Review of Stilton cheese: composition, calorie content, useful properties, method of preparation and contraindications for use. How is the product eaten? What culinary recipes with his participation can be realized in the home kitchen?
Stilton cheese is a fragrant medium-calorie product made on the basis of cow's milk. It is especially popular in its historical homeland, England. It can be blue (moldy) and white (moldy free). Stilton's heads are always cylindrical and have a characteristic crust. The pulp is intertwined with threads of mold. Nutritionists claim that eating the product in reasonable amounts is good for digestion. At the same time, gastroenterologists focus on a number of contraindications to its use.
Features of the preparation of Stilton cheese
Not every cheese can be called Stilton, even a product made in strict accordance with the requirements of a special technology. Cooking Stilton is only allowed in certain counties and exclusively from local milk. However, if you want to pamper only your loved ones with a delicacy, you can try to cook it yourself.
Humanity learned how to cook Stilton cheese hundreds of years ago. The modern technology of its preparation practically does not differ from the original one. You can cook a moldy product in your home kitchen - it is important that you have a room with a certain microclimate in which you can leave the cheese to ripen.
Before you start making Stilton, make sure you have everything you need to do this:
- gauze, colander;
- measuring cups;
- several presses weighing 2 and 3 kg;
- a special form for pressing cheese;
- thermometer for measuring the temperature of liquids;
- enameled saucepan (stainless steel cookware can be used).
Please note that all inventory must be treated with boiling water and wiped with vinegar. This will prevent unwanted molds from entering the product. If you skip the stage of preparing the inventory, moldy cheese will turn out to be unsuccessful (in 90% of cases).
How to make Stilton cheese:
- Heat 7.5 liters of homemade full-fat milk to 31 ° C. While heating, dilute a solution of 10% calcium chloride in 50 ml of lukewarm water and add 8 ml of this liquid to the milk.
- Remove the milk from the stove and add the mesophilic sourdough powder (1/8 teaspoon). Do not stir the milk for the first 3 minutes, let the powder absorb the liquid on its own. Then, gently stir the mold in the milk.
- Cover the piece with a lid and leave for 40-45 minutes.
- Dissolve rennet in water according to the rules described on its packaging. Add 1/2 teaspoon to the milk. the resulting solution.
- Put the lid back on the pan and wait 1.5 hours. During this time, a layer of cottage cheese should form in the pan.
- Cut the resulting layer into medium-sized cubes and leave the resulting mass in a saucepan for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cheese to a colander lined with gauze or a special cloth.
- Leave the product to drain the whey for 1 hour.
- Tie the edges of the cheesecloth and hang the curd for better and faster whey separation for 30 minutes.
- Place the drained cheese under the load for half a day. It is important that the air temperature in the room does not exceed 24 ° C.
- Cut the cheese into as small pieces as possible and mix with 2 tbsp. l. sea salt, as well as blue mold bacteria (1/8 tsp). Perform the indicated steps with sterile medical gloves.
- Transfer the cheese to a compression mold lined with special cheese cloth.
- Place a 3 kg weight on the mold and leave the cheese in this position for 10 hours. At the same time, every 5 hours, turn the cheese layer upside down.
- Turn the cheese over and let it sit overnight.
- Turn the cheese pan over and leave the product under the press (2 kg) for another 3 days. Do not forget that once a day it is necessary to change the gauze and turn the cheese layer every 10 hours. It is important that both the top and bottom surfaces of the cheese dry evenly at the same speed.
- Stilton is almost ready, now he needs to mature. Remove the cheese from the mold and punch holes in it with a sterilized knitting needle. The distance between the holes should not be less than 2 cm. The holes are necessary for the air necessary for the growth of mold to enter the cheese pulp.
- Leave the Stilton in a ripening room. It is important that this room / cell has the correct temperature (no more than 10 ° C) and humidity (up to 95%).
- Be prepared for the fact that in the first weeks of ripening, mold will actively appear on the cheese, it must be removed with a knife once every 7 days.
- Soak the product for 3-6 months. As a result, you should have a head of cheese weighing about 900 g.
Read also how Marual cheese is made.
Composition and calorie content of Stilton cheese
The standard composition of Stilton cheese includes only pasteurized milk, an enzyme to curdle it, salt and a mold called Penicillium roqueforti (optional). Usually the fat content is not more than 35%.
The calorie content of Stilton cheese per 100 g is 353 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 21.4 g;
- Fat - 28.7 g;
- Carbohydrates - 2, 3 g;
- Dietary fiber - 0 g;
- Water - 0 g.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 1: 1, 3: 0, 1, respectively.
Vitamins per 100 g of product:
- Vitamin A - 0.045 mg;
- Vitamin B1 - 0.03 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.04 mg;
- Vitamin B5 - 0.5 mg;
- Vitamin B6 - 0.36 mg;
- Vitamin B9 - 16 mcg;
- Vitamin B12 - 20 mcg;
- Vitamin C - 5 mg;
- Vitamin E - 1.2 mg;
- Vitamin K - 0.1 μg;
- Vitamin PP - 2.1 mg;
- Choline 65 mg
Minerals in 100 g of Stilton cheese
- Iron, Fe - 5.3 mg;
- Zinc, Zn - 1.68 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 435 mg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.025 mg;
- Selenium, Se - 44.8 μg;
- Sulfur, S - 149.1 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 186 mg;
- Potassium, K - 350 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 230 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 30 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 53 mg.
