Cheese report

String Cheese

Place of Origin: Although snack-size sticks of mozzarella are now sold under this name, true string cheese originated in Syria, and often comes in a braided rope. The flavor is similar to mozzarella, but saltier.

Ingredients: String cheese is usually made from Mozzarella cheese. The ingredients used to make Mozzarella cheese consists of: pasteurized part-skimmed cow's milk with starter cultures, enzymes, and salt. It can also come in smoked and unsmoked versions, often with garlic and onion added.

Methods of Making: String cheese is mainly made from mozzarella cheese. The only difference is it’s molded rather than extruded, but otherwise the cheeses are very similar. Mozzarella is made with pasteurized part-skimmed cow's milk with starter cultures, enzymes, and salt.

Ripening of Curing Time: String cheeses are domestic products, which are sold as fresh cheese without aging. String cheese belongs in the Italian category of ‘pasta filata’, for which the typical procedure involves a heat treatment of a cheddared curd at temperatures between 65-70°C. Such cheese is often made from un-pasteurized milk with high acidity; the heat treatment of the curd assures that the cheese is safe to eat and generally has a shelf life of several weeks if kept in proper cold storage. Smoked String cheese has prolonged shelf life due to the preservative effect of smoking.

Description of Cheese: Sting cheese has is pale yellow/white with a smooth texture. It is roughly cylindrical, about 6 inches long and less than 1 inch in diameter. It has a sweetly mild flavor with almost no odor or aftertaste.

Uses: It is nearly always mozzarella but can be another semi-soft cheese instead. String cheese is eaten by pulling "strings" of cheese from the cylinder along its length and eating these strings. It is considered a “snack food.” It is also known to be added to salads and pizzas.

Proper Storage: Soft cheeses spoil quickly and must be refrigerated until used. To prevent drying out, cheese should be carefully covered with a moist cloth, waxed paper or foil. Whenever possible, the original wrapper or cover should be left on the cheese. This cheese may also be frozen, but this may cause the cheese to become dry and crumbly. The cheese should be packaged in small pieces weighing a pound or less and used as soon after thawing as possible.

Interesting Information: Cheddar may come in first, but Mozzarella is runner-up when it comes to per capita consumption in the U.