Brine for Cheese: how to cook and store it at home?

Among all the existing varieties of hard cheeses, cheese stands apart.It brings much more benefit to the human body and is significantly different both in manufacturing technology and storage features. Therefore, it is worth considering the brine for cheese and find out how to prepare it properly and how you can store it at home.

The most important difference between cheese and other cheeses is its composition. With proper preparation, it does not contain carbohydrates at all, and the fat content in it does not exceed 20% (whereas for hard cheeses this figure may exceed 60%). Because of this, its caloric content is usually not higher than 260 kcal. At the same time, Brinza contains up to 18% of proteins, as well as many vitamins, including:

• A and beta carotene;
• B1 and B2;
• WITH;
• D;
• E;
• PP

Brynza is rich in essential microelements, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and sulfur.

If Cheese is stored in the same way as other hard cheeses (for example, placed in an airtight container, wrapped in paper, cling film, parchment or plastic bag), then in just a few days it begins to deteriorate noticeably. Its edges can dry and become stale, and the surface becomes slippery. Such changes are accompanied by the appearance of an unpleasant odor, which indicates a change in the composition, and hence the properties of the product. Corroded Cheese can do more harm than good.

Save this cheese for several months is possible only with the help of specially made brine, which will simultaneously protect it from drying out and from pathogenic microorganisms. It is not surprising that many manufacturers of cheese nowadays supply their product in brine containers (similarly, it is customary to pack other unique pickled cheese - Fet). This liquid is also called rapa. In the case of the acquisition of these cheeses without brine, it can be made independently at home.

Classic cheese brine is made exclusively from water with added salt. At the same time, for the best result, the proportions should be as follows - for every liter of water it is necessary to dissolve from 180 to 200 grams of salt. Salinity less than 18% will reduce the expected shelf life, and with salinity more than 20% the taste of the preserved cheese will change. You can check the salinity of the prepared brine using a chicken egg - its tip should float when the egg is completely submerged in brine.

Instead of water, for the preparation of brine can be used and whey, while salt is added in the same proportion. Cheese stored in such a way less loses the nuances of its taste.

Another interesting recipe that helps not only to preserve the Cheese, but also to enrich its taste - this is brine with herbs. For its preparation you will need ready brine and 1 pinch of ground red pepper, ground garlic, dill, cumin and parsley. All these ingredients should be mixed with brine.

You can additionally diversify the taste of preserved cheese by adding vegetable oil, mustard seeds and other flavors and spices to the brine. It is important not to overdo it with their quantity, so as not to spoil the taste of the product and preserve its useful properties.

To do this, add a liter of milk (preferably home-made or purchased maximum fat) to the pan, add three tablespoons of sour cream (also fatty, not less than 20%), mix and put on high heat.

After the start of milk coagulation in the mixture, you need to add about two tablespoons of lemon juice. After a minute, the fire needs to be turned off. The resulting solid mass must be separated from the liquid component, for which filtration through several layers of gauze is well suited.Separated solid component must be put under a heavy press for an hour. After that, the product is cut into cubes, poured a twenty percent brine and clean in the refrigerator. The dish will be ready to eat in half an hour.

Store Cheese at room temperature is strictly prohibited. Without any packaging in such conditions, it will remain usable only for 8 hours. In the store or sealed package, this cheese can lie in room temperature for one day. Finally, storage of cheese in brine in such conditions is possible for a period of not more than two days.

At the same time, not only temperature conditions will affect the taste and benefit of Cheese, but also the material of the dishes. Different types of plastic can interact with the pickle and the surface of the Cheese, which leads to the appearance of various unpleasant tastes in the cheese, and can potentially even be harmful to health. Therefore, the brine and cheese in it must be stored exclusively in glass containers. It is better if these containers are transparent - so it will be possible to notice the clouding of the brine or the beginning of the deterioration of the Cheese.

Brine when stored in it Cheese in any case should be completely replaced once a month. However, many housewives recommend gradually reduce the salinity of brine with each month. Just remember that salt in any case should not be less than 150 g per 1 liter of water.

If you store Cheese in ordinary water or a weak salt solution (in which salts are less than 15%), the salinity and hardness of this cheese will decrease. Usually, this effect is considered undesirable, but people suffering from various diseases of the teeth, cardiovascular or digestive systems due to this effect will be able to enjoy the taste and benefits of Cheese without negative consequences. Healthy people can also soak too salty or hard Cheese - the main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to get a tasteless and shapeless mass.

Theoretically, storage of cheese in the freezer without brine is possible for up to 8 months, in practice, the freezing of this cheese will lead to a change in its composition, with the result that the cheese will begin to crumble and lose much of the benefits and taste.

See below for how to cook brine for your grandmother’s recipe.