Description of blue Pesto cheese, manufacturing features. Calorie content of the product and vitamin and mineral composition, benefits and harms when consumed. Cooking application and selection rules.
Blue Pesto with Lavender (Blue Baziron) is a type of Dutch cheese made according to an adapted Gouda recipe. A characteristic feature is a deep blue color. Texture - semi-solid; eyes - small, unevenly spaced; interspersed in the cut due to the inclusion of lavender and herbs. The smell is herbal, with a predominance of the main aromatic ingredient, the taste is creamy-sweet, slightly spicy. Outer coating - emerald latex. It is produced in the form of low cylinders.
How is blue pesto cheese made?
When developing recipes for making multi-colored Baziron, they were inspired by the palette of Italian multicomponent sauces of national cuisine. They experimented with natural herbs, which increased the beneficial properties of the product. Nowadays, blue Pesto cheese, like Gouda, is prepared on the same industrial lines.
The feedstock is poured into a cheese making machine, heated to 72 ° C for pasteurization, and then cooled to 30 ° C. Lavender and a collection of herbs are brewed separately, among which there is necessarily purple basil. The broth is filtered and poured into milk, and the plant components are left to dry.
Then a mesophilic culture is added to the cheesemaker, the stirrer is turned on, calcium chloride, rennet and dye are introduced. For future cheese to acquire a rich blue color, manufacturers can use blue spirulina extract or natural additives: juice of black grapes, blueberries, blue cabbage or pomace of ripe frozen eggplant peels.
Dutch cheesemakers prefer cabbage or eggplant peel extract, while Italian and French experts prefer the waste of the wine industry. But in Belarus and Ukraine, where blue Pesto cheese is made, as one of the decorative options for Dutch varieties to order, they are content with food coloring - spirulina extract.
When the kale is formed, it is cut into pieces with edges of 1-1.5 cm with a special accessory - "lyre", left alone for 5-10 minutes, and then stirred, slowly warming up. To do this, during the sedimentation of the curd, a small amount of whey is drained -1 / 4-1 / 5 part, and it is also replaced with slightly salted hot water heated to 50-60 ° C.
Thanks to this process, it is possible to obtain a delicate sweetish taste - the acidity of the intermediate product is reduced. At the same stage, saltpeter is added - this industrial preservative increases the shelf life of the cheese.
Stirring takes about 40 minutes. When it is possible to achieve the desired acidity, they again wait until the small grains settle, drain half of the whey and feed the curd mass into the molding apparatus through special hoses. It is in it that the primary pressing is carried out - during this time part of the whey is removed. The blue layers are laid out on a drainage table, where they are first pre-pressed, and then the cheese mass is laid out on cylindrical molds.
The duration of pressing is 6 hours, and then the future heads are transferred by means of a conveyor into a bath with 20% saline solution. Salting can last 1-4 hours, the duration is determined empirically. After that, the cheese cylinders are placed on multi-tiered racks for drying, in the same room where the cheese is made. No special conditions are required. Turn over every 4 hours.
Once the surface is dry, the heads are coated with blue-green or emerald latex. This process takes 72 hours. First, the polymer is applied on one side, allowed to dry for 12-18 hours, turned over, and the second side is covered. The film is applied in 2-3 layers.
The heads are transported to a chamber with a temperature of 10-12 ° C and a humidity of 75%. Hard cheese is aged for up to 24 months, but colored varieties are raised much earlier. The duration of maturation is 3-4 months. During this time, Baziron acquires the desired creamy-sweet-spicy taste and a semi-soft structure that is easy to cut, but can wrinkle without crumbling.
See how Ramboll cheese is made
Composition and calorie content of blue pesto cheese
The addition of lavender, herbs and dye does not affect the energy value of the fermented milk product. These indicators are similar to the red or green subspecies.
The calorie content of blue pesto cheese is 350-370 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 23 g;
- Fat - 30-32 g;
- Carbohydrates - up to 0.5 g.
The vitamin composition is also standard: vitamins A, E, group B. However, this complex includes another component - ascorbic acid. It comes from spicy herbs.
Thanks to them, changes also occur in the mineral composition of the blue Pesto cheese. If the classical version is dominated by calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, then in the exclusive emerald there is an increased amount of magnesium. Trace elements - iron, manganese, zinc, copper, as in all types of Baziron. During the rinsing of the curd, almost all the lactic acid is removed, but the residues do not decompose during a short fermentation.
The recommended daily serving of blue pesto is 80 g for men and 60 g for women. Do not abuse this product. Despite the external decorative effect, overeating can cause a set of very real kilograms.
Health Benefits of Blue Pesto Cheese
Thanks to this fermented milk product, you can quickly replenish the vitamin and mineral reserve, restore tone and get rid of a depressed mood. An easily assimilated vitamin and mineral complex improves immunity, reduces the possibility of getting sick during the season of epidemics and decreases the frequency of drops in blood pressure.
Benefits of Blue Pesto Cheese:
- Bones are strengthened, increased mechanical stress is more easily accepted, and the frequency of fractures decreases.
- The quality of the synovial fluid improves.
- The mobility in the articular joints is preserved.
- The synthesis of digestive enzymes increases, the absorption of nutrients from foods eaten with cheese is accelerated. Good combination for the body - Pesto with lavender, bitter greens or juicy fruits (grapes, pomegranates or apples).
- The body retains moisture, which stops the loss of skin turgor and prevents early aging. Potassium, which is essential for stable heart function, is not completely washed out even when a weight loss diet is required.
- The work of the auditory and visual systems improves.
- Reduces cholesterol levels.
