Paneer is considered the most widely consumed dairy product in India; approximately 5% of milk production is converted into protein-rich cheese every year. But manufacturing paneer is not just simply boiling and adding the lemon juice. The entire process involves multiple steps, from milk standardisation and heat treatment to coagulation, drainage, pressing and chilling. All these factors directly impact the final production and consistency of paneer. The thing that makes paneer production interesting is the change of parameters depending on the source of milk, including buffalo milk, recombined milk, reconstituted milk or even filled milk; each source requires specific adjustments.
Core steps of paneer production
- During paneer manufacturing, a straightforward sequence is followed, starting from standardising the milk, heating and treating it, coagulating it, draining, pressing, chilling, and packing. However, every step needs accuracy. According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, it must contain 70% moisture and milk fat on dry matter of approximately 50%. These benchmarks or threshold values guide how milk is prepared, and curd is processed.
- The coagulation step is very important; mostly citric acid is used as the coagulant. This is added to heated milk, causing casein protein to aggregate and form curd. The separated liquid is drained off. Then the curd is transferred into hoops lined with muslin cloth and pressed to form a compact block.
Paneer manufacturing from buffalo milk
Buffalo milk is considered the best raw material for high-quality paneer. It contains fat naturally and has a higher protein level compared to cow milk, which gives a richer, denser and creamier texture in the final product. The process includes:
- Standardization
The initial step is to standardise buffalo milk to the fat level of 5% to 6% using fresh buffalo milk. This ensures a consistent ratio, which directly affects paneer production.
- Heating and coagulation
The standardised milk is heated to 90 degrees Celsius, and then it is brought down to 70 degrees Celsius for the process of coagulation by adding the 1% citric acid solution. That solution is maintained at 70 degrees Celsius before addition. The acid is added while continuously stirring until the clear liquid separates, which indicates that the coagulation process is complete, with a greenish tint forming the proper curd.
- Settling and draining
After completing the process of coagulation, stirring is stopped, and the curd is left for 5 minutes to settle. The clear liquid is drained with the help of a stainless steel strainer. It is important to keep the temperature above 63 degrees Celsius while draining to maintain the proper structure of the curd.
- Pressing, chilling and packaging
After draining, the curd is collected into hoops lined with clean muslin cloth with perforations on all sides. Then it is pressed for 20 minutes to drain the remaining clear liquid and form a solid block. Then the pressed block is cut into pieces and dipped in chilled water for about 2 hours. This chilling process is done for multiple purposes, including firming up the texture, removing surface acid and improving the moisture content. After chilling, the paneer pieces are placed on trays for 15 minutes to drain the loose water, then cut into desired pieces and then packed and stored under refrigeration.
Paneer manufacturing from cow milk
Cow milk is light in color and tends to have a less dense and softer body as compared to buffalo milk paneer. The manufacturing process requires minor adjustments to compensate for the different fat and protein content compared to buffalo milk.
- Standardization and adding calcium chloride
The cow milk is standardised to a fat level of 5% using fresh cow cream. The important step is adding calcium chloride, which helps to strengthen the structure of curd and improve the body of the final paneer. This is important because cow milk naturally forms a weaker curd as compared to buffalo milk.
- Pending steps
The pending manufacturing steps, including drainage, settling, hopping, pressing, chilling, cutting, and packaging, follow a similar procedure to buffalo milk.
Conclusion
Achieving consistent paneer quality from different types of milk requires a deep understanding of milk composition and process control. Whether utilizing buffalo milk or cow milk, minor adjustments in each step are important. Accurate paneer moisture control during the pressing process determines the final product, ensuring uniform paneer quality. Along with a deep understanding of all the processes, proper equipment is also important, so by engaging the experts, Himpreett Kaur of NK Dairy Equipment, you can choose the best equipment for better production.
Faq’s
What is the important thing to maintain paneer consistency from different milk types?
The important things to take care of are heating temperature and coagulation.
Is it possible to make a better paneer from low-fat milk?
Yes, it’s possible to make better paneer from low-fat milk.
What’s the reason to crumble the paneer when it cuts?
The reason the paneer crumbles when we cut it may be the use of low-fat milk.
How can the chewy or rubbery paneer be fixed?
The chewy or rubbery paneer can be fixed by soaking it in warm, salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.