Blue cheese is a world-famous delicacy that has been enjoyed by many gourmets. There are a lot of varieties and species: Camembert, Dor Blue, Livaro and many others. The recipe for such a product is quite ancient: mold cheeses have been made for four thousand years. Mention of them can be found even in Homer and Aristotle. How is blue cheese made, and where did such a tradition come from?
History of occurrence
When people just mastered the technique of cooking a dish such as cheese, they ate it, of course, without mold, the presence of this component was considered a sign that the product was spoiled. According to legend, a shepherd from Roquefort introduced it into use. He just forgot a piece of cheese in the cave, and when, after a few months he returned there, he found it already covered with mold. The shepherd had no other food, so he had to try. The young man liked the taste of blue cheese, and he shared this new dish with his fellow villagers, who later also began to put the product in caves. Of course, such a product appeared a little earlier, and this legend explains the appearance of one of the subspecies: Roquefort.
How to make blue cheese
Now, of course, no one puts the product in the cave. The ingredients for mold cheese are, in fact, the cheese itself and the mold. Not all is safe for human health. The following species are used in cheese making: Penicillium camemberti, Penicillium candidum (white), Penicillium roqueforti, Pencillium glaucum (blue). Each type has its own cooking technique. Fatty cow and goat milk is used to make the cheese itself. Sometimes a sheep is taken.
The process of cooking different types
White cheeses with mold differ in that the crust only covers the product itself. It has a spicy, spicy, sometimes nutty flavor. The cooking process begins by curling the milk. Then salt is added there. White mold is either applied on top of the product (sprayed with a special solution) and left to ripen, or simply placed in the basement with walls covered with fungi.
This category of cheeses includes brie, camembert, belly de chevre.
Recipes for blue cheese include the introduction of spores into the product with thin needles. Thus, it is in the process of maturation, distributed internally by bright impregnations. At the initial stages of preparation, milk is also curdled and salt is added, and then the whey is allowed to drain. After this, the fungus is already introduced. In the process of ripening, the room where such cheese is stored should be well ventilated. So mold is better distributed over the head.
These cheeses include gorgonzola, dor blue, stilton and roquefort.
Less well-known cheeses, with the so-called red mold (although it is more orange or pink). In the process of preparation, fungal cultures are not added to curdled milk. Raw materials are placed in cold, damp basements, and mold forms itself. The crust is regularly washed with brine and wine or cider (which gives a characteristic color), brushed.
Epuass, livaro, reblochon belong to the group of cheeses with red mold.
Is it possible to cook such a product yourself
If you are interested in how to make blue cheese at home, cooking recipes will come to the rescue. They all roughly repeat each other. For about 500 grams as ingredients you will need:
- 4 liters of milk with a high percentage of fat content.
- Salt to taste.
- Sourdough (you can use sour cream), a little more than a glass.
- A teaspoon of rennet (abomin or pepsin).
- The mold itself. It can be ordered on the Internet, but some home-cooks advise cutting it off from store cheese.
It is also necessary that you have certain kitchen utensils:
- Deep pan.
- Colander.
- Gauze.
- Press and mold.
When you have acquired everything you need, you can proceed to the preparation itself. It consists of several stages:
- Mix the heated milk and sourdough, add the abomasum and mold culture.
- After a few hours, put the resulting mixture on a colander covered with gauze. Then hang the cheesecloth with the mass over the pan or basin in a cool dark place to allow all the glass serum. This process usually takes several hours.
- The next step is to put the future cheese under the press. He must lie there for at least 12 hours.
- Add salt to the product, place in the form and leave for 2-3 days. During this time, the cheese must be constantly turned over. The temperature should be from +5 to +10 degrees.
- After three days, shift the cheese into a form with holes. Mold can only develop when it receives oxygen. In this form, the product will need to be left for another 20 days.
Now you know how to make blue cheese at home. This is a long and painstaking process, but upon its completion you can boast that you have prepared an exquisite and expensive delicacy with your own hands.
Options for using blue cheese
Such a product, due to its piquant and rich taste, will go well with tart wine. The saltiness and spiciness of cheese, honey and fresh fruit, will well tarnish. Cheeses such as Gorgonzola or Dor Blue are often used in pasta sauces or as pizza toppings.
It can also be added to salads, canapes or toasts. Cheese with white mold can even serve as the basis for soup.
The British use blue cheese with celery and drink port wine, in Denmark they combine with biscuit or bread.
Is such a product safe for health
The benefits and harms of mold cheese primarily depend on the quantity and quality of the product. A small portion will help the body absorb the calcium entering it (this will help the substances contained in the mold). Also, some components of such cheese accelerate the production of melanin, which protects the body from ultraviolet rays. The beneficial properties of fungal bacteria do not end there. They also have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, improving digestion, thinning the blood, improving its flow. Blue cheese is rich in protein, which is the building block for muscles.
It may seem that no medicine is needed with such a product, but the benefits can turn into harm if you consume more than 50 grams per day. Bacteria can suppress the intestinal microflora, and instead of improving digestion, cause dysbiosis. In addition, mold may be allergic. The delicacy should be completely eliminated during pregnancy and lactation, so an infection can develop.
The benefits and harms of blue cheese are also determined by the expiration date (it must be fresh) and composition. It should contain only natural ingredients.