Effect of the Ripening Period and Intravarietal Comparison on Chemical Textural and Sensorial Characteristics of Palmero (PDO) Goat Cheese

摘要

Palmero PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) cheese is a typical product of La Palma (Canary Isles, Spain) and it is manufactured from raw goat milk of the Palmera breed. All goat herds must be fed with local vegetal resources: pastures and or/grazing. It is an uncooked, pressed cheese, commercialised both fresh (from 8 to 20 days), as semi-hard (from 21 to 60 days) and hard (from 60 days). The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the physicochemical and sensorial parameters of Palmero PDO cheeses during 90 days of aging, also making an intravarietal comparison between dairy plants. This characterization could lead a better and complete cheese definition. Some variations have been observed between cheese artisanal factories because each cheesemaker has some cheese making particularities that are inherited from parents to children. These differences can be used for purchasing and marketing as added values linked to “terroir” and cheese handmade practices.