What is Shropshire Blue cheese and how is it made? The energy value of the product, the benefits and harms of use. How this variety is eaten, the history of its manufacture.
Shropshire Blue is a semi-soft English cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk streaked with noble mold. The texture is dense, smooth, elastic; color - ocher, deep yellow, "sunny"; when cut, streaks of emerald blue are visible. The aroma is creamy, pungent and spicy; the taste is creamy, salty, with a hint of nut and underpowered grass. When heated, the pulp quickly becomes fluid and remains creamy when tasting. The crust is natural, bright orange. Heads in the form of tall cylinders with a diameter of 20 cm and a height of 30 cm, weight - 7.5-8 kg.
How is Shropshire Blue cheese made?
The starting material is pasteurized milk mixed with cream, the starter is mesophilic cultures and the "noble" mold of Renicillium roqueforti, the curd is rennet. Calcium chloride and table salt are used as a preservative; natural annatto dye is used to impart a characteristic bright shade. From 10 liters of feedstock, 1.2 kg of the final product is obtained.
How Shropshire Blue cheese is made:
- Milk is mixed with cream, heated to 30-32 ° C, and the starter culture - mesophilic and fungal cultures - is added according to the usual technology. That is, they first allow it to be absorbed, and then mix. At the same stage, calcium chloride and dye are added.
- To increase the activity of bacteria, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of 32 ° C. It is more convenient to use a water bath.
- Diluted rennet is poured in.
- After the kale is formed, it is cut into cubes with 2 cm edges. Knead for 20 minutes without lowering the temperature.
- Further, Shropshire Blue cheese is made like homemade cottage cheese: they transfer the cheese grains to a colander covered with a cloth, tied in a knot and hung until the whey is completely separated.
- The fabric is changed to dry, the curd mass is wrapped again, laid out on a drainage mat and the load is placed on top. Duration of pressing - 15 hours. Room temperature - 23-24 ° С. You need to pay attention: no drafts. The lightest breeze that changes the temperature can spoil the future cheese.
- The peculiarity of making Shropshire Blue cheese is multi-stage pressing. The curd layer is cut into cubes with edges of 1, 5 cm, mixed with salt and placed in molds, tamped by hand. After 5 hours, the future cheese is taken out again, mixed and again placed in the mold for 6-7 hours.
- The formed heads are pierced with a thin needle, 2/3 of the thickness, to ensure the flow of air. This is necessary in order to activate the vital activity of the fungal culture. During aging, the "injections" are repeated several times.
- Holding temperature - 8-10 ° С, humidity - 90-95%. The head must be installed on a drainage mat, thoroughly remove moisture when it appears. To do this, wipe not only the pan under the cheese, but also the walls of the chamber.
- Excess mold that appears on the crust during the first weeks of ripening is removed with a knife. The appearance of white mold on the orange crust indicates too high humidity. It is washed off with brine.
During the entire aging period, the head is turned over once every 3 days. The holding time is from 2 to 6 months. During this time, the taste changes from sweet-spicy to rich. During storage, the finished product should be wrapped in parchment to stop fermentation.
Composition and calorie content of Shropshire Blue cheese
Fat content on dry matter - 35%. But this does not mean that the product is dietary. The energy value is high.
The calorie content of Shropshire Blue cheese is 410 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 23.7 g;
- Fat - 35 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0.5 g.
The vitamin and mineral complex is dominated by:
- Riboflavin - supports vision function;
- Tocopherol - stops the development of age-related changes;
- Pantothenic acid - other nutrients cannot be absorbed without it;
- Cyanocobalamin - with its lack, erythrocytes are destroyed;
- Calcium - if it is not enough, bones become fragile;
- Magnesium - supports the activity of the cardiovascular system;
- Phosphorus - performs a transport function;
- Sulfur - speeds up metabolic processes.
The high amount of sodium in the composition of Shropshire Blue cheese (2.08 g per 100 g) is explained by the manufacturing technology. Saturated fat - 23 g, polyunsaturated - 1, 2 g, monounsaturated - 9, 2 g per 100 g. The recommended daily portion of a high-calorie product is 50-60 g per day.
Useful properties of Shropshire Blue cheese
Due to the blue fibers - traces of the activity of noble penicillin - the color of the cut is not bright yellow, but greenish. But this product does not act as an antibiotic - it has no therapeutic effect. However, regular use of the variety will help you recover from debilitating diseases, gain muscle mass with regular exercise, and retain precious moisture.
Benefits of Shropshire Blue Cheese:
- Prevents osteoporosis, arthritis, degenerative-dystrophic changes in bone and cartilage tissue.
- Stimulates the work of the hormonal system.
- Soothes, improves nerve-impulse conduction.
- Maintains body tone and improves immunity.
- Normalizes blood cholesterol levels, helps dissolve already formed plaques in the lumen of blood vessels.
- Stimulates the production of red blood cells and prolongs their activity.
- Improves the quality of nails, teeth and hair, accelerates the restoration of the epithelium and mucous membranes.
- Stabilizes the function of the visual system.
With regular use of Shropshire Blue cheese, the frequency of changes in blood pressure decreases, intestinal function improves, and the activity of pathogenic microorganisms that have invaded the digestive and respiratory systems is suppressed. Officially proven to have a beneficial effect on the production of healthy functioning eggs in women and quality sperm in men.
