Parmesan is one of the varieties of hard cheeses. The product is widely used in cooking for preparing hot dishes and snacks, and can also be eaten in its natural form. You can prepare such cheese at home, and how to do this will be discussed in this article.

What it is?

Parmesan is known all over the world for its excellent taste and beneficial properties. Italy is considered its homeland. The product does not have a uniform structure and is crumbly in consistency, so it crumbles when cut into portions.

The cheese has a pleasant delicate taste and goes well with both savory foods and fruits. When producing Parmesan on an industrial scale, the ripening stage must be included. According to Italian cheese production technology, it needs from one to three years of aging to mature.

The ripening time is reflected in the taste characteristics of the product: the “older” the cheese, the more intense the aroma and taste it will have. Before going on sale, each wheel of Parmesan cheese is checked to ensure compliance with all quality standards.

If according to some criteria the product does not meet the requirements, then it also goes on sale, but under a different name.

Subtleties of the home recipe

It will take quite a lot of time to prepare Parmesan at home, as if it were prepared on a commercial scale. The cheese matures no earlier than ten months, so you should be patient when making the product in advance. To get a tasty and high-quality product, it is important to follow the technology of the production process and the proportions of the components used.

To make cheese at home you will need ten liters of cow's milk. The original method of preparing Parmesan involves the use of natural fresh product. The first five liters of milk are obtained from the evening milk yield, and the second from the morning milk yield. The cream must be separated from the evening milk milk.

In addition to milk, you will need rennet (such as pepsin) and a yogurt starter. As for rennet, it is better to take the substance in liquid form in an amount of 2.5 milliliters. Yogurt starter culture will require approximately one-fourth of a teaspoon, but it is better to check the packaging of the substance for the exact amount.

In addition to the ingredients for making cheese, you will need a kitchen thermometer that will allow you to control the temperature during the production process.

Manufacturing technology

Evening and morning milk is poured into a deep container, mixed and placed on the stove. The liquid must be heated to a temperature of 33 degrees. A starter culture is poured into warm milk, which settles on the surface.

In this state, the mixture is kept for thirty seconds, after which it is well mixed. The resulting composition must be allowed to brew for one hour, while the temperature of the liquid should be 32-33 degrees, so if necessary, the mixture must be heated on the stove.

After an hour, the composition is mixed again and rennet is introduced into it, the amount of which is best viewed on the packaging. Sometimes it is necessary to first dilute the enzyme in water and only then add it to the milk. The composition must be stirred well and left to brew for a quarter of an hour.

During this time, the mixture will begin to thicken, and after fifteen minutes the dense clot must be cut into small pieces using a long knife. To separate the pieces into small grains, you need to break the mass with a whisk. In this case, the grain size should not exceed three millimeters.

The resulting composition must be brought to a temperature of 58 degrees on the stove with constant stirring. After heating, the container with the mixture is placed in a large container with cold water to reduce the temperature to 55 degrees. After this, the composition must be continuously stirred for about ten minutes. After the specified time, the grain should reach the desired consistency and, when compressed, will form a dense, homogeneous mass.

The composition must be transferred to gauze and the serum allowed to drain. The whey is brought to a temperature of 57 degrees on the stove and a dense cheese mass rolled in gauze is placed in it. The cheese should be in the whey for an hour, and the temperature of the liquid should be constantly checked and maintained at 55-57 degrees.

Every 15 minutes, the cheese mass must be removed from the gauze and turned over to the other side.

Pressing

After the cheese mass has been in the whey for an hour, it must be transferred to a special form. At the same time, it is worth making sure that the structure of the cheese is uniform, without any folds or irregularities. Having placed the product in a container, you need to give it a flat shape with your hands and cover it with a special circle or lid on top.

You need to place a weight weighing 4.5 kilograms on the cheese and leave it under it for twenty minutes. During this time, the whey will separate and drain from the product. After the time has passed, the cheese mass will need to be turned over and a load weighing 10 kilograms placed on it. The cheese is kept under this pressure for forty minutes. At the twentieth minute, you need to turn the cheese mass over and put it under pressure again.

