Cheese at home. Homemade rennet cheese with Meito enzyme

Following on from my review of a mechanical thermometer (at the request of viewers, so to speak), I want to make a report on the sourdough starter that I use to make cheese. This is food pepsin, or more precisely “microbial renin” from a Japanese manufacturer popular in the vast expanses of the former Soviet Union. I suggest you read my experience if anyone is interested.

I bought the starter at a regular veterinary pharmacy in the city of Slavyansk for 17 hryvnia per bag. In online stores in Ukraine you can find this for 10-12 hryvnia (about 35 American cents). In Russia, for example, a purchase can be made on the website:

I ordered myself a dozen more bags. Although the goods are still on their way, I decided to tell you about this miracle drug, since I have been using it for 4 years.

What it is

I won’t make things up, I’ll copy and paste the description given by the sellers and the manufacturer. And by the way, it is called: Meito Sangyo Co., Ltd (Japan).
Like his official website in RuNet:

Milk-clotting enzyme “Meito” (“MICROBIAL MEITO RENNET”) is renin of plant origin (100% chymosin), obtained using Japanese technology from wheat bran grown specifically for the preparation of “Meito”.
Microbial renin, an enzyme for making cheese at home and in production. It is used for the preparation of soft and brine cheeses, such as feta cheese, suluguni, chechil (pigtail), regular homemade, Adyghe, mozzarella, Chanakh and other varieties of soft and brine cheese from goat and cow milk. Without recipes and experience, you can get regular homemade cheese.

Meito has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a dietary supplement in the US, France, Germany, Switzerland, UK and other countries. “Meito” - does not contain GMOs (test protocol No. 3/8-A-5049/1-33621/1E dated 07/03/09, UkrSERPO certification system, testing center of the Institute of Ecohygiene and toxicologists named after L.I. Medved), verified by the institute food technology, environmental hygiene and toxicology of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (No. 3/8-A-351-08-26936E dated January 24, 2008), was approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine as a drug that meets all the requirements of the sanitary legislation of Ukraine and is safe for human health (sanitary hygienic conclusion No. 05.03.02-03/3625 dated January 28, 2008 “Institute of Ecohygiene and Toxicology named after L.I. Medved of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine” (Kiev, Heroes of Defense St., 6), as well as a certificate of state registration in Russia No. 77.99.26.9.U.4328.6.07 dated June 20, 2007

What it looks like, how it's packaged

The enzyme is a coarse, light brown powder. There are 100 gram bags and jars. But, given the concentration and activity of the substance, I take tiny bags made of aluminum foil. I also store the powder in them (twisted and clamped with a paper clip) in the kitchen cabinet.

On the front side of the package we have the name of the starter and the name of the manufacturer; on one of the “fields” the word “meito” is embossed. But the rear one – very briefly about the method of application.

Important! When writing the review, I learned that there is a marker to determine authenticity. You need to heat the blue circle on the front of the package and it should turn white. I checked - yes there is such a feature! Shaitanama, however!

Some technical properties

1. The weight of the package is 1 gram - it is enough for 100 liters of milk. For household use, when there is little milk, it seems inconvenient (I’ll tell you below how to cleverly divide it into doses).
2. Sellers write about “activity”, which is 330,000 units. I don’t know if this is a lot or a little, but the thing is strong - it rolls up without misfires.
3. Time for complete milk coagulation: 25-30 minutes. I confirm!
4. The temperature for bacteria to start working normally is 35 degrees (but it will also work at 34 and 36 - tested). Somehow I didn’t turn off the gas, along with the starter, and overheated the milk to 39 degrees, when it cooled down to 35 - coagulation began without problems.
5. The yield of the finished product cannot be determined accurately. The weight of the resulting cheese depends, first of all, on the quality/fat content of the milk, and then on compliance with the technology.
6. Shelf life 3 years. Unfortunately, there is no release date on the package (apparently, this packaging is not intended for retail, but acts as an auxiliary one). We have to trust the sellers who sell larger packages for us. But I repeat – there were no misfires.

I’ll show you how to work with sourdough step by step.

Today I’m making cheese, like Adygei, but only spicy - with dill, Italian herbs and a mixture of peppers. Everything is very simple.

1. There were 5.5 liters of goat milk. It can be made from cow meat, but in any case, it must be fresh and unboiled. Pour into a saucepan and put on fire.
Here is a link to a review of the thermometer used:

2. Stirring lightly, bring the milk to 35 degrees and introduce renin taking into account this volume. To take the required amount of Meito (in a 100 liter packet of powder), do this:
boil 250 ml of water, pour into a resealable jar,
COMPLETELY COOL down to 20-25 degrees (in the summer we put it in the refrigerator so that we don’t introduce the powder and bacteria start to go wild in the jar),
pour the powder into a jar,
knead for a minute until it dissolves - and put it in the refrigerator (it can be stored there for up to 3-4 weeks),
When you want to make cheese, use a syringe to add 2.5 ml of liquid starter per liter of milk.

In our case, for 5.5 liters I would give 14 or 15 ml. But now it’s not the season for me (not all the goats are milked yet). Therefore, in order not to waste renin, you can divide the powder into convenient “paths” and use them as needed. I know that some home cheese makers simply introduce it into the milk “at the tip of a knife” - and everything works out, no one has had an overdose, the cheese comes out of the same quality.

3. Sprinkle the powder over the milk and stir it thoroughly for about a minute. I cover it with a lid, wrap it in towels and wait.

4. After half an hour (sometimes it takes up to 40 minutes), we check the functioning of the bacteria. Magic happens - a solid clot is formed, similar to marshmallow/jelly, which can be “cut/unfolded” with a knife. Whey accumulates in the recess under the knife.

5. Using a long knife, cut the curd to the very bottom of the pan into a 20X20 mm square. Then we make cutting movements in the pan diagonally. Then it’s chaotic. It should first turn out like a “Rubik’s cube”, then a “vinaigrette” with a grain of about 1-1.5 centimeters.

