How to cook Suluguni at home?

Among the abundance of cheeses presented in stores, Georgian Suluguni is always distinguished, which is sold both as a single piece and in the form of stripes or braids.Its soft salty taste makes the product a favorite of a large number of people.

Georgian Suluguni, referring to pickled cheeses, is considered the hallmark of this region. Surprisingly, there are only two main types of this product, differing in the method of preparation. The first - the usual, which is easy to find in almost any supermarket. The second is smoked, which can be stored for a relatively long time. It is believed that real smoked cheese can be tasted only in Georgia.

The dairy product has either a cream or a white tint, a rather delicate elastic texture and taste, successfully combining salinity and creamy flavor. Color usually depends on what kind of milk is its basis. The higher the level of fat in it, the richer the color. Suluguni is cooked mainly from cow's milk, but buffalo, sheep or goat's milk is used in the historic homeland. Buffalo, by the way, is chosen for delicacy varieties of cheese.

Like any other dairy product, Suluguni is rich in useful elements. It is even recommended to use after past diseases, not related to the gastrointestinal tract, in order to replenish lost strength. Unfortunately, despite the amazing taste and tangible benefits, eating large amounts of cheese can lead to weight gain, since the product is not dietary.

You can cook Suluguni at home only if you follow the instructions step by step.

The whole technology is divided into two main stages, each of which consists of several stages.

• The first stage is devoted to the preparation of fresh curd cheese. The selected milk is fermented, after which the whey is separated from the product. Curd kernels are stacked under the press and salted.
• In the next stage, if the cheese is prepared at home, then it needs to be processed and melted. The curd product is cut into tiny pieces and melted. Then the kneaded substance will need to be kneaded, as if it were a dough, to draw out and form separate layers. To prepare, you will definitely need pepsin - an enzyme that is purchased in a pharmacy. Gauze or other fabric will also come in handy, with the help of which the solid part will be separated from the serum.

In addition, there is one difference between home production and industrial production. In the first case, whole fresh milk is taken, which is not subjected to pre-pasteurization. Due to the fact that the components will go through several stages of heat treatment, it is not necessary.

However, there are sanitary norms in production, which means that milk must be pasteurized. It should be mentioned that during this process, the ingredient loses such important elements as calcium salts and rennet, which are then added separately. As a result, homemade cheese is obtained more natural, and it is easier to cook it.

Although it is customary to cook Suluguni cheese from cow’s milk, You can also make it from a goat.

• In addition to eight liters of unpasteurized milk, three milliliters of liquid pepsin and 300 grams of salt are required. The caloric value of 100 grams of the resulting product will not exceed 285 kilocalories.
• It will be necessary to pour all the milk into a volume pan and heat it to a temperature of 35 degrees.
• After that, pepsin is added to the liquid, the substance is stirred and left for sixty minutes at room temperature. After a specified period, the milk must, coagulated, be transformed into dense lumps.
• The balls are collected in cheesecloth and suspended for sixty minutes to drain excess liquid. The remaining serum does not overflow, as it is still used.
• An hour later, a small fragment comes off the total mass and sinks into hot water for a couple of minutes. If, after contact with liquid, it began to crumble, the process is not yet complete. If the substance has become viscous - you can move on.

• The elastic substance must be cut into fairly large pieces and left for twenty minutes in cold water - so Suluguni will stop fermenting.
• Then the cheese is cut into small cubes, laid out in an aluminum saucepan and filled with water, the temperature of which reaches 65 degrees. If the product starts to melt, the water changes to a new one. This stage is repeated until a uniform Suluguni mass remains in the bowl.
• At this point, you can make the brine - mix the remaining whey with salt. The cheese mass is immersed in it for half a day, after which it is sent for several hours to cool in the refrigerating chamber.

You can make Suluguni cheese with sour cream, the fat content of which exceeds 30%.

• In addition to 230 milliliters of this product, you will need to take 2.2 liters of milk, four eggs, a bunch of fresh dill, 40 grams of salt and, if desired, seasoning. The caloric value of 100 grams of the final cheese will be 290 kilocalories.
• First, the milk will need to be poured into a deep container and cooked before the first bubbles appear. Then the fire is reduced, and salt is gently poured into the liquid.
• At this time, in another container, eggs and sour cream are mixed, after which the mixture is poured into the first pan. Finely chopped greens and seasonings are also sent there. When the milk becomes transformed into cottage cheese, it will need to be held for five minutes over a small fire, and then put into gauze.
• Half an hour the liquid will drain, after which the mass is rolled up in the form of a bag and the remaining whey is squeezed out manually.
• The future Suluguni fits into a large saucepan and compresses a five-liter bottle of water for three to five hours. From time to time, the liquid will be released, and it will have to be removed. Ready cheese for a few hours goes to rest in the fridge.

It is made by Suluguni and with the use of lemon juice.

• For this recipe, in addition to 55 milliliters of lemon juice, you will need two liters of milk and 75 grams of fine salt. At first, the milk is heated at a low heat to approximately 40 degrees. It is important to interfere with the liquid periodically, otherwise it will start to burn on the bottom and walls of the container.
• When the first bubbles appear, you can pour lemon juice into the liquid, pour in 15 grams of salt and wait until everything disperses. It is important to clarify that lemon juice in this case does not affect the taste, but accelerates the process of separating milk into whey and curd grains. When the lumps begin to appear, it will be necessary to wait about five minutes, and then remove the pan from the stove.
• The prepared colander is lined with gauze, and cottage cheese is laid into it. You can immediately form a bag and wait until all moisture is gone. Usually this process takes a couple of hours, but if you hang the cheese, it can accelerate. At this time, the remains of salt dissolve in two liters of boiled water.
• As soon as the curd ceases to release the liquid, it gets out of the gauze and is sent to the brine for six hours. At the end of it is removed in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Ready Suluguni often serves as the basis for a variety of dishes. Sometimes it is used as a separate product, and sometimes as a filling for baking: khachapuri, corn tortillas or pies.Dairy product is in harmony with vegetables, fish and meat, and the best supply is carried out with wine and olives.

For example, in the oven you can cook fried cheese with vegetables. For this simple, but very healthy food will need tomatoes, herbs, spices with vegetable oil and, directly, cheese. Vegetables and onions are cut into thin slices and laid out in a baking dish. The next layer is chopped cilantro, dill and parsley, sprinkled with vegetable oil and spices. Finally, from above everything is sprinkled with grated Suluguni and the dish is sent to the oven until a golden crust appears.

Fresh vegetables are ideally combined with smoked cheese, so the product is suitable for making salad. For example, besides Suluguni, boiled chicken fillet, fresh cucumbers and greens are prepared.

If Suluguni is used as a filling, for example, pancakes are made with it, the product can be cut into small pieces and placed in warm water. Under the influence of a liquid, it will start melting and change its substance to a better one for baking.

Frying Suluguni in the pan is also easy. In a bowl with a thick bottom, melt a piece of butter. At this time, the cheese is breaded in flour.

Fresh cheese is allowed to be stored in the refrigerator, preferably in a container with a tight-fitting lid. In this state, it will not deteriorate for a whole month. If it is necessary to extend the shelf life, then Suluguni will have to smoke.

To learn how to make Suluguni cheese at home, see the following video.