Homemade cheese is a delicious delicacy, in which there is definitely nothing superfluous. This is much better than a store-bought product. Recipes for soft cheese at home are varied. It is made with both cow's and goat's milk, with herbs and various spices. Some people prefer fresh options, such as Adyghe. Others, on the contrary, are spicy with salty notes. And both of these options can be easily prepared at home, often the process itself does not take much time.
Delicious Adyghe cheese
Adygei is one of the favorite cheeses for many. It has a delicate and loose structure, with completely unnoticeable notes of salt. To make soft cheese you need to take the following ingredients:
- three liters of milk;
- liter of kefir;
- two teaspoons of salt.
How to make cheese? First, pour kefir into the pan. They heat it up. After about five minutes, the whey and curds will begin to separate. The liquid is poured into a separate container. It is left for two days at room temperature, it should sour.
Then the milk is heated. After boiling, add whey and stir. After about seven minutes, the cheese will begin to separate and appear on the surface. Remove it, squeeze it thoroughly through cheesecloth, add salt. Mix the cheese base and spices, wrap in cheesecloth and allow the liquid to drain.
Then they put gauze under the press. Transfer the container to the refrigerator. Periodically, liquid will be released that needs to be drained. According to this recipe, soft cheese at home is ready in just 24 hours.
By the way, cottage cheese, which is formed from kefir, can be eaten. It turns out tender. Often a little sugar is added to it and given to children.
What's wrong with a cheese plate?
It is believed that the classic one should contain several varieties of cheeses - from hard ones with a pronounced smell to soft, tender ones without a strong smell, like the heart of lovers in the first weeks of a relationship.
According to outdated canons, such a plate must be consumed together with. However, if your best option is to combine cheese with coffee or fresh cheese, then you shouldn’t change your habits.
The clear rules for serving a cheese plate are:
: cheeses are placed on a plate in a circle, following some canons. First they put it out with a washed crust, then pressed from raw milk, then blue. This means we try the cheese in ascending order: first the soft and bland ones, then the savory ones.
The cheese plate should be supplemented with nuts, apples, honey, etc. These components allow you to reveal the taste of the cheese and become a separate pleasant addition to the dish. You can also serve crackers or on a separate plate, and replace the honey with jam or jam. An excellent gastro-perversion would be to dip cheese in honey or jam. Looks strange, but very tasty.
Since the cheese plate is laid out in a circle, we eat it accordingly. If we are talking about, then you should take the cheese like this - first soft, then blue (which is on the edge, and then in the middle). We take a piece of it with a special fork and put it on our plate, then we take all the other additions.
Cheeses should be at room temperature, which means they should be removed from the refrigerator an hour before serving.
Goat's milk cheese
Cheese making at home does not stand still. Nowadays various varieties of this product are prepared. For example, you can use goat’s milk rather than the usual cow’s milk. For this recipe you need to take:
First, heat the milk. It should reach a temperature of about 90 degrees. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. It must be fresh, so the canned version will not work. Add the juice into the milk in a thin stream and stir. After a few minutes, a cheese mass will begin to form. The whey itself can later be used as a base for pancakes.
The cheese is placed on cheesecloth to drain the moisture. Then mix it with salt or other spices. Form a lump in gauze and hang it so that the moisture drains. After about an hour, you can remove the cheese, cut it into pieces and serve.
How to eat it correctly and what to combine it with?
The main rule for eating Camembert is that it should not be eaten straight from the refrigerator. The fact is that at low temperatures the product loses its taste characteristics, and its texture begins to resemble oil, which is not particularly pleasant. Therefore, it is better to take it out of the cold, let it rest for about half an hour, and then consume it.
Please note: while the product is still hard, cutting it into pieces of the required size will be much more convenient. In addition, if there is mucus, it will also have to be removed. To prevent the knife from sticking to the cheese, it would be good to wet it with hot water.
In France, the place where Camembert cheese was invented, it is customary to serve it with a crust of fresh country bread. In urban environments, it is recommended to give preference to pieces of baguette, sprinkled with olive oil and slightly toasted in the oven, or crackers. If Camembert has a semi-liquid consistency, then it would be a good idea to serve it with spoons.
