Influence of salting method on the chemical composition, yield, texture and sensory properties of Škripavac cheese

Lički Škripavac is a traditional Croatian cheese characterised by its soft and rubbery texture and the squeaky sound attained during chewing. Traditionally, it can be produced using two different salting methods: dry salting of curd grains and salting of milk before coagulation. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the salting method on the chemical composition, yield, texture and sensory properties of Škripavac cheese. Five batches of Škripavac cheese were produced from 40 L of raw cow milk. Milk was divided into two equal parts and cheeses were produced applying the above-mentioned salting methods. Cheeses produced from milk salted before coagulation had significantly (p<0.05) higher water content, significantly (p<0.01) lower protein content and significantly (p<0.01) higher pH value compared to cheeses with salted curd grains. Also, these cheeses had a higher milk fat recovery (p<0.05) and a higher actual (p<0.0001) and adjusted yield (p<0.01). In terms of textural properties, the cheeses that were produced by adding salt to the curd grains were significantly (p<0.05) harder, less crumbly and less elastic than those produced by salting the milk. The method of salting had no significant effect on sensory characteristics of the Škripavac cheese.