6. Using a slotted spoon, mix everything for about twenty seconds. You can notice that the grains are rounded and begin to stick together.

7. Line a bowl with gauze and put cheese there. Yes, this is already cheese. As I transfer, I add spices and herbs into the mixture.

Important! As a bonus, we get a wonderful whey with which you can make okroshka or bake wonderful Bread. I got about 4.5 liters, maybe even more.

8. Using your hands, massage the cheese mass in gauze for about ten minutes so that the whey comes out.

When there is a lot of milk, I use a press made of two plastic buckets inserted into each other (holes are drilled in the lower one, a weight is placed in the upper one).
I get a cute little guy. Its mass was 1.2 kg.

Important! You can adjust the density of the product at your discretion. We plan to use this model mainly in melted form (in the oven/microwave), so I squeeze the cheese MEDIUM so that it remains juicy after the final heat treatment. If you decide to make hard aged cheese, then press the kolobok completely.

9. Rub the head of cheese on all sides with coarse salt and spices. I put the cheese in a small bowl with a shaped bottom and press it down (it will take its shape and be more elegant).

10. After a while, I take it out and place it on a flat plate, in which it will live until it dies from the knife.

Well, a very useful article, I am naturally not the author, the author is F.V. Kosikovsky
THE ART OF CHEESE MAKING

From the magazine "In the World of Science" (Russian translation of "Scientific American") No. 7, 1985.

If you travel around the world in search of different cheeses, you can count about 2000 varieties. Despite the differences in properties, they can be divided into 20 main varieties. Moreover, the production of all these 20 varieties is based on the same process. Cheeses are made from mammalian milk, mostly (but not always) cow's milk. Under the influence of acid or rennet, milk coagulates to form a dense curd and whey. What happens next determines what kind of cheese will end up on your table - whether it will be homemade cheese, or cheddar, or Emmental, or some other.

It is believed that cheese making originated in South-West Asia about 8 thousand years ago. In the Roman Empire, cheese production technology improved, new varieties were created, and between 60 BC. and 300 AD Cheese making spread throughout Europe. Etymologically, this is reflected in the fact that the modern English word for “cheese” - cheese, derived from the Old English cese, retained the Latin root caseus.

To a first approximation, cheeses can be divided into two groups - fresh and ripening. Fresh cheeses are made from milk curdled by acid or heat and are eaten immediately after preparation; Such cheeses are not stored. The most common representative of this group is homemade cheese (cottage cheese), which also includes cream cheese, Neuchâtel, ricotta and mozzarella.

To obtain ripening cheeses, milk is fermented with lactic acid bacteria and curdled by enzyme preparations. The curdled mass is pressed to remove whey, salted and kept for a long time under controlled conditions. Thanks to various physical and chemical changes occurring during this period, the product acquires the taste, aroma and consistency characteristic of a particular type of cheese. In other words, the cheese is ripened (fresh cheeses are consumed without ripening). The vast majority of cheeses are just ripened. Many are sold without any further processing, but a significant proportion of ripened cheeses are crushed, heated and emulsified with sodium phosphate and other salts to produce processed cheeses.

The main raw material for cheese making is cow's milk, but in many places around the world milk of other animals is preferred. Thus, in South-West Asia and the Mediterranean countries, cheeses are made mainly from goat and sheep milk. In France there are more than a million dairy goats, as well as a large number of sheep, whose bluish milk is used primarily to produce Roquefort cheese. Animals whose milk is used to make cheese also include water buffalo, camels, yaks, deer and llamas.

There is no doubt that the milk of almost all mammals can be used to produce edible (possibly unique in its properties) cheeses, but the possibilities available here are limited, since they depend on the amount of milk produced by one individual and its availability. How do you get milk, for example, from a guinea pig or from a 100-ton female whale? B. Herrington from Cornell University, who studied the composition of milk in small mammals, several years ago designed a successful milking machine for guinea pigs, but this did not lead to the development of cheese production from their milk, since milk from a huge number of animals. Just as the aroma and bouquet of wine depend on the grape variety, the taste of cheese depends on the nature of the milk, i.e. what animal it came from. Cheeses made from goat's milk have a sharper piquant odor than cheeses from cow's milk, which is mainly due to the enrichment of goat's milk fats with capric, caprylic and caproic acids. Compared to cow's milk, goat's milk contains 2 times more caproic acid, 3 times more caprylic acid and 5 times more capric acid. These fatty acids differ from each other in the length of the hydrocarbon chain, which consists of six carbon atoms for caproic acid, eight for caprylic acid and ten carbon atoms for capric acid. Each of them defines its own shade of spicy taste.

Sheep's milk produces cheeses with a characteristic odor due to the high content of caprylic acid, which is 6 times more than in cow's milk and twice as much as in goat's milk. And the content of capric acid in sheep's milk is half that in goat's milk. The differences have little effect on the taste of fresh milk - a specific smell appears only after the milk cheese goes through the ripening stage and fatty acids are formed from fats under the action of lipases.

The nature of the milk also affects the color of the cheese. The milk of sheep, Asian buffalo and some goat breeds does not contain the yellow pigment b-carotene or contains very little of it; Accordingly, cheeses made from such milk are usually white. Cow's milk contains b-carotene; its amount depends on the time of year, the breed of the cow and its diet, and the natural color of cheese made from cow's milk varies from straw to yellow.

The role of microorganisms

The ripening of cheese is the result of the vital activity of a large number of microorganisms, the concentration of which in cheese is much higher than in other main food products. At the beginning of the cheese making process (on the first day), the starting material contains 1-2 billion of them per gram of weight. Subsequently, the population of microorganisms decreases due to lack of oxygen, high acidity of the environment and the presence of inhibitory compounds. accumulating as the cheese matures. Fortunately, the organisms responsible for the maturation process remain viable and, apparently, even thrive. It is to the action of their cellular enzymes on lactose, fats and proteins that we owe the aroma of mature cheese.