Lavender in blue pesto increases the beneficial effects of cheese on the human body. With its use, the production of bile increases, and intestinal metabolism is accelerated. You can not be afraid of the development of putrefactive or fermentative processes, the accumulation of toxins and toxins. Constipation does not occur, the complexion becomes fresher, there is no need to think about the appearance of bad breath.
It is necessary to take into account the increased content of magnesium. Thanks to this substance, impulse conduction is accelerated, the heart rate is stabilized, a constant sugar level is maintained - the frequency of drops is reduced.
Regular consumption of blue lavender pesto is beneficial for women, regardless of age. Soreness during menstruation decreases, the transition to menopause is facilitated. Emotional instability is suppressed, falling asleep is accelerated, increased irritability is not manifested.
One of the useful qualities of colored Baziron is the absence of a cheese smell. A floral scent with a hint of camphor has a calming effect and tune in to pleasant emotions.
Read more about the health benefits of Aper Chic cheese
Contraindications and harm of blue pesto cheese
The high calorie content of Lavender Pesto is a reason to avoid overeating. In case of obesity or the need to control weight, the recommended dose should be reduced by 2-3 times.
Relative contraindications for eating blue pesto are:
- increased acidity of the stomach, chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, especially in the acute stage;
- chronic pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis - high salinity negatively affects the state of the urinary system;
- bronchial asthma with frequent attacks;
- impaired liver function - due to too high fat content.
Absolute contraindications for using Lavender Pesto:
- allergy to lactic acid, lactase deficiency;
- intolerance to lavender or other herbal ingredients;
- acute pancreatitis.
Blue cheese Pesto can cause harm due to its multicomponent composition. It is not known which dye the manufacturer used - natural or chemical. Essential oils in lavender can provoke bronchospasm and laryngeal edema. Therefore, despite the absence of age restrictions, you should not introduce young children to the new taste. In addition, when tasting the beautiful blue morsel, babies can choke on the numerous grains of grass.
Blue Pesto Recipes
This variety is more often used for decorative purposes, adding brightness to a cheese plate, casserole or salad. When added to dishes, it can be served in a transparent bowl, alternating layers of yellow or white foods with bright blue slices. The taste goes well with olives, desserts - honey or jam, pears and bitter greens - romaine, lettuce, oaklif or chicory.
Blue Cheese Pesto Recipes:
- Casserole "play of colors" … Cauliflower, 1 head about 500 g, boil for 5-7 minutes in salted water and disassemble into inflorescences. Spread out on a paper towel or leave in a colander to drain the liquid. Peel 1 young zucchini and medium-sized carrots, rub with 150 g of blue Baziron. A baking dish is greased with olive oil. Lay out a layer of white cabbage inflorescences, lay out grated orange carrots and greenish zucchini in intersecting stripes, salt and pepper. Top with a layer of canned green peas and sprinkle with herbs. Pour eggs whipped with salt - you need 3-4 pieces. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 ° C, then remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese, spreading a spiral or circles on the surface. Put in the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve in chunks - it's easier to appreciate the play of color. Instead of sauce - sour cream or ketchup.
- Salad with shrimp … Dry white bread, 3 slices, rub with garlic and butter, let stand for 3 hours under the lid, cut into cubes and fry until golden brown. Sprinkle the croutons with Provencal herbs and dry them in the oven. An hour before serving, romaine leaves are soaked in cold water. Defrosted shrimp, 10-12 pieces, cleaned - the shell is removed and the intestinal vein is pulled out. They are washed under running water, dried with paper towels. For the marinade, mix 2 tbsp. l. olive oil, a little salt and pepper, 1 tbsp. l. clear lime honey and 1, 5 tbsp. l. freshly squeezed lemon juice. After 30 minutes, the shrimp are dried with a paper towel and fried in sunflower oil, on each side for 2 minutes. Beat Caesar sauce with a blender: 2 tsp. Worcester or oyster sauce, 1 clove of crushed garlic, juice of half a lemon, 200 g of mayonnaise. Pepper to taste. Lettuce leaves are blotted with paper towels, torn by hand and placed in a salad bowl. Garlic croutons are poured in the middle, shrimps around the edges, surround everything with a ring of thick sauce. The croutons are sprinkled with blue pesto.
See also Chanakh cheese recipes.
Interesting facts about blue pesto cheese
European cuisine has its own recipe for onion sauce since the 18th century. According to legend, it was invented for Princess Soubise or the princess herself and was named after her. But it doesn't come close to being a spice in Indian cuisine. The health benefits of multicomponent chutney are much higher, and there are not so many oil ingredients in it.
Dutch cheesemakers began to develop recipes with a change in the color of a fermented milk product only at the end of the twentieth century. They experiment not only with traditional national varieties, but also soft, quickly ripening, for example, Pecorino or Parmesan. Attempts were made to make do with only natural ingredients, but as the multi-colored Pesto cheeses quickly gained popularity and began to be produced in large batches, natural colors were replaced with artificial ones.
However, the sales of ultramarine Baziron, compared to green and red, are much lower. And this is due to the rich color, which looks like "chemical". In order not to scare away consumers, Dutch cheese makers, unlike their colleagues from Ukraine, Italy and Belarus, began to produce heads not of a rich blue, but a slightly bluish, "lavender shade". Such cheese is more expensive and its taste is softer, more delicate.
Whole heads should not be purchased. Quality indicator: increased lavender smell when cutting, uniform color and random interspersing of grass grains. If the color on the cut is uneven, spots or circles are visible, the product is not original, and the dye was introduced at the ripening stage. The head covering should be a noble emerald-malachite, not ultramarine. When heated, the color does not change.
Cheese is stored on the refrigerator shelf, within 5-7 days after purchase, in parchment or glass jar. Otherwise, he will absorb other people's smells and lose his own. When the aroma changes, the taste of the product deteriorates.
