What is feta cheese, how is it prepared? Nutritional value of soft cheese and chemical composition. The benefits and harms of eating, recipes with salted soft cheese and interesting facts about it.
Brynza is a soft pickled cheese, a product of the national cuisine of Romania, Moldova, and the peoples of the Caucasus. Traditionally, it was made from sheep or a mixture of goat and sheep milk, but now cow's are used as a raw material everywhere. The consistency is firm, moderately dense, brittle, but moderately crumbles. The inclusion of voids is allowed. The color is white or slightly yellowish. The taste is slightly salty. The crust is missing. Traces of gauze or linen mesh are visible on the surface.
How is feta cheese prepared?
At home, several types of milk yield are used to make soft cheese. But in the food industry, they do not think about how to cook feta cheese using traditional technology, since it is costly, and they are content with pasteurized cow's milk with an acidity of 19-20 ° T. In small enterprises, sheep or goat milk is introduced into the feedstock at 23-26 ° T.
Calcium chloride and pepsin, rennet starter are used as the starter culture. Abomasum is an enzyme isolated from the glandular stomach of newborn calves that have not yet switched to pasture. At home, a part of the stomach of a young lamb, dried or soaked in brine, is used. To tighten the clot, add bacterial cultures - lactic acid streptococci.
The process of transformation of the feedstock takes place within 1-1, 2 hours. Then the curd is cut into small bars, mixed in a special installation - at intervals of 2-3 minutes to separate the whey more thoroughly. Next, a serpyanka (linen cloth) is spread on the forming table, the intermediate product is laid out, covered with a cloth and pressing is carried out.
As soon as the whey stops separating, the cheese monolith is cut into bars and dipped in a brine cooled to 9-12 ° C. The mass is first kept in brine, and then salted in barrels or placed in baths. The salted mass is separated from the whey in cheese molds. The size of the cells is 15 * 15 cm. They are re-compacted by pressing, creating a pressure of 5-10 kPa.
Then the bars are soaked in 20% brine, again cooled to 8-12 ° C for a week. Then change the soaking liquid to salted whey (18%). Leave for 2 weeks, and then start pre-sale preparation. It includes separation of liquid, partial drying and packaging in hermetically sealed packages made of dense thermoplastic.
The date of manufacture must be indicated on the label. The shelf life of the finished product depends on salting and can be up to six months. After opening the package, you need to eat the cheese within 5 days.
How to make feta cheese at home:
- With pepsin … The sourdough is bought in supermarkets. A mixture of cow and goat milk, 1: 1, only 3 liters, is heated so that the fingers dipped in the liquid feel the warmth. Dilute pepsin powder, on the tip of a teaspoon, with water, pour into a container, standing over low heat, mix until the curd mass floats. Throw it back in a colander, on which they put gauze in advance, folded three or four times, allow the liquid to drain. Then the curd is hung. When the gauze is partially dry, it is laid out under the press. Dilute 1 tbsp. l. salt in 1 liter of water, lower the future cheese, removing the gauze. After 2 hours you can try it.
- On sour cream … Homemade cow's milk, 3 liters, set to boil. When the first bubbles appear, add 9 tbsp. l.sour cream and 6 - lemon juice. The whey is separated from the curd mass according to the method already described, put under pressure, and an hour later placed in a brine. Leave for 30-90 minutes.
- On vinegar … It is made as in the previous recipe, only instead of sour cream with lemon juice, use 9% vinegar mixed with 1 tbsp. l. salt.
- On kefir … As a starter for 3 liters of milk, use a mixture consisting of 9 beaten eggs with 2 tbsp. l. salt, 300 g of kefir and 600 ml of sour cream. Fermented during boiling. Strain in the usual way, put under oppression for 4-5 hours, and then, without removing the gauze, leave for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
- Diet recipe … Eggs, 6 pieces, beat with salt on the tip of a knife. 1 liter of kefir and 3 liters of milk are poured into a saucepan, heated, the egg mixture is introduced. As soon as the contents of the pan boil, stir it vigorously and remove the dishes from the heat. Garlic passed through a press is added to the curd mass - 1 clove, a handful of caraway seeds, chopped greens - dill with parsley, a little red pepper. Bring to a homogeneous structure, drain the serum and leave under pressure for 6-8 hours.
You can experiment with recipes. At home, you can even make cheese sweet, only you have to eat it right away. Unsalted food spoils quickly.
