and before air drying and aging. This salting method is commonly used with mold ripened cheeses such as Camembert & Brie and with washed-rind type cheeses. 

For the dry salt to be absorbed by the formed cheese, it must first dissolve and form a brine at the cheese’s surface after which it then diffuses into the cheese. As reviewed in the Wiki: Salt’s Function article, the % salt content in the type of cheese being made is critical. Thus it is important to understand the six main factors that control this method of salting cheese. 

Ambient Humidity

Soft rind dry salted type cheeses, are aged in high ~95% ambient humidity environment after dry salting. The high humidity is to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture from the surface of the cheese which would result in a dehydrated dense and tough rind being formed. Further these cheese types normally must remain with a high moisture content at their surface to enable their surface growth of molds, yeasts, and bacteria and in time their growth into the center of the cheese. 

For hard rinded cheeses, the ambient humidity is held relatively low @ 85% to encourage expelled whey to be evaporated resulting in a dehydrated surface layer of cheese, the start of the rind development process. Repeated applications of dry salt to hard rinded cheeses result in a steadily increasing dehydrated layer. 

Cheese Size

Four 10 cm diameter Camemberts after dry salting.
Four 10 cm diameter Camemberts after dry salting.

Generally, the cheese making procedure dictates the size of the formed cheese (good examples are generally uniform sized Camembert’s and Brie’s), and thus the procedures amount and method of applying the salt is matched to the size. 

However, if deviating in size of cheese, consideration should be given to the number of applications of dry salt and thus also the time to allow the cheese to reach it’s salt % content target range. 

Note, for large cheeses this becomes a problem because in time the build up of a dense hard layer from repeated dry salting the cheese’s surface will inhibit further salty brine uptake into the cheese and the dry salt will no longer be absorbed resulting in a cheese with sub-optimal % salt content. It is for this reason that large rinded wheels of cheese are often brine salted first, and then their rinds dry salted to i) reach the target % salt content and ii) to develop their hard rinds. 

Cheese Temperature

As with dry salting curds, the temperature of the cheese will be a controlling factor of the salt’s absorption rate. However their is ample time to absorb the salt while the fresh cheese is drying so this is not normally an issue and thus the temperature during dry salting more a function of the cheese’s drying and aging requirements. 

Salt Type

Standard sodium chloride, NaCl salt is used. It should be coarse granular sized rather than very fine to slow down the speed of dissolving into brine and absorption into the cheese. As with high temperatures, fine salt can result in a rapid flush of whey and fat which can wash away other salt before being absorbed resulting in incorrect salt % content of the cheese type being made. Different types of salt are discussed in the Wiki: Salt Types article. 

Salt Amount

As reviewed in the Wiki: Salt’s Function article, final salt content of the cheese type you are making is critical. Thus follow the cheese making procedure accurately on amount/weight of salt being applied versus weight of final cheese(s). If making several cheeses such as Camemberts in one make, ensure salt is allocated evenly. 

Salt Application

There are two salt application methods for dry salting rind cheeses: 

  1. For soft rind type cheeses, sprinkle measured amount of dry salt onto the whole rind including sides. Care should be taken to ensure the salt does not land off the cheese otherwise sub-optimal % slat content will be obtained.
  2. For hard rind type cheeses, rub dry salt onto the rind.

Wiki: Dry Salting Curds

Four 10 cm diameter Camemberts after dry salting.

This article discusses the five main factors that control the dry salting of curds method of salting cheese, curd size and temperature, and salt type, amount, and application method. Many cheese making recipes or procedures call for dry salting cut curds after cooking or washing and draining whey and before forming the cheese by placing the cut curds in molds to drain or in hoops for pressing.

US Made Morton Brand Non-Iodized Canning & Pickling Salt
US Made Morton Brand Non-Iodized Canning & Pickling Salt

As reviewed in the Wiki: Salt’s Function article the salt % content in the type of cheese being made is critical, thus it is important to understand the factors that control dry salting curds.

