Technology to produce Ragusano cheese: A survey

A survey was carried out to characterize the composition of milk on 70 farm s in the Hyblean region in the Province of Ragusa in Sicily, the processing methods used on the 20 of those farms producing the highest quality Ragusa no cheese, and the average composition of the cheese at 4 to 6 mo of age. T he milk used foe cheese making is predominantly from the Modicana and Brown Swiss breeds, but Same farms used Holstein cows. Characterization of the t raditional Ragusano cheese manufacturing process (including times, temperat ures, and pH) is needed. A flow chart of the average cheese-making conditio ns necessary for production of Ragusano cheese, has been created as an exam ple of the first step that must be taken to document and preserve tradition al cheese varieties that are part of the history and culture in various reg ions of the world. Ragusano is an aged pasta filata cheese. The process of Ragusano cheese making has some characteristics of cultured Mozzarella and some characteristics of Provolone manufacture. However, differences in the manufacturing and aging processes among the three cheeses produce different flavors and texture. The critical steps in the cheese-making process were identified, and recommendations were provided to cheese makers for practica l approaches to improve the consistency of cheese quality. The results from the present study form the basis of future research designed to characteri ze cheese composition, chemical changes during aging, microbiology, yield, and flavor chemistry of Ragusano cheese.