Pickled cheeses: what it is, types and recipes

Brine refers to the types of cheeses, the obligatory stage of production of which is an extract in a special brine.They are produced both entirely from cow, sheep or buffalo milk, and by combining cow's milk with goat, sheep and buffalo in proportions of 3: 1, 2: 1 or 1: 1. Raw materials can be raw or pasteurized, in the process of maturing to it admix ferment or enzymes.

Calcium chloride solution is used to normalize fat content. The finished product turns out a homogeneous consistency. It can be completely white, and also have a light yellow or cream shade. These cheeses have no crust.

Consider the most common varieties of pickled cheeses.

• Adygei cheese. This variety is distinguished by a light and tender, slightly layered consistency. Adygea cheese has a rather low calorie content, for this reason it can be included in the diet menu. Requirements for the quality of this product are high, it is best to store it in the refrigerator.

• White cheese. The main distinctive feature of this variety is the same eyes. They are formed due to the fact that the cheese in the manufacturing process is cut and pressed.

• Cobian One of the traditional cheeses of Georgia. The head of this cheese has the shape of a truncated cone. It has a sharp, salty and sour taste.

• Liman. Cheese recipe developed in the Odessa region in Ukraine. Outwardly and in taste, it is similar to cheese.

• Laurie The variety for the manufacture of which cow's milk is used, sometimes with an admixture of buffalo milk, is characterized by a salty sour taste. Produced in Armenia.

• Mozzarella. This cheese has the shape of a ball. From the outside, it is almost flat, but inside it has a light lamination. The mozzarella is cooked by keeping it in salted brine, but the taste of the finished product is a bit bland.

• Moldavian. It is prepared without long ripening, salty and slightly sharp, has a plastic, slightly fragile structure.

• Ossetian. The national dish of the Ossetian cuisine, it is made from the milk of goats, sheep or cows with the addition of rennet. Its taste is salty with sour or even bitter notes.

• Suluguni. Cheese comes from the Georgian region of Samegrelo. On the surface of the product you can see small grooves, it is slightly layered. This structure provides the melting of cheese at a high temperature.

• Feta. The classic aging period for this variety is three months. In Greece, the country of origin of this cheese, it is produced from sheep's milk. Feta has a high fat content, at least 30%.

• Chanah. The variety is popular in Georgia and Armenia. Cheese is made in the form of square briquettes weighing up to four kilograms. The taste of the vats is salty, with a light creamy taste. It has a uniform white color.

• Chechil. Exhaust cheese of Armenian origin, having the form of longitudinal fibers. Moderately salty, with a sharp taste.

• Shor. Traditional Azeri cheese with a soft cottage cheese texture. For its preparation, the ayran is heated, the curd kernels are removed and the brine is poured in special skins "Motan".

It is believed that especially high-quality cheese produced by traditional technologies is obtained in the area where the history of cheese making is estimated for centuries. Therefore, the cheeses of the Caucasian and Italian brands are considered high-quality products and have excellent taste properties. Caucasian varieties are very diverse in taste, appearance and methods of preparation.

Italian pickled cheeses are mainly represented by Mozzarella varieties. For example, the large Mozzarella heads are called Bocconcini, the middle ones are called Chilegini, and the smallest ones are called Perlini. And also quite popular is a variety of Mozzarella, like Burrata, a cheese made from cream obtained from cow's milk or buffalo milk.

Pickled cheeses can be used as an independent product, or as part of delicious and original dishes. Below are some culinary recipes of cheeses and dishes prepared with their use.

For cooking you will need:

• 4 liters of milk, preferably farm, with high fat content;
• 0.5 tablespoon of citric acid;
• 175 ml of cool boiled water;
• rennet extract.

First you need to add acid to 125 ml of water, then dissolve a pinch of enzyme preparation in the remaining 50 ml. Pour the milk into the saucepan and slowly pour the citric acid solution into it, then heat it to + 35 ° С by adding the enzyme solution to the warm liquid. Continuously stirring, you need to leave the milk on low heat for another three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. After half an hour, the clot formed should be folded in a colander.

Salt residues in containers should be salted to taste and warmed to + 85 ° С. Cheese from a colander must be shifted to a hot pickle, and after 10 seconds to remove, mash it and begin to stretch. The mass should soon become elastic. Balls can be formed from the finished product or cut into strips.

This is a cheese thread, filled with thick cream. In order to make this Italian dish, you will need:

• 2 Mozzarella balls in brine;
• 250 ml of cream with a fat content of at least 33%.

The brine must be poured into a separate container, then heated to + 80 ° С, and the cheese completely immersed in it. The curd should warm up in brine for one minute, after which it is necessary to quickly start pulling the melted yarn and put it in cream. In the dish, you can add to taste spicy herbs or salt.