Previously, bacteria and fungi that began fermenting milk entered the milk spontaneously - simply from the air by which they were transferred from surrounding plants and soils. Between 1890 and 1920 Pure cultures of these microorganisms have been obtained in several laboratories in Europe and the USA. For example, microbiologist J. Sherman from Cornell University isolated and adapted for cultivation a strain of a gas-forming microorganism called Propionibacterium shermanii, which is necessary for giving Swiss cheese a specific smell and the formation of “eyes” in it.

Cheddar cheese production at one of the factories of the Great Lakes CHEESE of New York, Inc. in Adams. PC. NY. First, cow's milk is prepared for cheese making: lactic acid bacteria necessary for fermentation and coloring substances are added to it. Rennet is then added to the milk and it coagulates to form a curd (1). After about 30 minutes, the curd is cut with wire knives to increase the surface of the cheese mass (2). The resulting cheese grains are heated (3) for about an hour, which causes them to shrink and separate the whey (4). The grains are then raked, lightly pressed and turned over several times (5-9) - this is the so-called cheddarization, thanks to which the cheese acquires its characteristic consistency. The resulting pieces are crushed (10), salted (11), wrapped in cloth (12-14), pressed in special forms - hoops (15) to remove excess whey. The cheeses removed from the mold are packaged in containers and kept for 2 - 12 months at a temperature of 2 - 10 ° C, constantly taking samples (16).

Roquefort cheese ripens in a cave near the village of Roquefort in southern France. This semi-hard cheese, which is made from sheep's milk, requires the blue mold Penicillium roqueforli to ripen. For cheese to be considered a real Roquefort, it must not only be made according to all the rules of technology, but also placed for maturation in one of the limestone caves in the vicinity of Roquefort. French cheeses made in the same way, but from a different milk, or ripened in other places, are called "bleu".
It soon became clear that adding pure cultures to low-quality raw milk suppressed the growth of unwanted microorganisms present in it and improved the properties of the resulting cheese. Later, when it became common practice to boil or pasteurize milk intended for cheese making, pure cultures turned out to be indispensable for providing the required amount of the required set of bacteria.

Improvements in bacterial cultivation technology have made it possible to obtain starter cultures - frozen, concentrated preparations of bacteria. Starter cultures contain about 400 billion lactic acid bacteria cells per gram of weight. They begin to multiply immediately after being added to warm milk, so they can be introduced directly into the curd container without prior cultivation. Moreover, since bacterial cultures intended for fermentation are selected for resistance to bacteriophages (bacteriophages are bacterial viruses; they destroy their cells, thereby stopping the fermentation process), the use of starter cultures makes the cheese-making process easier and more predictable .

Microorganisms play another role in the ripening of many types of cheese. The vital activity of bacteria and fungi introduced into the cheese mass or sown on its surface gives the product the aroma and structure that determine its grade.

Regardless of the type of cheese produced, the entire cheese-making process can be divided into 9 stages: 1 - preparing milk, 2 - coagulating milk, forming a curd, 3 - grinding the curd. 4 - heating the cheese mass, 5 - separating excess whey, 6 - salting the cheese mass, 7 - introducing special microorganisms, 8 - pressing and 9 - ripening the cheese. The properties of the final product depend on the conditions of each stage.

As a rule, raw or under-pasteurized milk is used to produce ripened cheeses. You can also use fully pasteurized milk, but this is done less often. Enzymes from microorganisms that cannot withstand the high temperatures required for complete pasteurization improve the flavor of the cheese. In the United States, ripened cheeses made from raw or underpasteurized milk are aged for at least 60 days. During this time, due to the presence of salt, the acidic reaction of the environment, the accumulation of metabolic products, as well as due to the limited access of oxygen, organisms that produce toxic substances that spoil the taste of the product die.

One of the first procedures for preparing milk for cheese making may be the addition of coloring agents - (b-carotene, seed or plant extracts. For example, pepper extract is used, as well as annatto, a yellowish-red food coloring obtained from the pulp of the fruit of the tropical tree Bixa orellana.

The next step is adding a starter culture. The cultures for most ripening cheeses contain bacteria that produce only lactic acid (it is converted from milk sugar, lactose); this connection performs many necessary functions. Different crops produce different amounts of lactic acid, and this varies widely. The amount of acid produced greatly affects the taste and consistency of the cheese, as well as the formation of “eyes” in it.

For many natural ripening cheeses, starter cultures contain bacteria that grow well at moderate temperatures (between 20 and 37°C), such as Streptococcus lactis and S. cremoris. When making cheeses such as Emmental, the coagulated milk is heat treated at a higher temperature, so the starter cultures used must grow well at a temperature of 37°C or higher; These bacteria include S. thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and L. helveticus.

Clot formation

The prepared milk is curdled into a dense, smooth curd using coagulating enzymes. This enzyme is chymosin, better known as rennet, or renin. It is found in rennet, an extract from the abomasum (fourth section of the stomach) of a calf. Currently, enzymes extracted from the fungi Mucor miehei are also used. M. pusillus and Endothia parasiticus. Fungal renins are cheaper than calf rennet, which is why they have recently captured almost half of the world market.

“Good” rennet converts milk into a smooth curd within 30 minutes at 32°C. The reaction occurs in two stages. At the first stage, chymosin acts on one of the milk proteins - casein; other soluble proteins, lactalbumin and lactoglobulin, are not broken down by chymosin. In the presence of calcium ions, casein “fragments” coagulate and a gel with a fibrous structure is formed. The gel fibers are “stitched” together, forming a network and, if nothing disturbs it, the gel mass turns into a smooth and dense clot, or necklace. The protein in the curd formed by the action of rennet is called paracasein; it contains calcium, so it would be more correct to say “dicalcium paracasein”.