Then the product is freed from the load, taken out of the gauze and again placed under a ten-kilogram press, but for 10 hours. At the same time, it is important to observe the temperature regime in the room where the cheese will be located: the air temperature should be about 18-24 degrees. This mode allows you to obtain a product of the desired acidity.

After ten hours, the load must be removed, and the cheese mass must be placed in a regular food container and left for 35 hours at the same temperature.

From the amount of ingredients used, and after all the manipulations done, you should get about a kilogram of cheese.

Salting out

One part of the cheese mass is soaked for six hours, after which the Parmesan is turned over and the other side is placed in brine for also six hours.

When soaking cheese, a number of rules must be followed.

• The temperature of the saline solution should be between 10-13 degrees.
• The part of the cheese that is on top of the brine should be sprinkled with one small spoon of salt.
• After soaking, the product must dry completely. To do this, the cheese is kept on a special grill for two days at a temperature of 10-13 degrees. Parmesan must be turned over periodically.

The cheese is then sent to mature in a room with suitable conditions. The humidity level in the room should not exceed 85%, and the air temperature should be in the range of 10-14 degrees. The ripening period for Parmesan is exactly one year, after which it can be eaten.

You will learn more about how to make Parmesan cheese in the following video.

Parmesan is rightly called the king of all cheeses, and many often wonder whether it is possible to make Parmesan cheese at home. This is a variety of Italian hard cheese that has a delicate taste and aftertaste. Its structure is brittle and crumbles a lot. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, by the way, is the original name of this variety, is not only nutritious, but also a very healthy product. From this article you will learn not only about the beneficial properties of this product, but also how to make Parmesan cheese at home.

History of Parmigiano-Reggiano

It is not known for certain where and when exactly hard Parmesan cheese appeared, but there is still some information about its origin. Its history goes back almost a thousand years. According to one version, this dairy product was invented by the monks of the Benedictine order, for whom the naturalness of the product was important, as well as its long-term storage. There is a legend that the Parmesan recipe was sent to them by the Lord himself. Hard Parmesan cheese, even without preservatives, can be stored and remain fresh for about three years. Today, this snack is prepared in the same way as in the 13th century, using the same technologies, and in the same places, so modern cheese and the one that was eight centuries ago are no different. Real Parmigiano-Reggiano is produced only in northern Italy.

Harm and benefits of Parmigiano-Reggiano

• As already noted, Parmigiano-Reggiano is useful because it contains a large number of amino acids that the human body needs.
• In addition, it is a rich source of protein, which is why this product is used in various diets.
• However, parmesan contains about 390 kcal, but it does not affect weight gain. It is easily and quickly absorbed by the body, positively affecting digestion.
• It is also rich in calcium and phosphorus, thanks to the natural cow's milk in the composition.
• In addition to calcium and phosphorus, Parmesan cheese contains other beneficial substances and vitamins.
• It can and should be taken by pregnant women and children.
• Unlike many dairy products, Parmigiano-Reggiano does not contain lactose.
• It has no harmful properties, except for intolerance to the components and excessive consumption.

How to make Parmesan cheese at home

Before telling you step-by-step instructions for preparing Parmigiano-Reggiano, it is worth warning that preparing Parmesan cheese is not a quick process, since the real product must sit for at least two years. And if you need Parmigiano-Reggiano today, it is better to buy it in the store, since you may not have the patience to wait that long. But if you still decide to treat yourself to homemade parmesan in the future, then don’t hesitate, start right now.

In order to make homemade Parmesan cheese, you need the following ingredients (you will get about 1 kilogram of the final product):

• Low-fat fresh milk – 16 liters
• Sourdough or yogurt – 320 gr.
• Rennet is a complex organic compound that acts as a catalyst for the breakdown and processing of milk. The product is quite expensive, but you can’t do without it.