For salt to be absorbed by the curd it must first dissolve and form a brine at the cut curd surface after which it then diffuses into the curd.

Curd Size

Ideally you want all the curd pieces, whether cut or milled, to have the same size so that the same amount of salt is absorbed and the same amount of whey expelled, resulting in a uniform cheese.

Large curd pieces are of special concern as they will result in high moisture and low salt content which can result in sour and fermented defects.

Curd Temperature

Curd temperature during direct dry salting should be between 87-92°F/31-33°C.

Higher temperatures result in a higher flush of whey which will:

  1. Carry away salt before it can be absorbed resulting in the cheese having sub-optimal salt % content.
  2. Carry away excess fat resulting in a greasy/seamy texture.

Temperatures below this range can result in a limited flush of whey and thus a limited brine forming around the curd pieces resulting in lower, sub-optimal uptake of salt.

Salt Type

US made Morton brand 25 pound bag of non-iodized Table Salt with anticaking sodium silicoaluminate
US made Morton brand 25 pound bag of non-iodized Table Salt with anticaking sodium silicoaluminate

Salt types are discussed in the article Salt Type’s, A To Z. For dry salting curds, standard dry crystalline non-iodized no anticaking additive sodium chloride salt is used.

It should be coarse granular sized (not rock or kosher grain size salt) rather than very fine to slow down the speed of dissolving into brine and absorption into the curds. As with high temperatures, fine gained salt can result in a rapid flush of whey and fat which can wash away other salt before being absorbed resulting in incorrect salt % content of the cheese type being made.

Salt Amount

As reviewed in the Salt’s Function, A to Z article, final salt content of the cheese type being made is critical. Thus follow the cheese making procedure accurately on amount/weight of salt being applied versus weight of final cheese(s).

Salt Application Method

Generally, rather than in one large application, dry salt should be sprinkled onto cut or milled curds in several equal increments with gentle stirring or mixing in between. This is for the same reason as correct temperatures and coarse grained salt are optimal, to slow down the rate of salt absorption into the curds.

The gentle stirring or mixing helps to distribute the salty whey fully around the curd pieces rather than just where the salt is applied. Note, excessive or rough stirring is not recommended as it will result in smaller pieces of curds and a larger unwanted size distribution of the curds.

Two to three such increments spaced ~10 minutes apart are common. After the last salting, the curds should be allowed to rest for ~10 minutes to stabilize before proceeding to the next step in the cheese making procedure, normally forming the cheese.

Wiki: Body Defects, Dry

Excessively dry bodies of cheese are normally associated with rennet coagulated pressed cheeses although it happen on other cheese types. This article provides a description, causes and solutions organized by root problem to unwanted dry bodies of cheeses.

Description

  • Texture of cheese is too dry from low moisture content and thus excessively hard or tough.

Rennet

Cause

  • Too much rennet used resulting in excessive whey expelled from curds.

Solution

  • Reduce amount of rennet used.

Curd Cutting

Cause

  • Curds cut into too small pieces resulting in excessive whey expelled from curds.

Solution

  • Cut curds into larger size.

Curd Stirring

Cause

  • Cut curds stirred excessively or for too long or at too high a temperature resulting in excessive whey removed form curds.

Solution

  • Reduce amount of stirring of cut curds or reduce time or reduce temperature.

pH Too Low

Cause

  • Cheese is too acidic.

Solution

  • Ripen for less time or add less starter culture.

Poor Environment

Cause

  • If natural rind, ripening/aging environment’s humidity is too low.

Solution

  • Increase humidity during aging, or semi seal rind by oiling or seal rind by vacuum bagging or waxing.

Wiki: Non-Fat Dry Milk

This Wiki Article discussed Non-Far Dry Milk. It is divided into the following sections:

General

Milk is commonly dried into a powder form to:

  1. Preserve it as milk powder has a significantly longer shelf life than liquid milk and as milk powder does not need to be refrigerated due to its low moisture content.
  2. Reduce its bulk for economy of transportation.
  3. Use it as an additive in food making such as cheese.

