How to make cream cheese at home?

Cream cheese is a healthy and tasty product.It is used independently, is one of the main ingredients in many dishes, including in the beloved rolls. The only disadvantage of this product is cost. Few of their housewives know that it is not necessary to buy cheese: you can cook it with your own hands, you only need to have the necessary ingredients.

There are several recipes for making this wonderful product at home. For sweet, soft and tender cheese, you can use cream or milk. At the same time, according to its taste, it will be no worse than the store, and the cost price will surely please the hostess. In addition, you can make a cream cheese of neutral taste or slightly salty - it all depends on the preferences of the cook and the further use of the product. The sweet option is ideal for cakes and pastries, and salted is a great addition to sandwiches with fish.

For the first time, cheese in this version was tried in the 17th century. In French sources in documents dating from this time, the first mention of cream cheese appears. It differs from other cheeses by its tender structure, that is, it does not take shape, but rather resembles cottage cheese. No need to wait until it matures. The closest in texture to him is Mascarpone and Boursen cheese.

Practically in each country, they offer their own version of the product, the most popular are the variants from Norway and France. But Philadelphia cheese has recently received great fame thanks to the spread of Japanese cuisine on our market. People have learned to cook their own rolls, and now they buy cheese for their preparation, although it can be made at home.

The amount of fat in this product varies between 33-89%. This indicates that the cheese perfectly preserves useful substances, including acids, milk proteins, vitamins and trace elements. It contains:

• magnesium;
• iron;
• zinc;
• phosphorus.

If you compare with fresh milk, then in 100 g of cheese there is as much fat as healthy for a person as there is in a liter of milk. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended to be eaten by pregnant women or given to children.

On an industrial scale, this cheese appeared on store shelves in America in 1872. Today, to cook it yourself, you will need:

• 1 l of cream, preferably 25% fat;
• a quarter teaspoon of citric acid;
• on a teaspoon of water and salt.

Citric acid is diluted in water, then salt is added. The resulting mass is poured into milk, which, in turn, put on fire to boil no more than 10 minutes. You can not ignore the pan, because the milk should not boil, you will need to stir it constantly.

As soon as the protein has curled up, we spread the gauze in a colander in several layers and pour the mixture into it. We are waiting for the whey to drain, and the curd mass will remain on the fabric. The process takes about two hours, during which it is necessary to constantly mix the mass. Then we shift it into a container and put it in the fridge. Adding green has a positive effect on the taste of the product.

To get 400 g of this product, you will need:

• 2.5 cups of cream, the fat content of which is not less than 30%;
• one cup of whole milk;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice.

If the lemon is not at home, you can use citric acid or, in extreme cases, vinegar, just do not overdo it.

We take a convenient saucepan and mix it with cream, milk and salt. Since the milk is whole, it needs to be boiled. The process will destroy all pathogenic bacteria that could get from the animal. We make a small fire and, slightly stirring, wait for the mass to boil.Pour in lemon juice and keep on the stove for another 4 minutes. This time is enough for protein folding.

Turn off the fire and wait 15 minutes for the liquid to settle. Now we merge on a colander and leave for 5 hours. The mass sometimes needs to be stirred, since the whey must be completely gone so that a product of the required quality can be obtained. The quality, taste and texture will depend on the fat content of the products used.

When all the liquid is in the glass, the mass is transferred to a sealed container and put in the refrigerator for seven days.

Curd cheese is a close relative of the cream product, which can also be made at home. It is similar to cottage cheese, but it does not have a grainy structure, but a cream one.

The range of its use is quite wide. This is not only desserts, but also sandwiches. Such cheese has a delicate creamy taste. In order to achieve a salty taste in the cooking process, you need to add salt. Sometimes cheese is made neutral, that is, not sweet and not salty. This product is ideal as an additional ingredient to fish or other salty dishes.

You can get cheese in half an hour, for this you need:

• 1 liter of high fat milk;
• 1 cup of kefir;
• half a cup of cream 35% fat.

300 g of curd cheese can be obtained from this amount of products.

It is great if there is a slow cooker on hand, since cooking with it becomes much easier. It is enough to activate the extinguishing mode for an hour and not close the lid to see how the protein begins to fold. As a rule, this occurs at 80 ° C. Experienced chefs note that it will take about half an hour to complete the folding of the protein.

When the mixture is ready, we take the second container and set a colander with gauze or linen cloth on it. Depending on what kind of humidity you want to get cheese, the time of draining of the whey varies. You can add to taste salt, dill or parsley, to get a great product for sandwiches. This mass is not only very tasty and is ideally combined with fish products, but also extremely useful.

Quality homemade cottage cheese can be prepared in a simple way. For this recipe, you need half a liter of kefir and a liter of whole pasteurized milk. If the milk is not whole, it will not give enough product at the outlet.

Pot of milk put on the fire. When it begins to boil, stirring it, pour in salt and sugar. The pot is removed from the heat and kefir is added. Stir until the protein is completely curtailed. It is necessary to fold it on the gauze folded in several layers and it is desirable to even hang or close and put under the press to remove all the serum. If you want to make a lot of air and tender, use a blender.

You can cook a fatty product from the curd. It is advisable that it be fat free. Add 200 ml of cream and sour cream 30%. First, whip the cream, add other ingredients and mix well. In order for the cheese to ripen, it is necessary to leave it at room temperature for a day, then put it in the fridge. The advantage of this product is a longer shelf life.

This homemade product can be served with a variety of dishes:

• rolls and pancakes;
• pies and rolls;
• salads;
• pastes;
• any baking.

It is especially well combined with spicy and salted base. Fantasy hostess will tell the best solution.

Most people in the refrigerators can find cream cheese, as it is an indispensable product for the preparation of many dishes. The product has a huge number of useful properties:

• great for weight loss;
• perfectly supports athletes;
• has an antioxidant effect;
• positive effect on nails and hair, improves skin condition;
• helps the normal formation of the fetus during pregnancy;
• contains a huge amount of trace elements and vitamins;
• easy to digest.

Harm product can cause only in the case of individual intolerance or intolerance to lactose. In such situations, you must refrain from cheese, as well as from any other dairy products. Excessive use can lead to gout. Do not recommend it to people with impaired renal function, they will suit unleavened product.

To make cheese at home, you should use natural products. Sour or stagnant yogurt, sour cream and even more so milk will spoil the taste of the product.

The best place for the starter is the battery or plate, which was recently cooked. You can use the oven if it is still warm. You can also make a water bath, but the water will have to constantly change.

In the heat fermentation takes place in natural conditions. But this is a long process. If you want to speed it up, then simply add lemon juice, which promotes the fast folding of protein in milk.

How to make cream cheese at home, see the following video.