At the third stage, wire knives or chaffs enter the cheese making process, transforming a large curd in a cheese vat into cheese grains - cubes with an edge of about 1.5 cm. Thus, the surface of the cheese mass increases.

Upon subsequent heating, the cheese grains shrink and release whey. At this stage, you can influence the degree of moisture in the final product by changing the heating temperature and the mixing speed of the crushed curd and whey. For cheddar and related cheeses, the optimal heating temperature is 37°C. Emmental cheese and Gruyère are heated to approximately 54°C. Warming continues for 1 - 1.5 hours. After this, the whey is drained, and a warm or hot mass remains in the vat, which already has a structure characteristic of this type of cheese, although still immature.

The cheese maker can change the structure of the cheese mass by repeatedly turning it over in a vat or, conversely, by subjecting it to pressure in cheese hoops or other forms. During this time, due to the vital activity of the starter culture, lactic acid accumulates and the chemical composition of the cheese mass changes.

Then comes the turn of salting. In some cases, dry salt is used, which is added directly to the cheese mass before it is molded. If the curd is pressed into bars or circles, then brine is preferred. In this case, the unripe cheese is immersed in a concentrated solution of table salt for a certain time - from 2 to 72 hours, depending on the size of the cheese heads.

The structure of Parmesan (Speva) and Camembert cheeses (right). Above are microphotographs (magnification x 2500). made by R. Marais of Nestle Co., Switzerland. Below is a photo of cut pieces of cheese. Parmesan is a hard cheese, and Camembert is a soft cheese.
If special microorganisms are required to ripen a given type of cheese, they can be introduced into the brine. They may also be added to milk during the preparatory stages or scattered over the surface of unripened cheese.

At the pressing stage, the moist, warm curd is placed in a wooden, plastic or metal mold or wrapped in cloth and subjected to pressure, sometimes quite a lot. Pressing gives the cheese a firm consistency and characteristic shape, and also removes excess whey and completes the consolidation of the curd. Pressing completes a series of procedures, which together can be called the preparatory phase in obtaining ripening cheese.

Next, the young cheese is kept under controlled conditions, in which the cheese ripening process occurs, which determines its quality. The central event of ripening is the death of the millions of lactic acid bacteria that were present in the starting material. This continues throughout the maturation phase. The dead bacterial cells are destroyed, and many intracellular enzymes are released from them, which, together with the remaining chymosin and milk enzymes, act on the proteins, fats and carbohydrates of the ripening cheese. As a result of the chemical transformations that occur, the cheese begins to acquire its aroma and texture.

In the early stages of ripening, the cheese has little elasticity due to the presence of dicalcium paracasein. When heated, this cheese does not melt and does not become fibrous. As lactic acid accumulates in the curd, bound calcium dissolves and a new compound is formed - monocalcium paracasein, which is soluble in warm salted water, stretches easily and melts evenly when heated.

After 48 hours of pressing, a significant part of dicalcium paracasein is converted into monocalcium paracasein. In the constant presence of lactic acid, more and more bound calcium dissolves and some monocalcium paracasein is converted into paracasein, which does not contain calcium. This compound serves as a substrate for enzymes - proteinases, which break down proteins into peptones and peptides, and peptidases, which convert the resulting peptides into their constituent amino acids. As a result, soluble peptides, amino acids and amines accumulate in ripening cheese, which are involved in creating the characteristic aroma of cheese. The action of enzymes also leads to the fact that the structure of the clot, initially hard, is partially destroyed and the product softens.

Changes in the consistency of the cheese mass at successive stages of cheddar production. When rennet is added, the future cheese has the consistency of milk, then, when curdled, it acquires the thickness of pudding and, finally, after removing the whey, it becomes completely dense.
The aroma of mature cheese is determined by the combination of odorous degradation products of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which must be finely balanced. An excess of one or another degradation product can lead to the appearance of an undesirable taste: bitter, rancid, putrid or hydrogen sulfide. The art of the cheese maker lies precisely in achieving the desired balance of odorous substances.

If ripening is properly controlled, the fats in the cheese undergo partial hydrolysis (i.e., breakdown with the participation of water molecules) by microbial enzymes and milk lipase. The product of this reaction is free fatty acids. Some of them, such as capric, caprylic and caproic acids, give cheeses a piquant taste. The various ketones responsible for the flavors particularly characteristic of blue and bleu cheeses are formed from free fatty acids. It is also important that the hydrolysis of fats in ripening cheese slows down after some time, otherwise the cheese will inevitably acquire a sharp, unpleasant taste and bad smell.

Lactose also contributes to the cheese's distinct flavor. Lactose is converted into lactic acid and lactates, which in turn are converted into other organic compounds such as diacetyl.

During the ripening process, gas constantly forms in the cheese. In Emmental cheese and cheddar, the only gas is carbon dioxide; In Camembert and Brie, ammonia can be released instead of CO2, which deteriorates the quality of the product. A constant source of carbon dioxide during normal cheese ripening is free amino acids, which are affected by the enzymes of specific bacteria, such as enterococci. When cheese ripens, H2 and H2S can be produced, but this, like excess CO2, usually indicates abnormal fermentation and results in an unusable product.

"Eyes" are formed in cheeses that have a hard rind (Emmental cheese) or are tightly wrapped in plastic film that is poorly permeable to gases (Swiss block cheese). This phenomenon is especially pronounced if a Propionibacterium culture is added to the milk and the cheese is kept in a warm room for several weeks. "Eyes" are formed in place of carbon dioxide bubbles.

Cheese varieties

The process described above, while remaining the same in principle, can be modified depending on what type of cheese is desired. Let's illustrate this with a few examples. According to the generally accepted classification, cheeses are hard, semi-hard and soft. Hard cheeses include Emmental (Swiss), cheddar and provolone. Cheddar (which takes its name from the English village where its production began in the 17th century) typically takes 5 to 12 months to mature at temperatures between 2 and 10°C. As a rule, 100 kg of milk produces 9.5 kg of cheese; The yield of the product depends on the fat and protein content in the milk and on the moisture content of the cheese mass at the final stage. The most characteristic feature of the cheddar making technology is the so-called cheddarization, which consists of repeatedly turning pieces of warm curd at the bottom of the cheese vat over several hours.