If you have everything you need, then we offer you a diagram of the process of preparing Parmigiano-Reggiano at home with photos:

1. Heat the milk to 38 degrees.
2. Add the starter to the warm milk and mix well. Leave aside for 45 minutes.
3. Dilute the rennet in half a glass of cold water, and stirring, add to the bulk.
4. After an hour and a half, the milk mass will curl into cottage cheese and then cut the cottage cheese into small pieces with a sharp knife.
5. Place the cottage cheese on low heat so that it heats up gradually, do not forget to stir occasionally.
6. As soon as the cottage cheese reaches 51.5 degrees, turn off the heat. Leave it on for 30 minutes.
7. Then drain the excess liquid and transfer the mass into a container under a small load (about 5 kg). Leave again for 30 minutes.
8. After half an hour, increase the load at least twice and leave it for 12 hours. Don’t forget to turn the cheese over, do it very carefully, as it is still soft.
9. Then your workpiece needs to be salted. Place it in a highly salty solution for a day. Again, don't forget to flip. The salting process takes about 20 days.
10. Then the cheese is removed from the salty solution and left to dry. And in this case it must be constantly turned over, otherwise it will dry unevenly. Thus, the cheese matures for 2-5 years. Well, or at least it’s worth waiting for a year. During ripening, it is brushed with olive oil. After this, your homemade parmesan cheese is ready!

This solid fermented milk product can be eaten plain, washed down with red wine, or can be added to various dishes. Even homemade parmesan turns out very tasty and healthy. Once you try this royal cheese, you will not be able to refuse it again.

Video: How to make hard Parmesan cheese at home

Ricotta is an Italian specialty, a traditional Italian cream cheese. Without it, it is impossible to imagine almost any Italian dish - ravioli, lasagna, vegetables and desserts. There are several types of ricotta: Ricotta fresca - fresh soft white cheese, used for fillings, salads, desserts, pizza, pasta dishes; Ricotta salata - mature, salty cheese, used grated instead of Parmesan; Ricotta affumicata is a smoked mature cheese, used alone or in grated form. In the assortment of cheeses offered by stores in our city, I only find fresh ricotta (fresca). This is what I suggest preparing at home. No lemon juice!!! (as in only two recipes offered on the site), with the addition of cream, through natural ripening, I got, I’m not afraid of this word, GREAT, natural, tasty, delicate creamy ricotta, a hundred times tastier than store-bought (even Italian, which costs a lot of money) ! Besides the obvious savings, my ricotta has a much creamier texture and mild flavor! I invite you, dear cooks, to enjoy it!!!

Is it possible to make Parmesan at home? The first reaction is no! This is not just cheese or feta cheese, but an Italian delicacy tradition. This is where it’s worth remembering the wise Russian proverb: “It’s not the gods who burn the pots.” There would be hunting, time and opportunities. Then “pots” are quite within the capabilities of anyone.

The exotic-sounding “Parmesan” got its name from the area where it is produced. Italian Parma and Reggio Emilia are the cradle of the famous cheese; they have been keeping the traditions of its production since the 12th century. But now they make it not only in Italy, in many other parts of the world.

Many people fell in love with this hard cheese with a piquant, slightly tart, deep creamy taste. The peculiar structure of the product makes it inconvenient for cutting, but rubbing it is a pleasure; it is prone to the formation of scales. It can be stored for a long time without fear that it will lose its virtues.

Italians sprinkle Parmesan cheese on pasta, add it to risotto and soups, and top it with balsamic vinegar. The Emilia-Romagna region has its own traditions: eating Parmesan with walnuts and pears. Following Italy, France, and England, it became customary to enjoy cheese at the end of a meal, treating yourself to thin slices as a delicacy.

Gastronomic card of Italy

Parmesan glorified not only the Emilia-Romagna region, but also the entire cuisine of Italy. Along with lasagna, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, Bolognese sauce, Barosi cake, wines and liqueurs.

Everything is important in making Parmesan: the starting ingredients, the recipe, where to store it, how to determine quality and readiness. No matter how hard chefs around the world try, Italians recognize only their cheese as the best. Moreover, it was made in the vicinity of Parma or Reggio Emilia.