This variety can be introduced into the diet of women during pregnancy, but very little, so as not to provoke dysbiosis. It is made from pasteurized raw materials - microbiological hazard is minimal.
Harm and contraindications to the use of Shropshire Blue cheese
When you get acquainted with a new taste, you may experience allergies with an individual intolerance to milk protein and a negative reaction to penicillin or a natural dye. Due to the high fat content, overeating should be avoided in obesity, the need to control your own weight, impaired liver and pancreas function, peptic ulcer and gastritis with high acidity.
Damage to Shropshire Blue cheese can be caused by excessive salinity. With kidney or heart disease, overeating may cause swelling, problems with urination, increased blood pressure, and headache.
If the variety is consumed regularly, it is recommended to observe the daily "dosage". It does not have a healing effect, but its excess inhibits the activity of not only pathogenic, but also beneficial microorganisms. You should not eat this product before bed: due to increased flatulence, insomnia or nightmares may occur.
Shropshire Blue Cheese Recipes
The taste of this variety is well set off by Port or fortified red wines. It is served with jam-like tropical fruits or persimmons, nuts. This ingredient can be added to all dishes that use Stilton.
Shropshire Blue Cheese Recipes:
- Salad … First, make a dressing, it should be infused. Mix in 1 tbsp. l. olive oil and red wine vinegar, season with black pepper and add a little salt. Leave, covered with a lid, to maintain a rich aroma. Oranges, 2 pieces, peel, disassemble and remove white partitions and seeds. Orange juicy fibers are mashed into puree. Finely chopped raw spinach, 200 g, chopped red onion, 85 g of watercress - it is better to pick it by hand, 2 cups of grated Shropshire Blue and citrus puree are mixed in a salad bowl. Refuel, add salt, if necessary. And now - the highlight of the dish. Heat 2 handfuls of whole almonds in a dry frying pan, add them to the salad and serve until they cool.
- Onion salad … 1 large inflorescence of lettuce is torn by hand into small pieces. Pour the crushed shallot head to it, add 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, olive oil - 3 tbsp. l., the same amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, season with sliced chives. Place on plates and sprinkle with chopped cheese.
- Airy dessert … Bring 150 ml of water to a boil, drop 50 g of oil and wait until it completely melts. Remove the container from the heat, pour in the pre-sifted flour - 65-70 g, allow to cool, stir constantly so that lumps do not appear. Eggs are poured into this mixture one at a time - 2 pcs., Achieve a homogeneous structure. If very quickly, add more flour. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Grease a baking sheet with a small amount of sunflower oil, lay out balls of dough, bake for 20 minutes, or until the pieces are doubled and golden brown. They take them out of the oven, cut them in half and lay them out again on a sheet - when they dry so that they become crispy, take them out. At this time, mix fresh celery, 2 stalks, cut into small pieces, cubes of blue cheese, season with pepper. This filling is filled with airy cakes, crushing the middle. Served as a snack.
- Fried Shropshire Blue … Butter, 70 g, is mixed in a pan with the same amount of flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Pour in 1, 5 cups of milk, add 80 g of cheese and wait until the mixture becomes homogeneous and thickens. Pour it into a mold and put it in the refrigerator. Beat eggs with salt and paprika, prepare bread crumbs. As soon as the cheese and milk sauce turns into a "jellied meat", it is cut into pieces, each dipped in an egg, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in a pan until golden brown. This appetizer goes well not only with fortified wines, but also with beer.
See also recipes for dishes with Boulet d'Aven cheese.
Interesting facts about Shropshire Blue cheese
You should not sit for hours in the library, delving into the archives of Nottinghamshire - the history of the variety does not go back to deep antiquity or the Middle Ages. The variety was invented relatively recently - in the 70s of the twentieth century. The developer is cheese maker Andy Williamson. First made in Scotland at the Castle Stuart cheese dairy, based on the Stilton cheese recipe.
An even later theory of origin - 1980. The variety was developed at the English cheese factory Colston Basset Diary. It is here that the famous Stilton is still produced, which year after year receives prestigious awards at international competitions. As an experiment, they decided to tint it. But this option, unlike the Scottish one, did not gain popularity. Consumers wanted to try something really new, and not just admire the bright color of the pulp.
Interestingly, the reviews about Shropshire Blue differ significantly. Some people think that it "smells like a cowshed", others - of spring herbs. The perception of taste also differs. Someone thinks that the recommended dose is too much, because of the pronounced oiliness and fluidity in a warm state, it is impossible to eat more. And there are also reviews, after listening to which you go to buy this variety: "Just try a piece, it is impossible to stop - it looks so much like a spicy sauce." By the way, the price of Shropshire Blue cheese is high: from 1,450 to 2,000 rubles per 1 kg.
If the names of most cheeses were given according to the place of preparation, then Shropshire Blue has nothing to do with the county of the same name. At first it was sold as Blue Stewart, but later, for marketing purposes, to sell outside of Scotland, they chose a "beautiful name".
Now the variety is produced only in Nottinghamshire at 2 dairy factories by the food companies Coleston Dairy and Coleston Basset Dairy. It is the only blue cheese in Scotland. Farms were not interested in the variety, but cheese makers around the world are happy to cook bright cheese with noble mold at home. A set with sourdough and dye can always be purchased in specialty stores or ordered online.