The ripening of cheese is critical to its texture and flavor. The table lists the key ripening stages of 20 common types of cheese, divided into hard, semi-hard and soft. Aged cheeses are one of two main groups of cheeses, the second being fresh cheeses, which include homemade cheese and cream cheese. riccotta and mozzarella. There is no ripening stage in the process of obtaining fresh cheeses.
Emmental cheeses acquire a golden rind as a result of daily washing of the surface. The cheese is famous for its sponginess, and American cheese has larger “eyes” than European cheese. Lactic acid fermentation in the production of Emmental cheeses is carried out by thermophilic bacteria, which are adapted to exist at relatively high temperatures. The enzymatic processes carried out by these bacteria occur mainly at the pressing stage.
Provolone cheese is produced mainly in Italy, Argentina and the USA. In its early stages, its production is similar to that of mozzarella, a low-moisture cheese commonly used to make pizza. Provolone can formally be classified as pasta filata - this is the name given to viscous cheeses made from a very elastic curd. Unripe cheese is shaped into a sugar loaf, pear or ball and braided with rope. It is usually smoked and then left to mature; Smoking gives the cheese a specific flavor.

Semi-hard cheeses include Roquefort and bleu, while soft cheeses include Limburger, Camembert and Brie. These two groups of cheeses have little in common, except that both require air for ripening, which is necessary for the development of specific microorganisms: the mold Penicillium roqueforii in Roquefort and bleu, the red bacteria Bacterium linens in Limburg cheese, the mold P. caseicolum (known among cheese makers called P. candidum) in Camembert and Brie. Each of these microorganisms is cultivated in a liquid medium and transferred into the cheese mass under sterile conditions.

Real Roquefort made from sheep's milk is produced in the region south of Bordeaux and Grenoble, as well as in Corsica. Further north, French cheeses such as Roquefort are made from other types of milk and are called bleu. Similar blue-veined cheeses made in the United States and other countries are called blue. The standard form in which Roquefort comes into production is a circle weighing about 2.5 kg. In order for a given circle of cheese to “have the right” to be called Roquefort, it must be delivered no later than eight days after production to one of the natural caves near the village of Roquefort and ripen there for 3-4 months.

The blue mold P. roqueforii, necessary for the ripening of Roquefort cheese, requires less air than the white mold P. caseicolum; in addition, it is more durable. Although there are many strains of P. roqueforii, only five or six of them are used to make Roquefort cheese. All of them were isolated from the air of the Roquefort caves, where they were formed as a result of natural selection that acted over centuries.

Blue mold spores in powder form are introduced into prepared milk or into the cheese mass. During pressing, they remain at rest until carbon dioxide in the natural gases of the cheese or in artificial channels made with steel knitting needles is replaced by air. In some cases, to create the desired cavities in the cheese mass, gas-producing bacteria Leuconostoc are introduced along with a standard culture of lactic acid bacteria. Cheeses ripened by blue mold are kept at 10°C and high relative humidity; this promotes the germination of dormant spores. After about 30 days, a branched greenish-blue mycelium is formed, the threads of which contain highly active proteinases and lipases. These enzymes act simultaneously with the enzymes normally functioning inside the cheese, and after 3 to 6 months the cheese acquires its specific taste.

Soft cheeses

One of the representatives of reddish cheeses, the ripening of which is associated with the presence of bacteria on their surface, is Limburg cheese. The same group of cheeses includes Brik, Liederkrantz, Saint Paulin and Pont Leveque. The early stage of ripening of these cheeses is characterized by the growth of wild yeasts, such as species of the genus Pichia, on their surface. Yeast enzymes make the environment less acidic, raising the pH to about 5.5, which creates favorable conditions for the growth of Bacterium linens.

The first Camembert was obtained in the French village of the same name by a certain Marie Harel in 1791. Since then, its production has spread to some other regions of France. According to the old tradition, cheese is made from raw milk, although recently there has been a tendency to use pasteurized milk. Camembert is usually formed into rounds weighing 228 g (half a pound).

The processes for making Brie and Camembert are quite similar. Both varieties require the introduction of P. caseicolum into the cheese mass, the mycelium of which is white. Camembert and brie mature from the surface to the center. Therefore, you should not mold the cheese mass into too thick circles, otherwise the outer areas will ripen long before the core softens. In addition, closer to the surface the pH is higher and ammonia can form in the outer areas, causing discoloration before the entire cheese wheel has matured.

Art or technology?

Comparing all the above considerations, the reader can come to the conclusion that cheese making is more an art than a technology. In many countries you can find cheese makers using the methods of their ancestors, i.e. simple tools and techniques. And side by side with them there is a cheese industry, whose enterprises produce the same cheeses in huge quantities, just as bread is baked in factories.

Most of the cheese produced in the world is produced using modern technology. Huge vats, molecular membrane sieves, continuous conveyors, electronic salting devices, grinding machines and vacuum presses - all taken together make it possible to obtain cheeses of amazingly high quality. The central process - lactic acid fermentation - is now carried out in containers protected by stainless steel caps and hidden from view, but its essence has not changed - the same thing happens in the 1000-liter copper cauldron of the village cheesemaker.

However, individual home cheese production is increasing in the United States. Recently, the American Society of Cheese Makers was even formed. Members of this society make their own Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Brie and some other varieties. Just as small wineries are thriving in California's grape-rich regions, small-scale cheese factories making specialty cheeses are likely to proliferate.

Literature
Fundamentals of dairy chemistry. Byron H. Webb, Arnold H. Johnson and John A. Alford. Avi Publishing Co., 1974.