Here, on the hills and valleys, protected from cold winds by mountain ranges, 70 species of succulent grasses grow. Red Reggiana cows graze on fertile meadows. By the way, they produce half as much milk as cows of other breeds. But what kind of milk is this! Only it is used to produce real Parmigiano Reggiano. Old-timers keep legends about the heavenly origin of the local cows.

To make one kilogram of cheese you need 14 liters of milk. No preservatives are used. This cheese, unlike all others, is not pressed. The cheese head periodically turns over from side to side. And after two years of “spin”, it is transferred to special rooms, where the product matures for another whole year.

At the final stage, unusual characters appear on the culinary scene: the Parma rumors. This unique profession is passed down from generation to generation and is considered very prestigious. A special silver hammer and recognition of the sound of cheese ripeness are the main indicators of skill. The “musical” capabilities of Parmesan determine its future taste. An insufficiently ringing sound after hitting with a hammer indicates a discrepancy with the necessary qualities. Of course, such cheese heads are not thrown away. They are marked in a special way and also sent for sale. But the price of such a product will be lower and the name will be different.

“Denominazione di Origine Profetta” scorched on the shell means that you have the same Parmigiano Reggiano in your hands. The recipe of which has not changed since the 12th century, milk is taken from the “correct” cows, mixed only in copper vats, turned over in time and readiness is determined using a silver hammer. It's easy to store, so buy it for future use if possible.

Continuation of the life of milk in another dimension

This is what the Italians themselves say about Parmesan. And yet, preparing a delicious product at home is quite within the capabilities of housewives who love to experiment and create. And it doesn’t matter that your work will differ in shades of taste from the original. It is possible that the nuances brought by your skill may rival the standard.

Ambitious Italians tend to consider their own achievements unsurpassed. And they like to clothe them with a cloak of mystery and exclusivity. But the recipe for making parmesan is initially no different from any other: feta, gouda or cheddar. Fresh milk is fermented with rennet and turns into a jelly-like mass.

Stage 1

Heat 10 liters of fresh milk (no more than 2.5% fat) in a wide, roomy saucepan to 33 degrees. Sprinkle the surface with the pre-purchased starter (the required amount is indicated on the package). After half a minute, stir and heat for an hour at the same temperature.

Stage 2

While stirring, gradually add rennet. After 17–18 minutes, a dense lump will form. Using a whisk on a long handle, cut the curd lengthwise and crosswise for about 10 minutes, you need to achieve a fine grain size of the future cheese, no more than 3 mm.

Stage 3

In order for the structure to correspond to the recipe, the mass must be actively mixed over the next 20 minutes. In this case, you need to heat it to a temperature of 58 degrees. Such manipulations make the future Parmesan dry and fine-grained.

Stage 4

The next stage will allow you to store the product for a long time without losing its qualities. Therefore, it is important to follow the recipe: cool the contents of the pan to 55 (this is done by placing it in a bowl of cold water). In the meantime, you need to continue stirring until the process of consolidation of the cheese grains begins. Its readiness is determined by squeezing it into a handful: if the piece does not crumble, you are doing everything right.

Stage 5

Strain the contents through a large piece of gauze folded in several layers. Place the contents tied into a knot into the whey heated to 57 degrees. Maintaining the temperature, keep the cheese ball in the liquid for an hour. Every 15 minutes, open the knot and turn the ball over, trying to give it an even shape.

Stage 6

Place the gauze knot into the mold, level it and press it with a five-kilogram press. After 20 minutes, turn it over, level it again and place 10 kg of weight on top. After 40 minutes, turn the other side and leave it alone for 10 hours. The room temperature should be no higher than 23 and no lower than 18.

Stage 7

Ten hours have passed. Now you can remove the weight and let the lactobacilli do their cheese magic for the next 35 hours.

Stage 8

Keep the cheese in cool brine (4 liters of water and 1 kg of salt) for 12 hours (6 hours on one side, 6 on the other side). Since the future Parmesan will float on the surface, lightly salt the “land” side. Brine temperature 10–12.

