PENGARUH PRESENTASE EKSTRAK JERUK NIPIS (Citrus aurantifolia) DAN SUHU STRETCHING TERHADAP KARAKTERISTIK KEJU MOZZARELLA

Mozzarella cheese is a type of soft cheese made from cow's milk or buffalo milk that is not aged (unripened) during its production process, often referred to as fresh cheese. This study aims to determine the effect of the percentage of lime extract (Citrus aurantifolia) and stretching temperature on the characteristics of mozzarella cheese. The research used a factorial experiment with a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) of two factors and three
replications. The percentages of lime extract used were 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5% (v/v), and the stretching temperatures were 75°C and 85°C. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) with a significance level
of α = 5%. The parameters tested in this study included yield, moisture content, protein content, meltability, pH, texture analysis, and organoleptic tests. The results showed that the addition of lime extract percentages and stretching temperature had a significant effect (P<0.05) on yield, moisture content, meltability, and texture in terms of mozzarella cheese stretchability, but no significant effect (P>0.05) on protein content and pH of mozzarella cheese. The best treatment as accepted by the panelists was J2P2 (2% lime extract and 85°C stretching temperature), with a yield of 11.67%, moisture content of 55.8%, protein content of 11.8%, meltability of 7.83 cm, pH of 6.53, stretchability of 3.64 N, and a preference score of 3.50.