The cheese product can be served with the crust or by cutting it off - it all depends on specific taste and aesthetic preferences. Of the alcoholic drinks, red wine is the most recommended. It is worth observing one rule: cheese is not a snack for alcohol, but cheese is washed down with alcohol.
In addition to bread, cheese is usually combined with nuts, grapes, pieces of melon, pear or apples. To form a plate, in addition to different types of cheeses, it would be good to prepare crackers, almonds and sweet berries.
The French, true connoisseurs of this cheese, prefer to do a very strange thing - cut off the crust from a piece and dissolve the pulp in cappuccino. It is believed that the drink is both satisfying and no less appetizing. The combination of cheese and a fresh croissant will be very tasty. An unusual, but extremely tempting combination would be Camembert and honey or sour berry jam. Don’t forget about the possibility of adding the product to soup, salad or pie.
For example, you can make a wonderful fig and bacon salad with Camembert.
Ingredients:
- salad mix;
- 30 grams of finely chopped walnuts;
- three figs;
- six slices of smoked bacon;
- several cherry tomatoes;
- a tablespoon of honey;
- one head of Camembert;
- four toasts;
- a cup of flour;
- three eggs;
- breading mixture.
The dressing will be prepared from:
- a tablespoon of mustard;
- two tablespoons of wine vinegar;
- five tablespoons of olive oil;
- shallot bulbs;
- spices
If the bacon is raw, then first place it in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for ten minutes. At this time, fig halves are fried in a frying pan in honey - no more than a couple of minutes on each side. Place greens, halved tomatoes, chopped bacon and figs in a bowl, sprinkle the ingredients with nuts on top. The head of Camembert is cut into eight identical fragments, after which each one is rolled step by step in flour, egg and breading.
The dairy product is placed in a deep fryer heated to 170 degrees Celsius.
You can take it out when the pieces turn golden. After removing excess fat with a paper towel, Camembert should also be added to the common bowl. Top everything with dressing.
Interesting seasonings for cheese
The recipe for soft cheese at home can be considered basic. But many people like more tart snacks. For example, you can take the following ingredients:
The garlic is peeled and passed through a press. Together with the rest of the spices, they are mixed with the whey after its first decanting. Then they form a ball and hang it in gauze for an hour.
Salty soft cheese
This homemade soft cheese recipe creates a salty snack with a bright, creamy flavor. To prepare this delicious option you need to take:
How to make cheese? Milk is poured into a saucepan, salt is added and brought to a boil. Separately beat all the eggs with sour cream. Add the mixture into the milk in a thin stream and stir. After the milk boils again, the cheese mass will begin to separate. It is boiled for another five minutes, then decanted onto gauze. Allow the liquid to drain, and then put it under pressure in the refrigerator. This cheese goes well with coffee.
Delicate curd cheese
The recipe for soft curd cheese is also simple. It may well replace purchased options. For this dish you need to take:
First, thoroughly beat the cottage cheese using a blender. The cucumber is cut into circles and also placed in a blender bowl. The skin is left on. Add washed and dried sprigs of greenery. Mix all the ingredients until the mixture is homogeneous. Then add the butter, previously removed from the refrigerator, so that it becomes soft. Mix the ingredients. Add salt to taste.
The result is a cheese that is tender and bright in taste. It's great for light sandwiches.
Homemade ricotta
Ricotta is a cheese that has become popular. It is used not only in its pure form, but also as part of ready-made dishes. The soft cream cheese recipe is quite simple. It is suitable not only for sandwiches, but also as a base for casseroles or other, more complex desserts. To prepare this homemade version you need to take the following ingredients:
The milk is slightly heated until slightly warm. Take out the sour cream and cream in advance so that they come to room temperature. Then combine everything in a saucepan and mix. Cover the container with a lid and leave in a warm place for at least six hours. They look at the results. The mass should begin to ferment and sour, curdle.
Then heat everything on the stove. You cannot stir or boil the cheese base! The heated mass is covered again with a lid and left for another twelve hours. Afterwards, lay gauze on a colander, preferably in two or four layers. Strain.
Afterwards the cream cheese mixture is suspended for six hours. The finished product is shiny and smooth. It has a delicate creamy aroma.