Stage 9

After salting, place the cheese on a wire rack and turn it periodically for 2 days. According to the recipe, this should be done in a room with a temperature of 10–13.

Stage 10

A long and responsible stage. During the year, you need to store ripening cheese at a temperature of 10–13. At first, mold will form on top. You need to get rid of it by wiping the cheese with a solution, the recipe for which is as follows: 3 liters of water, 1 kg of salt, 1 tbsp. l. table vinegar, 1 tbsp. l. 8% calcium chloride. When the resulting crust becomes hard enough, you can grease the Parmesan with olive oil. It perfectly prevents the formation of mold.

To be 100% sure that the cheese is made only from high-quality ingredients, use the tips and recipes of experienced housewives who know how to make cheese at home from milk.

The abundance of cheese products on the shelves of our stores has not surprised anyone for a long time. The variety of varieties often makes you wonder which cheese to choose? To bring maximum benefit to the body, it must be made from natural and high-quality products.

Do you know that to prepare 1 kilogram you need to take 10-12 liters of milk? And good milk is far from a cheap raw material. Wanting to save money, many manufacturers use many additional components that make the cheese no longer quite cheese. What to do?

Once upon a time, almost every housewife who kept cows or goats could make delicious homemade cheese or cottage cheese. Free from harmful additives and palm oil. Do you want to learn and understand how to make cheese at home?

It's not difficult and the result will definitely please you. The resulting cheese dishes can be varied with spices, herbs and herbs. Experiment while cooking, try adding garlic, paprika, dill, hot pepper. You will get a piquant and aromatic cheese.

Home cooking often produces tastier and healthier results than assembly-line production. The technology for making cheeses involves mixing lactic acid bacteria or special enzymes with milk.

Bacteria and enzymes can be bought at the pharmacy; they quickly curdle milk and help separate it into whey and curds.

Requirements for main ingredients

The perfect cheese is made from just three ingredients - milk, starter and salt. But such a “pure” composition is quite rare.

If possible, take full-fat and high-quality milk, preferably homemade or farm milk from trusted sellers. Cheese is a product with a high fat content, so the fattier the milk, the tastier and more tender it will be. You should not boil it first, as this will “kill” all the beneficial substances.

To increase the fat content of milk, you can add cream or sour cream to it. By the way, it is better not to use rustic separated sour cream; it is the “urban” store-bought sour cream that is prepared with sourdough, which is very important for making cheeses.

Sour cream and eggs are often used as starter culture, but you can use kefir or natural yogurt.

When someone talks about cheese, for some reason they immediately think of a hard product with holes. What about other varieties? Cheese at home from milk can be made either hard or soft, brine or fermented milk - experiment with spices and recipes and you will definitely surprise your family with a tasty and healthy dish, and most importantly, you will be completely confident in the quality.

How to cook cheese at home so that it is healthy and tasty? Let's turn to proven recipes.

Indian cheese Paneer

This type of cheese is common in South Asia. It is very easy to prepare. 4 liters of milk and the juice of one medium lemon are all the ingredients.

In a thick saucepan, bring the milk to almost a boil and pour in the lemon juice. In just 2-3 minutes, curd flakes and whey will appear.

Pour the resulting mass into cheesecloth, strain off the whey, tie it in a knot and place under a press. After a few hours the cheese is ready.

Creamy

Take 0.5 liters of good sour cream, which contains only cream and sourdough. The fattier the sour cream, the tastier the cheese will be.

Place the sour cream in cheesecloth and add a pinch of salt if desired. Tie the ends of the gauze and hang to drain the serum for a day. You may be surprised, but the cream cheese is already ready!

If you add herbs, seasonings or spices to sour cream, it will be difficult to distinguish the cheese from store-bought cheese.

The second version of the recipe is based on kefir. Place delicious and rich kefir directly in the bag in the freezer for 6-8 hours. Then remove the film and place it on cheesecloth and a colander. Once it has melted and all the whey has drained, you can spread the cream cheese on the sandwich. The disadvantage of this method is that there is little output.

