The history and features of the preparation of Tilsiter cheese. Chemical composition and useful properties of the product. Who shouldn't use it? Recipes with classic Swiss cheese.
Tilsiter is a light yellow semi-hard cheese with a texture typical of small eyes and cracks. A very common so-called table cheese, the use of which in the culinary arts is practically unlimited. Tilsiter is added to salads, hot dishes, sauces are made from it and, of course, sandwiches are prepared with it. The first, using old peasant recipes, it began to be produced by Prussian-Swiss settlers in the city of Tilsit (now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad region). At the end of the 19th century, it appeared on production conveyors in Switzerland, thanks to recipes exported from Tilsit. Today there are three main varieties, conventionally designated Green, Yellow and Red labels. The first is made from pasteurized milk, the second - from pasteurized with cream, the third - from unpasteurized milk.
How to make Tilsiter cheese at home?
You can cook Tilsiter at home, with your own hands, however, this will require some special equipment: a 1 kg cheese mold, a milk thermometer for instant temperature measurement, and a large saucepan with a capacity of more than 10 liters. In addition, you will have to find ingredients such as mesophilic starter culture, calcium chloride and rennet. However, do not be afraid, all these components can be quickly found and ordered in one of the many online stores for amateur cheese makers.
So, the recipe for Tilsiter cheese at home is as follows:
- Pour milk (10 liters) into a large saucepan, heat to 74 degrees (control with a thermometer), cool.
- Pour the starter culture (1/4 teaspoon) into warm water (100 ml), leave for 30 minutes.
- Heat the milk again, now to 37 degrees, pour the water and sourdough into it, close the pan with a lid and wait another half hour.
- Add rennet (1/2 teaspoon) to water (50 ml) at room temperature, pour immediately in a thin stream into the milk, stirring constantly.
- Now wait for the formation of a clot - until this moment it will take about an hour.
- Cut the resulting clot with a long knife into cubes of 2 centimeters, after 10-15 minutes drain the resulting whey - about a glass.
- Put the pan on the fire and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly and maintaining the temperature at 36-38 degrees. If the temperature rises, turn off the heat.
- Now remove about 30% of the formed whey - you should get about 3 liters.
- Add clean boiled water to the pot, approximately 40% of the volume of the product remaining in the pot.
- Heat the mass again to 36-38 degrees and, maintaining the temperature and stirring, cook the cheese for 10-15 minutes.
- Cover the mold with a towel. Transfer the resulting "grains" of cheese into a mold, wrap and leave for half an hour.
- Turn over and wait another 10 minutes
- Place a 1 kg press on the cheese, change it to a 3 kg press after 3 hours.
- Prepare the brine - dissolve the salt (200 grams) in boiled water (1 liter), strain it through cheesecloth, remove the pressed cheese and place in the brine.
- After 12 hours, take out the Tilsiter and leave to dry for two days at room temperature, turn over several times a day.
- There remains the longest process of making Tilsiter at home - aging, which takes from 30 to 90 days. It is necessary to withstand the cheese at a temperature of 10-12 degrees, periodically it needs to be washed with running water and cleaned with a brush.
The shelf life of homemade Tilsiter cheese is a year at a storage temperature of 8-12 degrees.
Composition and calorie content of Tilsiter cheese
Tilsiter cheese is distinguished by its moderate energy value and fat content for such a product, and therefore it can be eaten in small quantities even while on a diet.
The calorie content of Tilsiter cheese is 340 kcal per 100 grams, of which:
- Proteins - 24.4 g;
- Fat - 26 g;
- Carbohydrates - 1, 9 g;
- Water - 42, 86 g.
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium - 65 mg;
- Calcium - 700 mg;
- Magnesium - 13 mg;
- Sodium - 753 mg;
- Phosphorus - 500 mg
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron - 0.23 mg;
- Manganese - 0.013 mg;
- Copper - 26 mcg;
- Selenium - 14.5 mcg;
- Zinc - 3.5 mg.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin A, RE - 249 mcg;
- Retinol - 0.236 mg;
- Vitamin B1 - 0.061 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0, 359 mg;
- Vitamin B5 - 0, 346 mg;
- Vitamin B6 - 0.065 mg;
- Vitamin B9 - 20 mcg;
- Vitamin B12 - 2.1 mcg;
- Vitamin PP, NE - 0, 205 mg.
Essential amino acids per 100 g:
- Arginine - 0.849 g;
- Valine - 1.752 g;
- Histidine - 0, 704 g;
- Isoleucine - 1.484 g;
- Leucine - 2.548 g;
- Lysine - 2.039 g;
- Methionine - 0.754 g;
- Threonine - 0.899 g;
- Tryptophan - 0.352 g;
- Phenylalanine - 1, 358 g.
Fatty acids per 100 g:
- Saturated - 16, 775 g;
- Monounsaturated - 7, 136 g;
- Polyunsaturated - 0.721 g.
Among the fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, there are approximately 0.35 g of them per 100 grams of the product.
Useful properties of Tilsiter cheese
At the moment, in the industrial production of cheeses, the use of various food additives is allowed, which ambiguously affect the human body. Thus, the benefits of Tilsiter cheese are relevant only if it is prepared independently or purchased from a farm store with strict quality control.
The benefits of semi-hard Swiss cheese are primarily as follows:
- Beneficial effect on the skeleton, teeth, hair and nails … For the correct absorption of calcium, it must enter the body complete with phosphorus. This pattern is taken into account in the cheese. Thus, Tilsiter is the right source of calcium. Regularly eating the product, you can count on strengthening bone tissue, hair, teeth and nails.
- Build muscle tissue … Tilsiter is rich in complete protein, the value of which is higher in amino acid composition than meat protein. This makes the product important for athletes to consume, and it is also beneficial for all those who experience severe muscle strain during the day.
- Supports heart and vascular health … Potassium and magnesium are in a good ratio in the composition of Tilsiter cheese - minerals that are very important for the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels. In addition, it is also worth noting that potassium contributes to the regulation of water balance in the body.
- Beneficial effect on the nervous system … The B vitamins included in the product have a good effect on the nervous system, improving mood and concentration.
- Prevention of ophthalmic diseases … Tilsiter is a good source of vitamin A, which has a beneficial effect on vision, strengthens mucous membranes, and saves from the now widespread dry eye syndrome.
In general, Tilsiter has a good balanced vitamin and mineral composition and is definitely a valuable food in the diet.