Cheese and fermented milk foods. Frank Kosikowski. F. V. Kosikowski and Associates, P. O. Box 139, Brooktondale, N.Y. 14817, 1977.

Cheese varieties and descriptions. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Handbook No. 54, Agricultural Research Service, 1978.

Begunov V.L. Book about cheese - M.: Food industry, 1974.
Thanks everyone for your attention)))

I am often asked what I add to milk to make cheese. What tools do I use for cheese making? What do you need to make cheese at home?

So what is cheese? In fact, it is pure protein, casein, contained in milk and separated from water using a special starter and enzyme.

What you need to make cheese:

1. Leaven.
2. Enzyme.
3. Dye.
4. Calcium chloride.
5. Thermometer.
6. Lyra.
7. Large saucepan made of aluminum or stainless steel.
8. Cheese molds with perforation.
9. Cheese press.
10. Saline solution.

One Meito sachet weighing 1 gram is designed for 100 liters of milk. It must be stored in the freezer. You can pre-package it, or you can divide it into parts once (10 parts per 10 liters of milk or 5 parts per 20 liters), remember what the portion approximately looks like and then pour it “by eye”. In this case, small deviations in dosage do not harm the future cheese.

Cheese coloring

Goat's milk cheese turns out to be snow-white in color, which is not at all like regular cheese, so I tint it with natural vegetable dye Annatto. Consumption: 1-2 drops per 1 liter of milk. We like a brighter, rich color, so I add 40 drops of dye to 20 liters of milk. In the photo it is not yet mixed. I'm buying.

Calcium chloride

Increase

Calcium chloride (food grade calcium chloride) is needed to improve milk coagulation. The density of the clot depends on it. The more calcium in milk, the larger the casein particles will be, the greater the cheese yield will be in the end, and the better the whey will be separated.

Consumption rate: 20 g per 100 liters of milk.

For homemade cheese it is diluted as follows:

Dissolve 20 g of dry calcium powder in 200 g of warm boiled water. Keep refrigerated. In order not to calculate the calcium consumption each time, I made a measuring cup and marked it on the glass with a permanent marker.

Cheese lyre

A lyre is a special knife for cutting a cheese curd. There are horizontal and vertical. How .

Thermometer

A thermometer is a must when making cheese, in order to accurately maintain the required temperatures when fermenting milk and during fermentation.

Electronic or mechanical thermometer can be buy there .

Molds for homemade cheese

For my cheese, instead of molds, I use 1-2 liter buckets made of food-grade plastic, in which holes are made using a soldering iron. For cheese - small forms from plastic trays of processed commercial cheese such as "Hochland", "Viola". You can or do it yourself.

Cheese press

The resulting cheese must be pressed under weight. How to do it.

Saline solution

Salt solution - brine - is needed for salting cheese. Typically 20% is used. It’s easy to make: dissolve 200 g of salt in a small amount of boiling water, cool to room temperature, add up to 1 liter of water.

I salt the cheese in a small saucepan, so a liter of water is enough for a 1.5-kilogram head of cheese. On top of the cheese I put a sheet of plastic cut from the lid of a bucket mold so as not to leave prints on the cheese, a plate on top, a cutting board on it and a weight on it. All these manipulations are needed in order to drown the cheese. The head needs to be turned over periodically. Depending on the size, salt for 1 - 2 days.

The recipes say that you need to add calcium chloride and vinegar to the brine, but I don’t add anything. Everything is salted normally and does not spoil.

Look like that's it.

Which today has become very expensive and not available every day. Essentially, it is fermented milk with a certain curd treatment and aging. More precisely, not even milk, but cottage cheese. However, to ensure that the curd has certain qualities, different cheese starters are used. There are a lot of them on the market today. Some are intended for making soft cheese, others - hard cheese, and within each category there will be more varieties that have a number of distinctive features. Today our goal is to look at the basic methods of making cheese.

Cheese making idea

She must have visited many. A tasty, popular and expensive product is made from ordinary milk, which is abundant in the summer, and its cost is low. However, you need to take into account that in order to get a quality product, you need to undergo training and understand the technology, and also be sure to purchase cheese starters. Of course, milk will ferment naturally, but the result will not be what you want. You will get ordinary yogurt.

This cannot be allowed. Therefore, pure cheese starters are used, thanks to which the product receives its properties. It is the bacteria that allow the cheese to obtain exactly the final taste and color to which we are accustomed.

Cheese starters and enzymes

Many people think that making cheese is very simple. He took the milk, poured a special mixture into it and waited a little. In fact, it is a whole art, especially when it comes to durum varieties that need a lot of time to ripen. In cheese making, enzymes are used to ferment milk as quickly as possible. Then the starter is added to the finished mass. But they are already very different from each other.

Enzymes

Without them, the milk will ferment for quite a long time, and there is a risk that the taste will leave much to be desired. It is generally accepted that rennet is the ideal homemade substitute. It must be prepared in advance, dried in a room closed from insects until it becomes parchment, and then an enzyme can be prepared on its basis. However, today no one is doing this anymore. Moreover, homemade rennet preparation cannot be compared in its characteristics with those produced by modern industry. But it can be used if nothing else is available. And it will definitely give better results than pharmaceutical pepsin.

Overview of offers

There are many different enzymes on the market today that can be used to make cheese for home use or on an industrial scale. Most often these are rennet starters for cheese, which today are used to prepare the vast majority of varieties.

• Naturen enzyme is of veal origin. It has a very attractive price, but it also has its drawbacks. If this is your first time using it, pay attention to the dosage. The slightest change in dosage can lead to the noble taste being spoiled by bitterness. In addition, the shelf life of the finished product will be shorter than that of a similar product prepared using a chemical enzyme.
• Chy-Max chymosin is produced artificially. It gives an excellent yield of the finished product without bitterness and with a long shelf life. In addition, the shelf life of the cheese is greatly increased. No downsides were found, however, since the enzyme is obtained artificially, there are doubts about its harmlessness. But no evidence of this was found.
• "Pepsin" is an expensive drug that is quite difficult to find on sale. An analogue is “Acidin-pepsin”, which is also expensive, difficult to dissolve in water, and the fermentation process itself is very delayed.
• Plant-derived enzymes, such as Meito. It is synthesized by a mushroom. On the one hand, it does not produce bitterness, and the finished product is suitable even for vegetarians. On the other hand, it is quite difficult to find it for free sale.

