Natural Pasta-Filata Style Cheese With Improved Texture

1 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . A method for making string cheese comprising the steps:

providing milk;

adding a starter culture to the milk;

adding calcium to the milk;

ripening the milk;

adding a rennet enzyme to the milk;

coagulating the milk at a coagulation temperature of at least 95° F.;

producing curd;

stretching the curd at a stretching temperature of at least 130° F. and a stretching pH of at least 5.25;

forming string cheese from the curd; and

storing the string cheese at a refrigerated temperature for at least 30 days;

wherein the string cheese has expressible serum after 30 days.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the rennet enzyme is a low proteolytic rennet enzyme.

11 . The method of claim 9 wherein at least 0.01% by weight of the milk calcium is added to the milk.

12 . The method of claim 9 wherein 0.01 to 0.02% by weight of the milk calcium is added to the milk.

13 . The method of claim 9 wherein the coagulating temperature is between 95-105° F.

14 . The method of claim 9 wherein the stretching temperature is between 130-145° F.

15 . The method of claim 9 wherein the stretching pH is between 5.3 and 5.45.

16 . The method of claim 9 and further including the step of measuring the expressible serum after 30 days.

17 . A method for making string cheese comprising the steps:

providing milk;

adding a starter culture to the milk;

adding calcium to the milk;

ripening the milk;

adding a rennet enzyme to the milk;

coagulating the milk;

producing curd;

stretching the curd at a stretching temperature of at least 130° F. and a stretching pH of at least 5.25;

forming string cheese from the curd; and

storing the string cheese at a refrigerated temperature for at least 30 days;

wherein the string cheese has expressible serum after 30 days.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the rennet enzyme is a low proteolytic rennet enzyme.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein at least 0.01% by weight of the milk calcium is added to the milk.

20 . The method of claim 17 wherein in the coagulating step, coagulating the milk at a coagulation temperature of between 95-105° F.

21 . The method of claim 17 and further including the step of measuring the expressible serum after 30 days.

22 . A method for making string cheese comprising the steps:

providing milk;

adding a starter culture to the milk;

adding calcium to the milk;

ripening the milk;

adding a rennet enzyme to the milk;

coagulating the milk at a coagulating temperature of at least 95° F.;

producing curd;

stretching the curd;

forming string cheese from the curd; and

storing the string cheese at a refrigerated temperature for at least 30 days;

wherein the string cheese has expressible serum after 30 days.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein the rennet enzyme is a low proteolytic rennet enzyme.

24 . The method of claim 22 wherein at least 0.01% by weight of them milk calcium is added to the milk.

25 . The method of claim 22 wherein the coagulating temperature is between 95-105° F.

26 . The method of claim 22 wherein in the stretching step, stretching the curd at a stretching temperature of between 130-145° F.

27 . The method of claim 22 wherein in the stretching step, stretching the curd at a stretching pH of between 5.3 and 5.45.

28 . The method of claim 22 and further including the step of measuring the expressible serum after 30 days.