Philadelphia

This cheese is classified as cream cheese and has a delicate creamy consistency. It is perfect for sandwiches and as a...

Take 1 glass each of fermented baked milk and kefir with at least 2.5% fat content, and half a glass of 20% sour cream.

Mix the ingredients at room temperature, add a pinch of salt and place in a colander lined with gauze. Place it in a saucepan to drain and leave in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To prevent it from getting too windy, cover with a lid or plate. During this time, the whey will drain, and the curd mass will thicken and ripen.

Adyghe

Brine cheeses are made using special salted brines; they are distinguished by the absence of a crust and have a brittle consistency. Brynza, Suluguni, Adyghe, Chechil and other popular varieties belong to this type. Due to the fact that bacteria quickly develop in such products, the solution is sometimes specially over-salted in order to prolong storage.

But for your family, you can make cheese at home with the salt concentration you like, which sets it apart from store-bought cheese.

Adyghe cheese is a soft cheese and does not require ripening.

The ingredients are as follows.

1. Milk – 1 liter.
2. Sour cream – 200 g.
3. Salt – 1 tablespoon.
4. Eggs – 3 pcs.

Bring the milk to a boil. Beat eggs with salt, add sour cream and mix well. Pour the mixture into boiling milk while stirring constantly. Cook for 3-5 minutes. As soon as the curd mass has separated from the milk, it’s time to remove from the heat. Overcook – the cheese will be rubbery.

Line a colander with 3-4 layers of gauze and discard the hot mixture to drain the whey. After a couple of hours, tie the gauze and put it under a press in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the Adyghe delicacy is ready.

Brynza

It's easy and simple to prepare! For 3 liters of milk, take a tablespoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of 9% vinegar. Yield: 350 grams.

Boil the milk, add salt and bring to a boil again. Pour in vinegar; as soon as flakes appear, remove from heat.

Using a colander and cheesecloth, allow the whey to drain and place under a press in the refrigerator. It's best to leave it overnight. In the morning, the resulting cheese can be served with tea, but it’s better to put it in a container and fill it with whey - the next day it will be even tastier.

Dutch

How to cook cheese at home so that it resembles hard Dutch cheese? Surprisingly, you will only spend half an hour of your time.

The ingredients are as follows.

1. Cottage cheese – 1 kg, preferably full-fat homemade or farm-made cottage cheese.
2. Butter – 100 g.
3. Milk – 1 liter.
4. Eggs – 2 pcs.
5. Salt and soda - one teaspoon each.

Pour milk over the cottage cheese and place over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the whey separates, remove from the stove and place in a colander to drain. Add butter. Beat eggs with salt and soda. Mix everything well and put on low heat.

Cook until the mass becomes thick and viscous, yellow in color. Be sure to stir continuously to avoid burning. The whole process will take no more than 10 minutes.

Transfer the cheese into a mold and refrigerate. After cooking, the product should be cooled for some time and can be tasted - it does not require long ripening.

Mozzarella

If anyone doesn’t know, mozzarella looks like white balls soaked in brine and is classified as a rennet cheese. Rennet cheese is a product prepared using a special enzyme that is extracted from the stomachs of calves or kids. Its use significantly reduces cooking time.

The classic recipe calls for black buffalo milk, but, unfortunately, it is not sold in the store, so take regular cow milk.

The ingredients are as follows.

1. Milk – 4 liters.
2. Pepsin (enzyme) – 0.04 g.
3. Salt - a heaped tablespoon.
4. Water – 30 grams.

Heat the milk to approximately 35 degrees - this is the best temperature for the rennet to react effectively. Use a special kitchen thermometer.

Pepsin is difficult to measure, so take it on the tip of a knife. Dissolve in boiled water at room temperature and mix with warm milk.

After about half an hour, the milk will ferment and will look like. Cut it into small squares to release the whey and leave for 15-20 minutes.

Drain off the whey and transfer the “solid milk” to a colander or a special perforated cheese mold. Let sit for another 2 hours. During this time, the excess whey will finally drain off.

Turn the pan out onto a dry, clean plate and leave for another couple of hours.