Making homemade cheese

Unlike production, which is subject to strict technological requirements and sanitary supervision requirements, at home you will be much more free in your choice. Please note that this is only if the finished product is intended exclusively for your family and not for sale. Sourdough for homemade cheese is not necessary; it is enough to use one of the enzymes listed above. However, if you want to get exquisite varieties with certain taste qualities, then you should take care of purchasing special bacterial cultures.

Cheese starters

So, after you have a good curd, think about turning it into a wonderful hard cheese with the help of bacteria. Mixtures of bacterial cultures affect the taste, aroma and texture, and also determine the ripening period of the cheese. Today there are a large number of companies on the market that offer various crops in small packages (sachets) for home use, as well as for sale on an industrial scale. To get your bearings a little about the variety of offers on the market, we will highlight two main types:

• Thermophilic cheese starter works great at high temperatures (30-40 degrees). However, bacteria can survive even at 65 degrees. That is why they are used in the production of Italian stretch cheeses. This is "Mozzarella", which has an unforgettable taste and love from consumers. This allows the manufacturer to sell the product profitably and make a quick profit. The main strains of thermophilic bacteria are Streptococcus and Lactobacillus. It is these microorganisms that allow us to have exquisite varieties of cheese in our kitchen.
• Mesophilic cheese starter.

The basis of cheese making

Mesophilic cheese starter is most often used in production. With its help, soft and fresh cheeses (feta), fresh aged varieties ("Camembert", "Capricorn"), semi-soft ("Gouda", "Maasdam"), as well as the famous hard ones ("Cheddar", "Parmesan", " Emmetal"). Strains can be divided into two groups:

• Lactococcus cremoris work at a temperature of 25-30 degrees. They can be used alone or in combination with other strains of this class of bacteria. This is how you get "Cheddar", "Gouda", "Emmental".
• Lactococcus diacetylactis produces a lot of carbon dioxide. Therefore, they are most often used to produce delicate products with a porous structure. This could be feta, feta cheese, blue cheese.

How to handle starters?

Like enzymes, they all come in powder form, a bit like powdered milk. It is produced under sterile conditions and then quickly dried. The buyer receives the product in sterile packaging. Once the cheese starters are unpacked, they must be handled with extreme care. They need to be stored in the freezer at a temperature of -8 degrees. Be sure to close the bag tightly. In this form, it can retain its properties for two years. Be sure to use a sterile spoon each time to remove the next dose of powder.

To introduce the starter culture during the cheese making process, you need to heat the mass to the required temperature and remove from heat. Now the required amount of starter is poured onto the surface of the milk. After 2-3 minutes, when it is saturated with moisture, you can carefully mix the mass with a large slotted spoon. The movements should be very careful, do not stir too quickly or whisk the milk.

All that remains is to cover the vessel with a lid and leave it in a warm place for the time required by the specific recipe. During this time, the bacteria will multiply and create a primary mass, which will then be molded and ripened at a certain temperature.

Starters for cheese making and fermented milk products

An excellent offer for home cheese making, as well as for all lovers of fermented milk products

When ordering, I send technological recipes for cheeses, adapted for private use.

I offer bacterial starter cultures for various types of cheeses, as well as starter cultures for yogurt, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, matsoni and other fermented milk products.

You can prepare CHEESE and other healthy dairy products YOURSELF. From any milk - cow, goat, sheep. Cheese making at home is real, and I will teach you how to do it!

The cheese kit contains (depending on the type of cheese) 1-2 starters + natural milk-clotting enzyme (rennet). The set is designed for 50 liters. The kit includes a measuring spoon for easy measuring and also indicates the required dosage of sourdough.

The set for fermented milk products contains 1 starter and is designed for 50 liters, with the ability to divide the starter. I also put 1 bonus enzyme on the fermented milk kit.

The range of fermented milk starters has been expanded:
for probiotic dairy products - bio sour cream, bio yogurt, bio kefir, bio cottage cheese
for granular cottage cheese, skir cottage cheese, iremshik cottage cheese, ezhegei cottage cheese, katyka, ryazhenka, cottage cheese
acidophilus, bifidum, filling for children's glazed cheese curds, matsoni, ayran, Varenets and "Snowball"!
sourdough for kumiss from goat's milk!!

Rennet enzyme for 400 liters of milk - 400 rubles

Bacterial mesophilic and thermophilic cheese starters containing flavor-forming bacteria.
DOES NOT CONTAIN GMOs!
All starters are certified in Russia.
Sourdoughs produced in Italy, France.
Certificates for shops and individuals (LPH).

Sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, children's cottage cheese, curd mass, butter.
Mozzarella, Scamorza, Mascarpone, Feta, Suluguni, Halloumi, Chechil, Cachicavallo, Provolone!
Bukovina, Camembert, Parmesan, Dzhyugas, Russian, Dutch, Gouda, Edam, Radomer, Cheshire, Maasdam, Cheddar, Emmental, Gruyère!!!
sourdough for cheese “Smetankovy”, “Rossiyanka”, Rennet with fried onions”, “Marble”, “Poshekhonsky”, “Muromsky”, “Red Windsor”, “Zvenigorod”, “Tilsiter”, “Havarti”, “Kostromskoy”! !!
And this is not the entire range!!
Blue cheeses - white, red, blue, you can make them at home, in your own kitchen, and I will teach you how to do it! Dor-blue, Roquefort, Reblochon, Camembert, Brie, Stilton... and that’s not all, it’s possible to make any cheese at home, it’s important to have the right recipe, good milk, and conditions for ripening.

