Artisanal Cheese Production Protocol

Each cheese was made from 400 mL of pasteurized milk containing 3.2% fat (Valio Oy), 2 mg of calcium chloride (Biochem s.r.l.), 2 mg of bacteria starter culture (Biochem s.r.l.), 2 mg of mold (Biochem s.r.l.; lyophilized Penicillium candidum), and 500 µL of rennet (Åströmin Jälk. Oy). The starter culture was a lyophilized mixture of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis, L. lactis ssp. cremoris, L. lactis ssp. lactis biovar diacetylactis, and Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus. The milk was warmed for 15 min at 30°C, and then calcium chloride was added to the milk. The mixture was stirred for 5 min with a spatula. Then, the bacteria and mold were added, and the mixture was left to stand for 15 min at 30°C. Finally, rennet was added and the mixture was left for 30 min at room temperature. The mixture was then filtered using a custom-made colander made from a plastic box with small perforations in the bottom. The remaining solid mass in the box was pressed for 12 h to drain the excess whey. Finally, the cheese was cut into 5 × 5 cm sections and salted with non-iodized salt. The samples were cured for 20 d in a room at 21°C and 15% humidity. Ripening measurements were performed on 2 different samples. Weight measurements were taken every day on one of the samples.