Interesting! Stilton cheese is so aromatic that perfumers decided to use it to make expensive perfumes.
Useful properties of Stilton cheese
Doctors say that the benefits of Stilton cheese are its high protein content - 32%. As you know, this nutrient is indispensable for those looking to build muscle. Milk protein is easily absorbed by the body, optimizes the functioning of the circulatory system and can even act as a sedative.
The main beneficial properties of Stilton:
- Strengthens the immune system - the product contains ascorbic acid.
- It normalizes general blood counts, including the volume of cholesterol - choline is involved in this process, which is quite abundant in cheese.
- Favorably affects the state of the organs of the circulatory system - the fermented milk delicacy contains a rich set of nutrients, without which the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels is impossible.
- Optimizes the course of metabolic processes in the body thanks to sulfur.
- Strengthens bone tissue - the product contains a lot of phosphorus and calcium, which strengthens bones, teeth and hair. For this reason, Stilton is indicated for use in bone fractures.
- Prevents abnormal loss of fluid in the body (dehydration) - this is due to the high sodium content in cheese.
Read more about the beneficial properties of Strakkino cheese.
Contraindications and harm of Stilton cheese
Nutritionists report that the harm of Stilton cheese is largely due to mold (white cheese is more versatile in use). Due to the blue veins, the product is not recommended for use by people with gastrointestinal diseases, pancreatitis, or stomach ulcers. Excessive use of mold leads to serious digestive disorders, dysbiosis, intestinal infections and more. That is why nutritionists advise to consume a product with an exotic composition in reasonable amounts.
Any products with mold are strictly contraindicated for pregnant women and children. It is also advised to give up the delicacy during the period of breastfeeding. Also, Stilton cheese can lead to rapid weight gain, so its use should be reduced by everyone who is struggling with extra pounds.
Doctors say that if a person eats a large amount of blue cheese in one meal, he may become too agitated and impressionable for a short period of time - as you know, such hyperreactivity has a bad effect on the quality of sleep, and pediatricians advise not to drink Stilton cheese to children in the evening …
Stilton cheese recipes
Stilton cheese goes well with vegetables, which is why it is often used to make vegetable cream soups. The simplest Stilton dish is a sandwich made from crackers, biscuits, or bread. To wash down such dishes, according to the English tradition, it is customary to drink port.
A few simple recipes using Stilton cheese:
- Potato and cheese casserole … Peel and cut into very thin slices 3 large potatoes. Pour the resulting mass with 100 ml of milk, 30 ml of cream and sprinkle with a few pinches of grated nutmeg. Season the dish with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Prepare a high-sided dish for baking the potatoes. Rub the walls with garlic and butter. Put some potatoes in a mold, sprinkle with grated Stilton and repeat layers again until all ingredients are gone. The last layer of the casserole should be potatoes. In total, you will need 100 g of Stilton with mold to make a casserole. Pour the remaining potato sauce into a baking dish. Place a few slices of butter on top of the potatoes. Bake the delicacy for 50 minutes. You can turn off the oven when the potatoes acquire a golden crust and become absolutely soft in all layers of the casserole. Leave the freshly prepared dish alone for 10 minutes and serve!
- Cauliflower and Stilton cream soup … In a deep saucepan, fry 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a little olive oil (chop the ingredients as small as possible). Add 1 bay leaf, 1 peeled and diced potato to a saucepan. Divide 1 small head of cauliflower into small florets and add to the pot as well. Fill all ingredients with 1.5 liters of water. Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil and simmer the vegetables over moderate heat for 20 minutes. Once the ingredients are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and turn off the heat. Grind the soup with a blender until creamy. Add to the soup 250 g of Stilton with mold, chopped with a grater. Pour the cream soup into a saucepan and place over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the soup into bowls as soon as the cheese melts.
Interesting facts about Stilton cheese
Stilton cheese got its name in honor of the English village of the same name. However, the manufacture of the delicacy in this locality is currently prohibited by law (as mentioned earlier, there is a law that only allows the production of the delicacy in 3 counties).
According to legend, it was in the village of Stilton that an innkeeper lived many years ago, who once, during a business trip, tasted delicious hard cheese and decided to sell it in his small homeland. The innkeeper liked the product so much that he bought not only a cart of cheese, but also the exclusive right to distribute it. The tavern was regularly visited by wanderers from different parts of England and other countries, so information about the unusual cheese with mold quickly spread throughout the world.
Nowadays, Stilton cheese has become part of the national traditions of England. For example, it is an indispensable dish on the Christmas table of almost every English family. In Russia, this product is less popular, although it is included in the list of the best blue cheeses in the world.
Watch the video about Stilton cheese:
Stilton cheese is a healthy product with an exotic taste. Its main feature is blue mold, small doses of which can heal the human body, and excessive doses can cause problems with the digestive system and even the nervous system. To get the most out of the product, consume it irregularly and in reasonable amounts.