Composition and calorie content of feta cheese
The nutritional value of cheese depends on the raw materials and flavors. The technology of preparation in industrial and home conditions is almost the same, and the chemical composition depends more on the ferments.
Calorie content of feta cheese - 262 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 17.9 g;
- Fat - 19.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0.4 g;
- Organic acids - 1.7 g;
- Water - 52 g;
- Ash - 5 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin A - 180 mcg;
- Retinol - 0.17 mg;
- Beta Carotene - 0.06 mg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.04 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.12 mg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 1 mg;
- Vitamin D, calciferol - 0.62 mcg;
- Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol - 0.3 mg;
- Vitamin PP - 5 mg;
- Niacin - 0.3 mg
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium, K - 95 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 630 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 24 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 1200 mg;
- Sulfur, S - 221 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 375 mg.
Of the microelements, the feta cheese contains iron, Fe - 0.7 mg per 100 g.
Digestible carbohydrates per 100 g (mono- and disaccharides) - 0.4 g.
Essential amino acids per 100 g - 7.87 g:
- Arginine - 1.22 g;
- Valine - 1.2 g;
- Histidine - 1.22 g;
- Isoleucine - 0.95 g;
- Leucine - 1.3 g;
- Lysine - 1.39 g;
- Methionine - 0.44 g;
- Threonine - 1.05 g;
- Tryptophan - 0.51 g;
- Phenylalanine - 1.03 g.
Replaceable amino acids per 100 g - 9.65 g, of which:
- Alanine - 0.65 g;
- Aspartic acid - 0.42 g;
- Glycine - 0.43 g;
- Glutamic acid - 2 g;
- Proline - 1.35 g;
- Serine - 1.09 g;
- Tyrosine - 1.04 g;
- Cysteine - 0.13 g.
The feta cheese contains sterols (sterols), which are represented by cholesterol - 52 mg per 100 g. This substance does not have a negative effect on the human body, but is involved in lipid-protein metabolism.
Saturated fatty acids - 12.3 g per 100 g. The benefits and harms of feta cheese are largely due to these substances. They saturate the body with energy, increase the overall tone, stabilize the immune system, but at the same time stimulate the production of "bad" cholesterol, which means that they can provoke the development of atherosclerosis.
The use of soft cheese is recommended for losing weight, recovering from serious illnesses, for recovery. However, you need to take into account the effect on the body.
Useful properties of feta cheese
Soft cheese is well-deservedly popular. This source of nutrients for the body increases the strength of muscle and bone tissue, improves the quality of skin, nails and teeth. But this is not the only benefit of feta cheese.
Let's take a closer look at the effect of the product on the body:
- Prevents the development of osteochondrosis and osteoporosis.
- Blocks the activity of pathogens in the intestines, accelerates the rate of peristalsis, eliminates dysbiosis.
- Stimulates the removal of toxins and toxins, has an antioxidant effect.
- Eliminates bad breath.
- It stops aging processes, not only external ones, but also of the whole organism.
- Has a positive effect on reproductive function. Supports the production of follicles in women and healthy semen in men, increases libido.
- Normalizes acid-base and water-electrolyte balance, prevents the loss of precious liquid.
- Increases blood pressure.
- Stimulates the growth of muscle tissue and the production of synovial fluid.
Useful properties of feta cheese for weight loss are invaluable. Cheese breakfast lasts for a long time. The feeling of hunger does not appear, and there is enough energy for work and sports.
Due to the high content of potassium and calcium, the product is recommended to be introduced into the daily menu for expectant and lactating mothers. And for athletes, such a supplement to the diet helps prevent muscle cramps and accelerate reactions.
Contraindications and harm of feta cheese
An absolute contraindication to the product is celiac disease, milk protein intolerance. If the allergy is not pronounced, then you can try goat cheese, but you can hardly find this on sale, unless you cook it yourself.
Also, you will have to stop eating feta cheese in case of renal, heart and liver failure.
It should be limited to a small amount for inflammatory processes of the liver, kidneys, biliary tract, nervous and cardiovascular systems.
It is recommended to enter it with caution in the menu for hypertension or pancreatitis. The possible harm of feta cheese is due to the high amount of salt in the composition.
It is possible to reduce the sodium chloride content. To do this, soft cheese is soaked in boiling water or hot milk, put in a microwave or oven for a few minutes, and boiled. However, this does not mean that you can then eat without restriction. If homemade cheese was soaked in brine, this method will help. And when salt has been used to make the sourdough, it is not easy to get rid of it. A decrease in concentration will not help prevent a worsening of the condition during an exacerbation of the above diseases.
