FREEZING QUALITIES OF CHEDDAR-TYPE CHEESES CONTAINING VARIED PERCENTAGES OF FAT, MOISTURE, AND SALT

Eighteen compositions of Cheddar-type cheeses, manufactured to attain three moisture percentages (low, nor-mal, and high), three fat percent ages (low, normal, and high), and two salt percentages (low and normal ), were aged 2.5 mo, frozen 4 mo at -18-degrees-C, and then thawed. Th e thawed cheeses were aged for 0, 2, 4, and 8 wk at 7-degrees-C. A 3 x 3 x 2 factorial design was used to determine the effects of compositi on, freezing, and aging on cheese quality attributes. Low salt, low fa t cheese and low salt, high fat cheese showed increased fracturability immediately after frozen storage, but this defect decreased again aft er 2 wk of aging. Aging did not improve the crumbly, weak body caused by frozen storage of high and normal fat cheeses with high moisture. M ealiness that resulted from the freezing treatment dissipated after 2 wk of aging for normal moisture cheeses and after 8 wk for high moistu re cheeses. Meltability was lower after thawing and did not improve wi th aging. The most acceptable body and texture in frozen and thawed ch eeses were normal fat, normal moisture cheeses and high fat, normal mo isture cheeses after 8 wk of aging. The TCA-soluble N increased signif icantly during frozen storage and also after thawing.