Perhaps the most popular traditional salad with Mozzarella, and its colors resemble the flag of Italy. Ingredients:

• 10 cherry tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes "Bull's heart";
• 0.2 kg Mozzarella;
• 5 sprigs of basil or arugula;
• 3 teaspoons of olive oil;
• 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar;
• 0.5 teaspoon honey.

Cherry tomatoes must be cut in half. If larger tomatoes were used, they should be cut into slices. Mozzarella bowl, too, must be cut into round slices. Greens need to wash and dry well, then grind. After that, make the sauce. Oil, vinegar and honey are mixed in a separate container to obtain a homogeneous consistency. Put the cheese and tomatoes on a plate in a circle, sprinkle with chopped greens and add the sauce.

Original dish with stracatella. Ingredients:

• 100 grams of Stracatella;
• garlic clove;
• shallot bulb;
• sprig of thyme;
• 250 grams of rice;
• 0.1 liters of dry white wine;
• 50 grams of dried basil;
• 700 ml of chicken broth.

First you need to fry the garlic, onion and thyme in olive oil, not chopping them, then add the rice, fry a little and, stirring, pour the dry wine. Gradually, the wine should completely evaporate. Then you need to add part of the chicken broth, wait until the liquid has evaporated, and pour in a new batch. Action needs to be repeated several times. until the broth is over, then add salt and pepper to rice. After the rice has been removed from the fire, basil should be poured into it.

To prepare this product at home you will need:

• 4 liters of milk;
• 0.5 liters of kefir;
• 6 tablets of pepsin.

Milk should be poured into an enameled or stainless pan and heated to + 30 ° C. Kefir should be heated in a water bath, and pepsin crushed, and prepare an aqueous solution. In milk, first dissolve the kefir, then the diluted enzyme. Curdled milk should be removed from heat and left to warm. After an hour, the clot needs to be cut and heated to + 40 ° C, after 15 minutes, pour the contents into a colander. After draining the liquid clot should be put under the press. Two hours later, it must be turned.

The compressed clot must be removed in shape, flattened and left for a day in a cool place. The finished product is rubbed with salt and spices to taste.

This is a national Ossetian pie with cheese and potatoes. Ingredients Required:

• 250 ml of kefir;
• 12 grams of dry yeast;
• 3 teaspoons of sugar;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• 0.3 kg of potatoes;
• 100 grams of sour cream;
• 0.3 kg flour;
• 50 grams of butter;
• 0.1 kg Ossetian cheese.

First you need to sift the flour, add sugar, yeast, salt and warm kefir. Prepare the dough of the desired consistency, it should stick slightly to the hands, then add butter to it and leave for half an hour to rise. Potatoes must be cooked without removing the skin from it, then peeled and crushed. Cheese must be kneaded, then mixed with potatoes and sour cream. Roll out the dough into a cake measuring two centimeters thick.

Place the curd in the center and evenly coat the surface of the cake base. The edges of the cake should be assembled and molded together, then turn the pie upside down and flatten it. It must be baked without butter, in a container sprinkled with flour at a temperature of + 180 ° C. After half an hour, the cake should be removed from the oven, pour with melted butter and serve.

A classic recipe with feta cheese. Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes;
• cucumber;
• bulb;
• garlic clove;
• 3 bell peppers;
• 0.2 kg of feta cheese;
• 6-8 olives;
• 50 ml of olive oil.

All vegetables need to be pre-washed and dry well. Peeled cucumber, tomatoes, peppers and cheese cut into cubes. Garlic must be crushed with a knife blade, and onions cut into rings. All crushed ingredients need to be mixed thoroughly and add butter. Olives need to put in the salad whole. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pickled cheeses are best kept in brine. After purchasing the cheese, transfer it to a plastic or glass container and pour the brine. If there is no brine, then the cheese must be wrapped in foil or food film.

Pickled cheeses are a source of many vitamins and trace elements, especially folic acid and important amino acids. They are useful for both adults and children. Cheeses improve the gastrointestinal tract, strengthen bone tissue, hair and nails. In addition, this product increases the appetite. Nevertheless, he has some contraindications:

• due to the high salinity of the product (about 7%) it should not be used in large quantities by people with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• the use of cheeses is contraindicated for ulcers, gastritis, and kidney pathologies;
• categorically it is impossible to include them in the diet of people with individual intolerance to milk protein.

Due to the high fat content of many types of pickled cheeses, people with overweight or a tendency to be overweight should be included in the diet with caution.

Learn more about how to cook pickled cheese, you will learn from the following video.