By the way, the whey from such cheese turns out to be viscous. It makes excellent pancakes and yeast dough.
Steps
Key rules
- Eat cheese at room temperature.
This will bring out the flavor and texture of the cheese. About an hour before serving the cheese, remove it from the refrigerator, but do not remove the packaging so that it does not dry out. Remember that in hot countries the cheese will reach room temperature faster. Don't wait for the cheese to melt and flow.
- Hard cheese (for example, cheddar) should be removed from the refrigerator an hour or an hour and a half before serving.
- Soft, creamy cheeses like brie should be taken out two to three hours before eating.
- Remove fresh cheeses (for example, homemade) from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
- Cut the rind off hard cheese.
It is usually hard and contains wax. The rind should be cut off from cheeses such as cheddar, gruyere, and romano.
Don't be afraid to eat the rind of soft cheeses.
This type of cheese usually has a soft and white crust. With varieties such as Camembert and Brie, the crust is not cut off.
Before eating the cheese, smell it discreetly.
Don't do it for show. Smell is an integral part of cheese. It may even enhance the flavor.
Eat cheese with some bread or crackers.
This food should not distract you from the taste of cheese. Bread and crackers can overpower the unique flavor of cheese, so if you want to experience all the flavors, eat cheese separately from the rest of your food.
If there are different types of cheese on the plate, eat the softest one first and the hardest one last.
Soft cheese is generally younger than hard cheese. If you don't know which cheese is young and which is aged, ask the owner.
Pair soft and fresh cheeses with white wine.
Soft cheese is suitable for dry aperitifs, dry rose wines, sparkling and light red wines that have few tannins. Red wines with a high content of tannins are not suitable: Bordeaux, Bordeaux blends, cabernet sauvignon, malbec.
- Examples of fresh soft cheeses are Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Boucheron, Burrata, Camembert, Chevre, Crotten, Feta, Halloumi, Mozzarella, and ricotta.
The following wines go well with soft cheeses: Albariño, Beaujolais, Cava, Chablis, Chardonnay (without aging in oak), champagne, Chene Blanc, Fino sherry, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Feltliner, Lambrusco, Muscat, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Provençal rosé, Riesling (dry to sweet), sauvignon blanc, white port.
You can also eat them with fruity reds and vintage sparkling wines. Light aperitif wines with varying degrees of acidity, fruit notes and tannins are also suitable.
- Examples of semi-hard cheeses are edam, emmental, gruyere, havarti, jarlsberg, manchego, monterey jack, tom de alsace, and young cheddar.
The following types of wine are suitable for these types of cheese: sherry amontillado, barbera, beaujolais, champagne, chardonnay, dolcetto, gewurztraminer, merlot, pinot blanc, pinot noir, red burgundy, riesling (dry), tony port (young), white bordeaux, white Burgundy, Rhone Valley white blends, Viognier, vintage port, zinfandel.
Red wines, which are high in tannins, and oxidative wines are also suitable. These wines bring out the rich (often nutty) flavor of the cheese.
- Here are some examples of hard aged cheeses: aged cheddar, Asiago, Cheshire, Comte, aged Gouda, aged Gruyere, Manchego, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino.
These cheeses go well with aged Burgundy or Bordeaux, Barbaresco, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, red Californian blends, Madeira, Nebbiolo, Oloroso sherry, Petit Sirah, red Burgundy, red Bordeaux, red port, red Rhone Valley blends, Sauternes, sweet Riesling, Tawny port, Rhone Valley white blends, Viognier, Van Jon, vintage champagne, zinfandel.
This will create a contrast that will reveal the aroma of both wine and cheese. Blue cheese is easily recognized by its blue veins and salty taste.
- Examples of blue cheese are Bleu d'Auvergne, Cambozola, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton.
Pair blue cheese with Banyuls, Oloroso sherry, red port, Recioto, Sauternes, Tawny port, Tokagi.
Since cheeses such as époisses, morbières and taleggios have a strong aroma, an aromatic wine should balance them out. Try opening a bottle of any of the following wines with this cheese: Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Riesling, red Burgundy, Sauternes.
Know which wine to choose if you have a cheese plateau in front of you.
