Description of Kasseri cheese, its difference from similar varieties and the method of production. Energy value, benefits for the body and possible harm when consumed. Culinary uses, ways of storing the original product.
Kasseri or Kazseri is a Greek semi-hard cheese made from raw sheep's milk or a mixture of it with goat's milk. Color - light yellow, texture - elastic, semi-solid, springy. In terms of aroma, it is compared to Parmesan, Mozzarella or Asiago: the smell is milky-creamy, but the taste is different - more spicy, salty and sweetish at the same time, with a pronounced buttery aftertaste. Despite the relatively long exposure time - at least 4 months, the crust is not formed. Kasseri cheese is produced in the form of bars or spit cylinders weighing from 1 to 9 kg.
How is Kasseri cheese made?
The production of cheese is seasonal, one month after the lambing of the sheep. The most delicious product is obtained in summer - if the sheep eat pasture, the milk is sweeter.
How Kasseri cheese is made:
- The raw materials are mixed: 4 parts of sheep milk and 1 part of goat milk. Leave for a day to infuse. Heated to 32-34 ° C.
- Lactic acid thermophilic starter is poured onto the surface, allowed to spread and fermented with whey left over from the preparation of the previous batch (or rennet).
- Grinding into curd grains is carried out using a wooden paddle blade. The temperature is not increased during mixing.
- The cottage cheese is allowed to settle to the bottom, knead again, now warming up to 35-36 ° С. This is a very slow process - 1 ° C per minute.
- To separate the whey, the cheese mass is transferred into a bag of cotton fabric of rare weaving - row, gauze folded in several layers, or special cheese fabric. First, it is squeezed by hand, and then left on a drainage table for self-pressing, turning over every 3-4 hours.
- Curd layers are freed from tissue, crushed and poured with warm water.
During the next process, Kasseri cheese is prepared as sweet varieties. The curd is washed. The water temperature is not raised above 40-42 ° C. This kneading reduces acidity and helps to achieve the desired firm texture. Then the intermediate product is thrown back onto cheesecloth, the liquid is squeezed out, the curd is mixed with salt and laid out in molds.
The molds are placed on a drainage table and left for 2-3 days, turning over every 4 hours. As soon as the surface becomes dry, the whey stops separating and proceeds to the second stage of salting. The heads are removed from the mold and rubbed with dry salt, and then they are placed in the aging chamber - with a temperature of 12-14 ° C and a humidity of 65-75%.
Some cheese makers neglect the second stage of salting and rub the surface of the heads with salt only before placing them in the chambers. In this case, salting is repeated several times (up to 10-14). The cheese is left in a cool room, with a temperature below room temperature - no higher than 18 ° C. This process takes up to 3 days.
For 2-3 weeks, Kasseri cheese is turned over in the chamber 3-4 times a day, then 2 times. It is necessary to monitor the quality of the surface: if extraneous fungal cultures begin to develop on it, as can be seen from a change in the color of the surface, it is wiped with brine with the addition of vinegar. If in the manufacture of cheeses with a washed crust, the liquid for ablution is left, then a fresh solution is constantly made to remove pathogenic fungi.
The ripening period for Kasseri cheese is 3-4 months. During pre-sale preparation, large cheese monoliths are cut into pieces of 200, 250, 500 g and packaged in vacuum packages. Heads weighing 1-1.5 kg are sold whole, wrapped in cling film.
Composition and calorie content of Kasseri cheese
The product contains only natural ingredients, no products from the GMO group. The energy value is higher in domestic versions made from sheep's milk, while in industrial ones, due to the introduction of cow's milk, it is reduced.
The calorie content of Kasseri cheese is 343 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 25 g;
- Fat - 24 g;
- Carbohydrates - up to 1 g.
The vitamin complex contains the most retinol: in a piece weighing 100 g, 6% of the total daily value. But this is not the only nutrient necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. In a chemical study, tocopherol, niacin, thiamine, choline, folic and pantothenic acid, vitamin CK, and calciferol were isolated.
The mineral composition of Kasseri cheese is dominated by sodium and chlorine - due to the peculiarities of manufacturing, but also a high amount of calcium (20% of the daily requirement), magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron.
There is little cholesterol - 28-30 mg per 100 g, which is typical for varieties made from sheep's milk.
Despite the relatively high nutritional value of Kasseri cheese, you should not exclude this fermented milk product from the daily menu, even if you need to control weight. Milk protein and fats are easier to digest, since in structure they are more similar to similar compounds in the human body. And in order to burn the calories received with the daily portion, 1 hour of cycling or half an hour of light jogging is enough - it is better in the fresh air.
Useful properties of Kasseri cheese
One of the features of this variety is the high content of linoleic acid. This substance prevents the degeneration of neoplasms and suppresses the production of atypical cells.
Benefits of Kasseri Cheese:
- Stops osteoporosis due to the high amount of calcium.
- Quickly replenishes energy reserves thanks to phosphorus. The introduction of the product into the diet helps to recover from unbalanced diets or serious illnesses.
- Increases the tone of the body, maintains stable blood pressure.
- It has a low allergenic hazard, which allows it to be added to the daily menu on a regular basis for asthma, atopic dermatitis, and some dermatological diseases of a chronic nature.
- It stabilizes metabolic processes, maintains the health of the cardiovascular system, and reduces the likelihood of atherosclerosis.
- Increases the production of digestive enzymes, stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid and bile salts.
- Improves memory properties and accelerates coordination.
Sheep cheese can be consumed by persons in whose body there are no enzymes necessary for the absorption of lactose. In addition, this product, although using unpasteurized milk as a feedstock, has a low biohazard. Sheep and goats do not get sick with salmonellosis and tuberculosis, they are practically not injected with antibiotics. Therefore, there are no age restrictions on entering the diet.
