Manufacturing method, composition and nutritional value of Jarlsberg cheese. Benefits and harms when consumed. Dishes with a delicate and spicy product, interesting facts about it.
Jarlsberg is a Norwegian semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk. The texture is plastic, light, with a sheen similar to the play of silk; consistency - soft; color - light yellow; taste - sweetish, creamy nutty, reminiscent of Emmental. When cutting, many well-defined rounded eyes are visible. Heads in the form of flattened cylinders of large size, smooth crust covered with yellow wax. The weight of the heads reaches 10-12 kg. This product is widely used for preparing various dishes. It melts well and does not block the flavor of the additional ingredients.
How is Jarlsberg cheese made?
Cow's milk is used as a raw material, which is pasteurized directly during cheese making and cooled to 37 ° C. Making Jarlsberg cheese is a rather laborious process, and without special skills and a cheese dairy, it is impossible to repeat the recipe.
To create an original taste, ferments are introduced - mesophilic and propionic acid bacteria, for curdling - rennet, to reduce acidity - calcium chloride. Yield: 1.7 kg of cheese from 17 liters of milk.
Jarlsberg cheese recipe:
- First, the feedstock is enriched, then sourdough and rennet are added for curdling and the kale is cut into cheese grains. The active phase takes 3, 5-4 hours.
- The passive phase - pressing - will take 12-15 hours. At the first stage, future heads are pressed under a layer of whey, then placed on a drainage mat and turned over every 1.5 hours.
- Drying of the crust is carried out at room temperature for 2-4 days. Provide ventilation or regular drainage of condensate. When the surface is completely dry, it is covered with wax with dissolved natural annatto dye in 2-3 layers.
- Maturation takes place in 2 stages. During the first weeks it is necessary to provide a temperature of 10 ° C and a humidity of 80-85%. Only under special conditions, with 2-3 daily head turns, you can get a characteristic elastic texture.
- At the second stage, the heads are ripened at 18-22 ° C. Under these conditions, propionic acid bacteria are activated, producing carbon dioxide. It is interesting to watch the cheese at this time. When the eyes are formed, the head changes shape every day - it "swells", skews. If the wax is brittle, cracks form on the surface.
- Next, Jarlsberg cheese is prepared, like other varieties, it is placed in a cold chamber or cellar.
Consumers are offered young low-fat Jarlsberg cheese with a fat content of up to 15% - the aging period is at least 3 months; classic - 4-10 months; aged - 10-18 months. Tasters can determine the aging time by taste: at the initial stage, lemon or lime notes are felt, almonds are clearly felt in the pulp of a mature head.
Read more about the peculiarities of making Banon cheese
Composition and calorie content of Jarlsberg cheese
The fat content of the variety can be changed artificially by enriching or skimming cow's milk. The longer the heads are kept in a cool chamber, the higher the content of carbohydrates and inorganic substances.
On average, the calorie content of classic Jarlsberg cheese is 351-392 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 27 g;
- Fat - 27 g;
- Inorganic substances - 6.04 g;
- Carbohydrates - 3.22 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin A - 270 mcg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.38 mg;
- Vitamin B12 - 2.1 mcg;
- Vitamin E - 0.22 mg;
- Choline - 15.4 mg
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Calcium, Ca - 800-1184 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 580-694 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 44 mg.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iodine, I - 49 mcg;
- Zinc, Zn - 4.3 mg;
- Iron, Fe - 0.82 mg;
- Selenium, Se - 22.5 mcg;
- Copper, Cu - 0.032 mg.
Fats per 100 g:
- Saturated fatty acids - 16.41 g;
- Monounsaturated fatty acids - 7.515 g;
- Cholesterol - 68 mg
Jarlsberg cheese contains a rich amino acid complex of 18 compounds. The following amino acids prevail, which are very important for the normal functioning of the human body:
- Leucine - Comes only with food and is essential for building muscle fibers.
- Lysine - is needed for the transformation of proteins from food.
- Phenylalanine - stimulates the hormonal system, it is required for the production of tyrosine.
- Tyrosine - without it, the reproduction of neurotransmitters is impossible.
- Valine - promotes the absorption of amino acids.
- Aspartic acid - with its lack, the ability to learn is impaired, the ability to memorize decreases.
- Glutamic Acid - Retains moisture at the cellular level.
- Glycine - essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system and support for work capacity.
- Proline - is responsible for the quality of the skin and tissues with keratin, stimulates the production of collagen.
- Serine is essential for the formation of nerve membranes and protein structures.
Since this fermented milk product is produced in several forms, low-fat cheese can be included in the diet for losing weight and in the diet of patients during the rehabilitation period.
Useful properties of Jarlsberg cheese
Due to the high calcium content, the use of a fermented milk product prevents the development of osteoporosis and increases the strength of bone tissue. But this is not the only beneficial effect on the human body.
The benefits of Jarlsberg cheese:
- Stimulates the reproduction of sex hormones.
- Improves the functioning of the optic nerve, stops cataracts and glaucoma, facilitates the transition from light to darkness.
- Increases the body's defenses.
- Normalizes water-electrolyte and acid-base balance.
- Helps to quickly recover from anemia and dysbiosis.
- Improves the synthesis of thyroid hormones.
- Normalizes blood pressure and stabilizes heart contractions.
- Eating 3-5 times a week will help to cope with emotional instability and make it easier to fall asleep.
It is possible to enter it into the diet during diseases of the urinary system, since the amount of sodium in the composition is moderate. If you eat a bite before meals, the production of hydrochloric acid increases. This speeds up the digestion of food, prevents putrefactive processes in the intestines, and eliminates bad breath.