Let's start with the ambassador. Dissolve the salt in the whey, dip the cheese in the brine and leave overnight.

The next day you can start tasting, or you can wait a few days for maturation. Real rennet cheese matures for at least three weeks.

Chechil

Armenian braided cheese is dietary because it is made from low-fat milk. It belongs to the brine rennet cheeses and is similar to Suluguni.

The ingredients are as follows.

1. Milk – 4 liters.
2. Water – 8 liters.
3. Citric acid – 1 teaspoon.
4. Rennet – 1 gram.
5. Salt – 200 g.

In a water bath, heat the milk to 36-38 degrees, stirring constantly. Dilute citric acid and enzyme separately in a quarter glass of milk or water, mix them with heated milk and set aside in a warm place. To preserve heat, the pan can be wrapped.

After an hour, heat the pan for literally 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Cut the jelly-like mass into cubes and drain the whey. Let sit for another 30 minutes.

Heat the water in another container to 70-80 degrees and place the cheese pieces into it. Stir them in the water with wooden spatulas for about 15 minutes.

Put on rubber gloves and continue kneading with your hands. Keep the water temperature constant.

Gradually begin to stretch the cheese, form threads and transfer them to the salty solution. For 1 liter of water you should take 200 g of salt.

Leave the threads in the brine for a day, then wring them out and braid them.

The ingredients are as follows.

1. Very fatty cottage cheese – 1 kg.
2. Unscented vegetable oil or melted butter - 3 tablespoons.
3. Salt and soda - half a teaspoon each.
4. Water (or diluted milk) – 2 liters.
5. Paprika and fenugreek - 1 teaspoon each.

Leave the cottage cheese in the freezer overnight. Bring the water to a boil and place the frozen cottage cheese in it, cook for 15-20 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth placed in a colander until the liquid has completely drained.

Mix cottage cheese with salt, soda and oil. Transfer to a heavy saucepan and cook until smooth, about 10 minutes. If you notice the taste of soda, you can add a spoonful of vinegar and a pinch of sugar.

Take baking paper (parchment), sprinkle it with a mixture of spices and salt. Place the cheese mixture on the edge and wrap it with a roll. Cool in the refrigerator. After 2 hours you can try.

Each cheese goes into its own box

Homemade cheese should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than a week, because you do not add preservatives to it, which means bacteria multiply faster. But, as a rule, household members eat a delicious dish in just a day or two and have to cook a new portion.

Storage methods depend on the type of product. For example, under no circumstances should cottage cheese be stored in plastic bags - it suffocates there and quickly sours. Place it in an enamel or glass container. This is the most perishable type of cheese - after a day or two, sourness and an unpleasant smell appear.

Place in the freezer cottage cheese and cheese from those products that do not lose their beneficial properties when defrosted.

Rennet cheeses do not tolerate moisture, so ensure they are stored dry. Wrap in cling film and place in an enamel saucepan.

Adyghe, feta cheese and suluguni feel great in a stainless steel or enamel container.

The ideal place to store cheese is in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Pre-wrap it in cling film to ensure an airtight seal.

If you don’t have a refrigerator at hand, it’s broken, or you’re out on a trip, and it’s hot outside, then take a cotton cloth, soak it in salt water, wring it out and wrap the cheese. Place in a dark, well-ventilated place.

1. If you want to get hard cheese, like in the store, then you should use a heavy press, the density depends on the pressure. But it still won’t affect the taste, so think carefully about whether you need it?
2. The cheese needs to ripen, give it a chance to sit. Its taste will be more rich and piquant. It will ripen well if its weight is more than half a kilogram.
3. To shape it, you can use a regular colander.
4. Over-salted rennet or brine cheeses need to be soaked; excess salt will go into the water.

Conclusion

If you want to make homemade cheeses based on savings, then you are unlikely to gain much. But you will be confident in the freshness of the product and the quality of the ingredients. Do you know how your cheese will differ from store-bought cheese? It will be prepared with love, which means it will bring double benefits to your family.

Mother of two children. I have been running a house for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.