Description of Keshel Blue cheese and production features. Energy value and predominant substances, benefits for the body and restrictions on entering the diet. Culinary uses and the history of the delicacy.
Keshel Blue is an Irish semi-soft vegetarian cheese with a blue noble mold, which is made only from pasteurized cow's milk. The texture depends on aging: soft, creamy with short exposure and grainy, crumbly with long exposure. The section shows nests of emerald blue mold. Color - light yellow, slightly greenish, aroma - sour, milky; taste - buttery, spicy, with a sour aftertaste. The crust is natural, beige with a whitish bloom. It is made in the form of flattened cylinders weighing 1-1.5 kg, with a diameter and height of 12 cm.
How is Keshel Blue cheese made?
For this farm product, only the milk yield of cows of a special breed, the Holstein-Friesian, is used. Milk is very fatty - 3, 6-3, 7%, and the content of casein (milk protein) - up to 3, 2%. The feedstock is pasteurized at 62 ° C, but not homogenized.
How Keshel Blue cheese is made
- As in the production of most varieties with emerald mold, milk is cooled to 32 ° C, mesophilic and lactic acid bacteria and the fungal culture "Penicillin roqueforti" are added. After the powder is absorbed, the vat is removed from the heat and everything is stirred. For activation, a temperature slightly above room temperature is sufficient - 22-24 ° C.
- Surprisingly, this product is vegetarian. Farmers often use fenugreek infusion, but industrial-made milase or fromazu can also be purchased. The formation of a curd curd occurs within 1 hour.
- Keshel Blue cheese is prepared, like many semi-soft varieties, without cutting the kale, if the vats for the raw materials are wide and voluminous. In this case, the dense curd layer is turned over with a special device, breaking into separate pieces, which are kneaded to separate the whey at a temperature of 34-38 ° C. In the case of narrow deep containers, the curd is cut into cubes with edges of 1, 5-2 cm.
- The cheese mass is settled for 1 hour. If the individual pieces have become sufficiently elastic and do not stick together, forming a dense monolith, you can proceed to the next stage.
- The intermediate raw materials are laid out on special drainage tables for the final separation of the whey, where it is partially dried. Cut into separate pieces and swap them.
- Then the curd mass is laid out in shapes and left for self-pressing, turning over every 4 hours. Oppression is not needed. If set, the texture will be so dense that the development of a fungal culture becomes impossible.
- Another 2 days are allotted for salting. For this, the salt is rubbed into the side faces and left on the drainage table. The draining serum forms a brine, which is absorbed into the heads. After a day, the process is repeated by adding salt. For another 24 hours, the cheese is on the drainage table - it is dried, and then it is pierced by 2/3 of its thickness with needles (the distance between the holes is 2 cm) and placed in a chamber with a special microclimate (temperature - 12-14 ° C, humidity - 85-90%). If you dry it, cracks will appear on the crust, and when condensate drains off, mold grows on the surface. When an emerald cannon appears on their heads, they are wiped with 20% brine in which vinegar is dissolved. The duration of maturation is from 6 weeks.
Locals prefer heads aged from 16 weeks, and gourmets specially order the product after 8 months of fermentation. After the cheese is removed from the chamber, it is wrapped in foil to stop the activity of the fungal culture. Despite the fact that the weight of the heads is small, before they are sold, they are cut into 4 parts. Each piece is marked and rewrapped in foil.
Composition and calorie content of Keshel Blue cheese
This vegetarian product can be safely included in a weight loss diet.
Although the fat content on dry matter is quite high - 54%, the calorie content of Keshel Blue cheese is much lower than that of similar varieties with mold, and is only 261 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 21-24 g;
- Fat - 29-31 g;
- Carbohydrates - up to 1 g.
The vitamin composition is represented by retinol, tocopherol, riboflavin, pantothenic and folic acid, cobalamin, niacin, choline, thiamine. Having eaten a piece of 1 ounce or 28 g (it is not recommended to eat a portion of moldy cheese more than 30 g at a time), they replenish the daily reserve of calcium by 15%, by 2% by potassium, by 11% by phosphorus, by 1% by copper, 2% magnesium, 5% zinc.
Fats per 100 g
- Saturated fatty acids - 17.9 g;
- Monounsaturated fatty acids - 6, 8-7 g;
- Cholesterol - 74-75 mg
Saturated fats, present in the Keshel Blue cheese, reduce the level of bad cholesterol, stimulate the synthesis of hormones, help the absorption of vitamins, monounsaturated fats are a source of essential substances for the body, omega-9, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Vegetarian Keshel Blue Cheese helps people who eat healthy, stay active, maintain weight and exercise.
Useful properties of Keshel Blue cheese
There is no need to be afraid to consume this variety due to the introduction of a plant-based clotting substance. For the formation of calcium, lactic acid mushrooms or herbal infusions are used. Before launching them into production, a comprehensive safety study is carried out.
Benefits of Keshel Blue cheese
- Replenishes calcium, strengthens the musculoskeletal system, stimulates the production of synovial fluid and increases the range of motion of the joints.
- Supports memory function, improves memorization ability.
- It normalizes the work of the cardiovascular system, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques in the lumen of blood vessels, and reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis.
- It has anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating effects.
- Increases body tone and lowers blood sugar levels.