Supplementing the daily menu with Jarlsberg cheese during seasonal epidemics strengthens the body's defenses and reduces the possibility of catching colds.
Read about the health benefits of Tom de Savoie cheese
Contraindications and harm of Jarlsberg cheese
It is worth abandoning a product of this type for lactose intolerance and allergies caused by microbiological cultures used for starter culture.
Harm from Jarlsberg cheese when overeating can occur during an exacerbation of gout, hypertension, cholecystitis and with frequent attacks of tachycardia.
If you are obese, you should refuse a product with a fat content above 15%.
Jarlsberg cheese recipes
This variety is served with light and fortified wines - red and white, used as an ingredient for salads, hot dishes and soups. Breakfast sandwiches with cheese are a great start to the day.
Jarlsberg cheese recipes:
- Fluffy omelet … While the oven is warming up to 160 ° C, beat the eggs with a little milk and add some salt. Rub the cheese and add it to the egg mixture. Pour everything into a ceramic mold greased with butter, put it in the oven and wait for everything to set. Sprinkle with herbs when serving. Microwave safe. You just need to know that the volume of the dish will double. Cookware that is microwave safe should be half full. The exposed power is 700 W.
- Asparagus pie … For kneading, take 180 ml of warm water, a small egg, a little less than 1 tbsp. l.vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and sugar, 1/2 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar. The vinegar is diluted in water, then all the bulk ingredients are mixed in and the egg is broken. Poured into flour folded in a slide, knead a soft dough, wrap it with cling film and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then cut a piece into 4 parts, roll out each of them, grease the surface with butter. Layers are put on top of each other, rolled out again - thinner. They are wound on a rolling pin, oiled, then a side cut is made, and rolled again. Remove to cool for 15 minutes, again wrapped in plastic. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Roll out the dough again and spread on a baking sheet covered with parchment, prick over the entire surface with a fork. Put the dough in the oven for 15 minutes to brown. Take the leaf out of the oven, spread the asparagus in one layer, having cleaned the end in advance. Sprinkle with grated Jarlsberg - 2-2.5 cups are required, pepper and salt. Put the pie in the oven again. Take it out when the cheese is melted. You don't have to wait for a crispy crust to form. Serve warm, after cutting into small pieces.
- Simple cheese salad … Small pasta is boiled - if pasta is at hand, it will have to be cut. Small curls, such as short horns, are best for the dish. Rinse with cold water so as not to stick together, cool. Fleshy tomatoes are dipped in boiling water, peeled off. Mix in a salad bowl 300 g cubes of cheese and low-fat ham, the same amount of canned corn, sliced tomatoes and sweet peppers - 2 pieces each. Better to take a multi-colored, for example, yellow and orange, or green and red, with a not very sharp taste. Pour in pasta. Dressing to taste - mayonnaise or olive oil. Garnish with herbs or mint leaves before serving.
- Zrazy … While the oven is warming up to 180 ° C, 100 g of a stale white roll is poured with milk. You need to calculate so that it is completely absorbed. Mix in a gastronome container 800 g of minced chicken fillet, 3-4 crushed garlic prongs, bread, pre-squeezed, salt and pepper. Complete uniformity is achieved. You can beat off a mass of minced meat by throwing it from hand to hand. 100-150 g of unsweetened corn flakes are ground in a coffee grinder or pounded to flour, cheese, 150 g, cut into elongated rectangles. A baking sheet is greased with vegetable oil. Cakes are formed from minced meat, a piece of cheese is spread in the middle of each, you can also add slicing of greens, parsley or dill. Roll the minced meat, forming a zraz, roll in breading, bake for 40-45 minutes. Zrazy is served hot, with ketchup or sour cream.
See also Asiago cheese recipes.
Interesting facts about Jarlsberg cheese
According to historical archival documents in Norway, the variety was invented by the farmer Larsen Bakke in 1848. He experimented with Dutch and Swiss recipes for a long time, until he got a hybrid with a mild flavor. A summary of the discovery is given in the annual reports of the Jarlsberg-Larvik amt administration. The cheese maker did not want to share his secret with anyone, and the production of a fermented milk product stopped with his death.
There is another theory as well. Larsen Bakke did not achieve the desired result himself, but adopted the recipe from the Swiss cheese makers. To find out the secret, he simply got the guests of the country drunk. And the preservation of the secret was caused only by the desire to get rich - the cheese had unique taste characteristics and immediately gained popularity among the country's nobility.
The revival of the variety took place already in the twentieth century. A professor at the Agricultural University of Jungsgård from the city of Os, together with his students, managed to restore the recipe for a fermented milk product with a silky texture and a nutty taste. This variety quickly gained popularity not only among consumers in his country, but also around the world. Currently, it is not only produced for export, collecting milk from all over the country, but licenses are sold, allowing the production. The industrial line has already been installed in the USA and Australia.
Young cheese spoils quickly and storage is problematic. Therefore, it is not produced for export. In stores, you can buy a subspecies with a stamp on the label "Jarlsberg Special Reserve" (to increase the shelf life, the heads are smoked). The largest producer remains the Norwegian dairy cooperative Tine - a cheese dairy located in the town of Elnesvogen.
Watch a video about Jarlsberg cheese:
When purchasing Jarlsberg, you should pay attention to color and texture. The surface of the cut piece should be smooth, yellow, with numerous round eyes. Crumbling during cutting is not allowed. If the cheese exfoliates, white blotches are visible in it, it is better to refuse to purchase. Despite the complexity of preparation, this variety is counterfeited much more often than others.
