ABSTRACT
Salting of cheese in brine immersion (BI) has been described as a diffusion process, but capillary mechanisms may play an important role in the salt uptake. The capillary entry of the external brine in the curd pores can contribute to the total salt gain to quite an extent when subatmospheric pressure is applied to the salting tank. The chapter analyzes the effect of vacuum impregnation (VI) in salting kinetics of Manchego cheese as a function of the cheese-making variables affecting VI effectiveness through curd porosity, such as pressing conditions and time between pressing and salting steps. It aims to compare ripening behavior of BI and VI cheeses in some ripening indexes, mechanical and structural properties, and drying pathway. Drying behavior of Manchego type cheese has been modeled as a function of salt content and salting method, both inducing a different initial salt profile and thus different water potential gradients in the cheese.