Common powdered milk and dairy products are:

  1. Non-Fat Dry Milk
  2. Dry Whole Milk
  3. Dry Buttermilk
  4. Dry Whey Products
  5. Dry Dairy Blends

Non-Fat Dry Milk (NDM) is the most common, it’s milk sources in decreasing manufacture are:

  1. Cow’s Milk
  2. Goat’s Milk
  3. Sheep’s Milk

NDM Use In Cheese Making

NDM & No Milk

Cheese is rarely made using NDM and no liquid milk. This is primarily because the protein is denatured (changed from its natural state), and thus it is really only useful for making yogurt and soft cheese. While feasible for making other cheeses, the quality of the curd and resultant cheese are very different, for example the cheese will not melt.

NDM & Hobby/Artisan Cheese Making

In hobby and artisanal cheese making, adding NDM is rare, except in yogurt making to result in a thicker consistency.

NDM & Industrial Cheese Manufacture

Conversely, in industrial cheese making, NDM is often added to milk to help standardize the milk before making cheese where it is called “Cheese Milk Extension”. There are several reasons NDM is added:

  1. Maintain consistent composition of cheese.
  2. Produce more pounds of cheese per pound of fat purchased.
  3. Increase the output per vat and daily plant production.
  4. Enable more efficient production of reduced fat cheeses.
  5. Enable the storage of non-fat milk solids from peak production periods for use during periods of low milk production.

However, using NDM in cheese making also alters the cheese body, texture, flavor, and keeping quality.

Most varieties of cheese can tolerate up to 2% solids added NDM in the cheese milk without experiencing problems in body or texture. Levels of addition above 2% NDM may lead to crumbly body and poor texture in the cheese.

Cottage cheese is often made by fortifying skim milk with up to 4% added low-heat NDM. For the best quality curd, it has been found that milk for medium and large size curd should be 10% to 12% solids, whereas milk for small curd size should contain 9.5% to 11% solids.

NDM should not be used in cheeses that are dependent on eye-formation, e.g., Swiss, Gouda, etc as the NDM may cause weak spots in the curd which would result in poor eye formation.

NDM Manufacture

Historically, NDM was produced by vacuum evaporation of skim milk and then spray-drying the skim milk concentrate. Current powder plants use a centrifugal dryer.

NDM Classification

Grades of NDM (extra, standard, and instant) are based on specifications for fat, moisture, titratable acidity, and solubility indices.

NDM is also classified on the basis of the heat treatments it receives during manufacture, for example low heat NDM is manufactured with a minimum pasteurization treatment and limited heating during concentration and spray-drying.

Quality of NDM is critical, NDM processed with higher heat treatments:

  1. Produces curd with a weaker body.
  2. Causes delays in rennet action.
  3. Produced some defects in cheese flavor and body.

Thus NDM processed with lower heat is preferred.

Retail NDM is often “instant” grade with no information on heat treating.

NDM Storage

To maintain the best flavor and functional properties in NDM for cheese making, NDM should not be stored more than nine months. Most retail packages have a “best by” date.

NDM Handling

NDM dust should be prevented because if wetted, it provides an opportunity for the growth of undesirable microorganisms.

NDM Addition To Milk

If milk is being pasteurized, NDM should be added to the cheese-milk prior to pasteurization so that the full pasteurization of the standardized cheese-milk can provide for protection against pathogenic bacteria.

If adding directly to the milk, ensure that all lumps of NDM have been properly dispersed or strained.

For reduced-fat and part-skim milk based cheeses, it is recommended that:

  1. The NDM be reconstituted with warm water as a concentrate prior to addition to the milk.
  2. The reconstituted NDM be allowed to properly hydrate several hours prior to cheese making to ensure that proteins are fully hydrated and functional in the cheese making process.