You should not eat cheese before bed. It is considered a harsh food and can cause sleep disturbances.
Cheese recipes
There are many recipes that include soft cheese. When choosing an ingredient, you should pay attention to:
- Texture - Coloring or liquid release, increased fragility, dryness at the edges are not allowed;
- Colour - yellowish and greenish stale cheese;
- Smell - should be pleasant, creamy.
A quality product cannot be cheap. The price of real cheese, the raw material for which is sheep's or goat's milk, is the same as that of hard cheese, 2 times higher than that of the Adyghe cheese.
Cheese recipes:
- Greek salad classic … In approximately equal quantities, in rather large pieces, cut: cucumber, tomato, bell pepper - yellow or red, red onion - into rings. Mix, add pitted olives and cheese cubes. Season with lemon juice and olive oil, pepper to taste.
- Greek salad green … Pour lemon juice into the olives from the jar and let stand for 30 minutes. Cut lettuce, a bunch of green onions, cucumbers, olives in half, feta cheese. All mix, dressing - like the classic version.
- Syrniki … Knead the dough from an equal amount of dense cottage cheese and feta cheese, eggs and flour. No salt or sugar needed. Stir in the dill and parsley slices. Curd cakes are formed and fried on both sides in a hot frying pan.
- Filled khychiny … For tortillas, knead the dough on ayran - a little less than a glass of drink, 2, 5 tbsp. flour, 1/2 tsp each. salt and soda. The dough should be soft, but not stick to your hands. Grind to the consistency of curd mass over a bunch of dill and parsley sliced and 200 g of feta cheese. Form cakes, put the filling in the middle, pinch into the knot. Roll out the cake again and add the filling again. The process can be repeated one more time. Rolled cakes are fried on both sides in sunflower oil and coated with butter.
- Cheese pate … In a blender bowl, chop pieces of cheese, dill, boiled eggs, sour cream and a little mayonnaise. This mixture is used for sandwiches.
- Stew … For cooking, use a multicooker. Pork with a thin layer of fat is cut into slices, fried with onion rings in a saucepan. Then add cubes of feta cheese, add spices to taste, pour cream and tomato juice - so that the surface of the meat is covered by 2 fingers. Set the "Extinguishing" mode for 1 hour, and then leave for another 40 minutes on "Heating".
Note! If salted cheese was used as an ingredient, the dishes are not salted.
Interesting facts about cheese
In the annals dated back to the 7th century BC, there have already been references to soft cheese. Arab merchants were the first to prepare it. It didn't even require any equipment. Milk was poured into a leather wineskin, attached to the saddle, and after souring, salt was added. Then the whey was decanted, and the sour curd was tightened. After a day, the cheese could already be eaten.
Manufacturing was improved gradually. The taste of a product made in Ancient Greece hardly differed from the modern one. To prepare 1 kg of cheese, you need 14 liters of cow's or 5 liters of sheep's milk.
Each nation has its own recipe, which has been passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, the final taste of feta cheese is different:
- Armenian … The initial raw material is sheep milk, the taste is rich creamy, a little salt is added, but spicy seasonings are introduced. There are few holes in the cheese bar.
- Avar … The raw material is 3 types of milk (sheep, goat and cow). Fermented only on the abomasum, soaked in separate pieces.
- Georgian … Salt is introduced at the stage of acidification and steeping, so the taste is very salty, and the consistency is dense.
- Moldavian … The product is made only with homemade milk, goat or cow. Boiling is not carried out, but it is kept in a strong brine for at least 40 days - during this process, all pathogenic bacteria die. Green onions are used as an additive.
- Serbian … The starting material is a mixture of cow and goat milk. The salinity is medium, the consistency is dense. For fermentation, instead of a saucepan, use the stomach of a nine-day-old lamb.
- Ossetian … They do it in the same way as the Serbian, but the curd mass is separated in the dried stomach of an adult sheep.
- Turkish … It is made according to a classic recipe and tastes similar to that sold in regular supermarkets. There are practically no spices added.
- French … It contains a lot of greens, the taste is pronounced salty. It differs in consistency - it resembles a dense curd mass, it is used more as an additive to dishes.
Watch a video about feta cheese:
Those who are intolerant of milk protein can be pampered with soy cheese. True, such a product only remotely resembles traditional soft cheese in taste, but it is less nutritious.