If there are many types of cheese on a platter, you may have a hard time finding a wine that pairs well with the different cheeses. Any of the wines below will be a win-win option. These wines pair well with most types of cheese:
- Alsatian Gewürztraminer
Champagne
How to combine cheese with other foods
- Add some fruit, but not citrus.
Most cheeses pair well with sweet foods, including fruit. Next time, try serving cheese with several types of fruit.
- Dried fruits go well with hard cheese: apricots, cherries, figs.
Try adding fresh fruits: apples, dates, figs, apricots, plums.
- Put some nuts.
The nuts bring out the sweet notes of the cheese. Almost any nut can be paired with cheese, but almonds, hazelnuts, and toasted pecans are most often served with cheese.
Try serving or eating several types of cheese.
Cheese does not have to be combined only with fruits, nuts or wine. You can combine different types of cheeses with each other. Next time, try serving 3-5 different types of cheese with different flavors and textures. But remember that you should eat the softest cheeses first, gradually moving on to harder and more mature ones. You can try the following combination:
- Soft cream cheese (for example, brie).
Cheese with a special texture and nutty flavor (comte).
- Dry and hard aged goat cheese.
- Try baking brie with honey.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place brie cheese on a baking sheet and top with a little honey. Optionally, add dried cranberries, figs, rosemary, thyme, walnuts or pecans. Bake the cheese until it begins to melt. Then serve with crackers.
Soft cheese with dried dill
This recipe for homemade soft cheese from milk produces a very interesting-tasting product. Due to dill, it has not only a persistent aroma, but also a piquant taste.
For this cooking option you need to take:
To begin, milk is poured into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add dill, salt and oil to it. Add vinegar. Then stir. After boiling again, the whey will begin to separate. After this, cook for about a minute.
What is the cooking time for soft cheese? Just put it in a colander to drain off excess moisture. Then they put the cheese under pressure. You can eat it in just fifty minutes, cutting it into pieces. It is very soft and gentle. Due to its spicy taste, it is perfect as an appetizer with wine. By the way, other types of dried herbs are also great. For example, basil, oregano or marjoram.
What is it and what is it made of?
The description of Camembert cheese should begin with the fact that it is a soft cheese with white mold. The taste and smell of the product is quite specific. The cheese smells like champignons or some similar wild mushrooms. However, some reviews include comparisons such as "barnyard", "asphalt" and "earth". It cannot be said that Camembert is bitter - on the contrary, its taste is very delicate, sweet and creamy. By the way, the crust is also edible, and the consistency of the pulp is viscous and extremely pleasant.
Typically, Camembert is made from cow's milk, whole and unpasteurized, although goat cheese is also used. The fat content of the product reaches 45%, which is not the highest figure. This type of cheese will ripen from three to six weeks - by the way, the color of the head and even its taste will depend on this.
Marbled version of cheese
What's good about this recipe? This cheese, despite being soft with a slight sponginess, slices beautifully. Such slices will be an excellent decoration for sliced cheeses or sausages. Also, what’s nice is that the cheese gets this color thanks to natural products, without any dyes.
To prepare this version of cheese you need to take:
Also, when making cheese, you need to take into account personal preferences. So, you can add a little pepper for spiciness.
The process of making cheese with carrots
Peel the carrots and grate them on a fine grater. Place cottage cheese in a saucepan and pour milk over it. Stir and then add carrots. After the mixture boils, keep it for another seven minutes.
Strain the ingredients through several layers of gauze to drain the moisture. Then add eggs, sour cream, garlic juice, soda and salt to the cheese. Mix everything and then cook for another five minutes. When the cheese begins to pull away from the walls in a uniform lump, it is ready. Place the product in a deep plate. Once the cheese has cooled completely, you can eat it.
Storage period and methods
It is worth saying that Camembert, unlike many other cheeses, needs to mature for a certain number of weeks. It is recommended to use it in food somewhere at the end of the fifth week. Therefore, when buying cheese, you should definitely look at its expiration date.
It is best when there are five days left before expiration - it is on these days that the taste will be most pleasant.
Of course, it is strictly not recommended to consume a dairy product that has expired. Expired cheese will begin to multiply bacteria that can harm the digestive system.