- Slows down aging and supports the functioning of the optic nerve.
- Stimulates the production of pancreatic enzymes and speeds up food digestion.
Blue mold, although it acts similarly to antibiotics, does not inhibit the vital activity of useful lacto- and bifidobacteria, but creates favorable conditions for increasing their vital activity. The intestines are cleansed of toxins, nutrients are absorbed in full. In addition, people who feast on delicacies with noble mold 3-4 times a week stay vigorous and young longer.
Contraindications and harm of Keshel Blue cheese
The beneficial properties of a fermented milk product are preserved if the recommendations for use are not neglected. When overeating, due to an unpredictable effect on the intestinal flora, dysbiosis may develop, constipation or diarrhea may appear.
Keshel Blue cheese is especially harmful for people with reduced immunity, pregnant women and women during lactation. For the same reason, children under 16 should not be introduced to the new taste.
Relative contraindications for the use of this variety are
- chronic diseases of the digestive organs - gastritis with high acidity, peptic ulcer, chronic pancreatitis - due to the content of saturated fats;
- pyelonephritis or cystitis, especially in the acute stage, due to high salinity;
- gout or arthritis, so as not to provoke painful attacks;
- bronchial asthma or chronic dermatological diseases - an increased risk of allergic reactions.
The microbiological hazard is comparatively low as the feedstock is pasteurized. But if you want to enjoy the original taste, you need to store the head (or part of it) on the shelf in the refrigerator, changing the foil to parchment, and no longer than 3 days.
When bitterness appears or the consistency changes to loose and flowing, Keshel Blue cheese must be disposed of. If this is not done, you can get poisoned.
Recipes with Keshel Blue cheese
The taste of this variety goes well with bitter herbs, crackers, sour or dried fruits - melon, pear, grapes or figs. This product is usually served with nuts or honey, washed down with port or ale. It is also used to prepare various dishes - sauces or casseroles, grilled.
Recipes with Keshel Blue cheese:
- Bruschetta with pears … Pears are caramelized in a frying pan in liquid honey with butter, and rye bread is soaked in strong beer (or sourdough for kvass), and then fried in sunflower oil until golden brown. While hot, the slices of bread are sprinkled with Keshel Blue slices, seasoned with pepper and placed in a hot oven or microwave for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Leaves of arugula or salad mix are laid out on a plate, tearing them with your hands, toasts are spread and pieces of caramelized pear are placed on top.
- Chicken sausages with vegetable puree and creamy sauce … In this dish, vegetarian cheese is combined with minced poultry meat. 200 g of pumpkin pulp without peel and pits is cut into large chunks, greased with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet with pitted green apples and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs. Chop 2 pieces of chicken fillet with rosemary, pepper and salt to get a smooth minced meat. The oven regulator is turned on at 180 ° C. The baked vegetables are mashed together with 1 sprig of raw celery, removing the rough surface. Cover the baking sheet with foil, greasing it with olive oil. Spread in layers: minced chicken, vegetable puree and pieces of blue cheese. Roll up the foil, shaping the sausage, put it in the oven for baking. While the roll is cooking, grind the spinach leaves in a blender. In a separate saucepan with a tight lid, pour a glass of couscous with boiling chicken broth, add spinach puree and let stand for 20 minutes under the lid. Now you can make cheese sauce. Fry a finely chopped onion in sunflower oil, pour in dry wine, wait until it evaporates, add a glass of cream and add 40 g of Keshel Blue. The finished couscous is laid out like a pillow, chicken sausages are placed on it, everything is poured with cheese sauce.
- Hearty salad "3 cheeses" … Mash salad (vegetable valerian), 150 g, torn by hand, mixed in a salad bowl with melon, cut into 1 x 1 cm cubes, Keshel Blue slices, 150 g, Mozzarella, 200 g, and Parmesan, 100 g Add 250 g cherry, cut in half … For dressing, beat in equal amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a blender bowl, add a little honey. The salad can be seasoned with black pepper.
See also recipes with Bel-paeze cheese.
Interesting facts about Keshel Blue cheese
Farmer's Keshel Blue is an alternative to French varieties with mold. The recipe was recently developed by the family of cheesemakers Grubb, Louis and Jane in 1984. The name was given in honor of the Keshel rock, which is located near the farm, in the territory of the former County Tipperary. They took as a basis the recipe for Danablu - Danish blue cheese, but got a completely different taste.
The popularity of Keshel Blue is explained not only by its greater availability for local residents - imported cheeses are not cheap, but also by the use of vegetarian sourdough. Currently, the number of people who have given up meat is constantly increasing. For example, London is home to 22% of the world's vegans. Therefore, gourmet cheese is in demand.
Now, not only the family who invented it, but also the surrounding farms are engaged in the production of the variety. The area of land, where their own cows are grazed, has grown to 200 acres.250 tons are produced annually and the products are exported all over the world. Keshel Blue can be tasted in restaurants in New Zealand, UK, Australia and the USA. It is served on cheese boards or as part of various dishes.
Do not be upset if you give preference to mature cheese, but bought a young one, with insufficient aging. It is enough to remove the foil and send it to the shelf in the refrigerator, and you can get the desired taste. Only the condensate that escapes should be removed. If this is not done, the product will deteriorate.
Watch a video about Keshel Blue cheese:
