Cheese-making without rennet

In Nigeria and some other parts of Africa juice from the plant Calotropis procera is being used to coagulate milk for cheesemaking where rennet is difficult or expensive to obtain on a commercial scale. Calotropis procera (or kinbo) is a common weed in many parts of Ethiopia. lLCA scientists have carried out preliminary trials of the milk coagulating properties of juice pressed from various parts of the plant, the cheese yields obtained, and the fat content of the whey. Coagulation time decreased the more juice was used, and it was found that the leaf juice gave better results than that from the stem. Cheese yields ranged from 180 to 194g per litre of milk, but it was found these decreased with longer coagulation times. Further trials will take place on a number of cheese varieties together with chemical, organoleptic, and shelf-life tests on the cheese. Dr C.B. O'Connor - ILCA PO Box 5689 Addis Ababa ETHIOPIAIn Nigeria and some other parts of Africa juice from the plant Calotropis procera is being used to coagulate milk for cheesemaking where rennet is difficult or expensive to obtain on a commercial scale. Calotropis procera (or 'kinbo') is a common..