Efecto de las condiciones de fermentación (temperatura, tiempo y dosis de inóculo) sobre la textura, sinéresis y firmeza del skyr tradicional

Abstract

This research studied the effect of temperature, incubation time, and inoculum dosage on the texture, firmness, and syneresis characteristics of skyr. It was found that, when evaluating temperatures of 35, 37, and 40 degrees Celsius with incubation times of 4, 5, and 6 hours, the greatest decrease in pH was achieved at 40 degrees Celsius at 6 hours, due to the behavior of the thermophilic cultures used. Subsequently, instrumental texture analysis showed that using between 0.5 and 2.0 percent inoculum did not produce statistically significant differences in gel firmness; therefore, the 0.5 percent dosage was chosen as the most efficient. When evaluating the shelf life of skyr under refrigeration for 21 days, the product exhibited post-acidification with a final pH of 4.21. Although the hardness and chewiness changed due to structural modifications in the casein network, the product maintained its pseudoplastic behavior and efficient retention, preserving syneresis at values close to 0.0 percent. In short, the data obtained provides a solid basis for standardizing the process at an industrial level, guaranteeing the long-term stability of traditional skyr.