Possibility of Using Fermented Curly Kale Juice to Manufacture Feta-Type Cheese

This paper reports the potential use of fermented curly kale juice in Feta-type cheese production. The rheological study and Turbiscan assay demonstrated that fermented curly kale juice coupled with rennet accelerated curd formation resulted in a stronger curd compared to the sample containing rennet alone. Laboratory-scale cheese was manufactured from cow's milk with the use of fermented curly kale juice. Several parameters that affect the quality of cheese were investigated, including physicochemical, textural and microstructure characteristics. The content of amino acids and fatty acids was determined, surface properties were assessed and microbial enumeration of the experimental cheese was carried out before and after ripening. The values of pH and the content of lactose and protein significantly decreased as a result of maturation. In turn, an increase in LAB growth as well as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids was observed. The use of the fermented curly kale juice improved the textural characteristics and changed the microstructure of the obtained cheese. Finally, the ripening process enhanced the amino acid profile of the Feta-type cheese. These findings indicate that the fermented curly kale juice can be used for manufacture of cheese with improved characteristics and functional properties.