Factors Influencing the Curd Tension of Rennet Coagulated Milk. Salt Balance

Abstract

Coagulation time for fresh whole milk was less than that for reconstituted nonfat dry milk of equal curd tension. Curd ten- sion was more sensitive than coagulation time in reacting to small additions of mono- valent and divalent cations including pit changes. Curd tension was maximum within a narrow range of concentration for sodium and potassium at 0.10 ~ or calcium at 0.12 added to nonfat powder reconstituted at 11% total solids and measured at the opti- mum pH 6.0. Additions of NaOtt lowered curd tension more rapidly than Ca(Ott)2 in the range of pH 6.7 to 7.0, whereas for pit 6.7 to 6.3 addition of 25 m~ of calcium depressed curd tension increase produced by added tiC1. Added polyphosphates de- creased curd tension, accelerating with in- creased phosphate concentrations. Ortho- phosphate differed in showing a linear decrease with added phosphate.