IMG-20151220-WA0002

All starters are suitable for goat's milk cheeses

Development of your own original recipes!

AVAILABLE protective starter to prevent the development of yeast, mold, coliform bacteria, butyric acid bacteria, to extend shelf life! the cost for 50 liters is 200 rubles!!!

READY SET FOR SOFT AND SEMI-HARD CHEESE:

1. MESOPHILIC SOURDOW -50 LITERS

3. PROTECTIVE YOURNED -100L.

4. ENZYME 200L

PRICE - 800 RUBLES

READY KIT FOR HARD CHEESE No. 1:

2. MESOTHERMOPHILIC SOURDOW -50 LITERS

3. PROTECTIVE YOURNED -100L.

4. PROPION BACTERIA -100L

5. ENZYME 200L

PRICE - 1200 RUBLES

READY KIT FOR HARD CHEESE No. 2:

1. THERMOPHILIC SOURDOW - 50 LITERS

2. MESOTHERMOPHILIC SOURDOW -50 LITERS

3. PROTECTIVE YOURNED -100L.

4. ENZYME 200L

PRICE - 800 RUBLES

READY SET FOR BLUE CHEESE No. 1:

1. MESOPHILIC SOURDOW - 50 LITERS

2. MESOTHERMOPHILIC SOURDOW -50 LITERS

3. Penicillium Roqueforti - MOLD - 50l

4. Penicillium Candidum - MOLD - 50L

5. Geotrichum Candidum - MOLD - 50L

6. ENZYME 200L

PRICE - 1500 RUBLES

EXCLUSIVE SET FROM FRANCE FOR VACHRAIN AND CAMEMBERT CHEESE

1. MESOPHILIC SOURCE START WITH CHEESE YEAST FOR CAMEMBERT CHEESE - 50 LITERS

2. MESOPHILIC SOURCE START WITH CHEESE YEAST FOR VASHREIN CHEESE-50 LITERS

3. BREVIBACTERIA FOR RUBBING CHEESE - FOR 10 L OF BRINE

4. Penicillium Camamberti - MOLD - 50L

6. ENZYME 200L

PRICE - 2000 RUBLES

I provide all the necessary detailed recipes.
Shipping throughout Russia. Minimum order is 1000 rubles plus shipping (from 300 rubles by valuable postage). .
Payment by Sberbank card.

I invite you to communicate on the blog!! roma new photos of cheeses on the blog!

In addition to the kits, also available for cheeses -

cheese starters - 300 rubles per 50 liters of milk
starters for blue cheese - 600 rubles per 50 liters of milk
starters for cheese with large holes - 500 rubles per 50 liters
starters for fermented milk - 400 rubles per 50 liters.

All groups of starters are available, except for cheeses with large holes, and except for blue cheeses, packaged in 50 liters with an enzyme included - 300 rubles.
all groups of starters, except for cheeses with large holes, and except for blue cheeses, packaged in 100 liters with enzyme included - 500 rubles.
all groups of starters, except for cheeses with large holes, and except for blue cheeses, packaged in 200 liters with an enzyme included - 1000 rubles.
all types of starters, except cheeses with large holes, as well as blue cheeses, packaged in 500 liters with enzyme included - 1500 rubles.

Cheeses with large holes (contains two types of starter cultures - texture-forming and propionic, also protective against butyric acid bacteria, enzyme)
for Maasdam and similar cheeses (three-component) per 100 liters with enzyme included - 1000 rubles.
for Maasdam and similar cheeses (three-component) for 200 liters with enzyme included - 1800 rubles.
for Maasdam and similar cheeses (three-component) per 500 liters with enzyme included - 3,500 rubles.

PROTECTIVE START for 100 liters - 400 rubles, for 200 liters -700 rubles, for 500 liters 1500 rubles

starter cultures for fermented milk products -
for 100 liters -600 rub.
for 200 liters - 1000 rubles.
for 300 liters - 1200 rub.
for 500 liters - 2000 rubles.
ENZYME is already in the kit!!! also for cheeses with large holes - a protective one included in the set!

THE MOST FAVORABLE ORDER OPTION-

full range of starter cultures by group:
Russian-Dutch group, which includes cheese-Russian, Dutch, Poshekhonsky, Kostroma, Muromsky, sour cream, marble, Russian. price for 50 liters - 300 rubles
a group of cheeses such as Maasdam, Bukovina, Emmental, Jarlsberg, Radamer, this group contains two types of different starter cultures, I also necessarily include a protective starter culture, that is, three types of starter culture. price for 50 liters - 500 rubles
the group of pasta filata cheeses includes mozzarella, chechil-pigtail, suluguni, provolone, caciocavallo, scamorza. the price for 50 liters is 300 rubles.
a group of cheeses including cheddar, cheshire, colby, jugas, red windsor, derby, parmesan. price for 50l - 300r
group of soft cheeses - Philadelphia, mascarpone, feta, cottage cheese, price for 50l - 250 rub.
group of cheeses edamer, gouda price for 50l - 300 rub.
group of cachotta cheeses price for 50l - 300 rub.
sour milk-
yogurt for 50 liters - 400 rub.
matsoni for 50l - 400r
Ryazhenka for 50l-400r
sour cream for 50l - 400r
cottage cheese for 50l - 400r
kefir for 50l-400r
kumiss, tan, ayran for 50l - 400r.
protective starter for ripening cheeses (bacteria, not chemical!!) - for 100 l - 400 rub.
There is also a protective one for sour milk and soft cheeses - the prices are the same.

Conducting seminars and master classes on home cheese making!

Let's learn to cook cheese, it's more fun together on the website!!!

Shipping to Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus and neighboring countries has begun! shipping costs to the specified countries from 400 rubles for orders of at least 2000 rubles

Cheesemaking wisely!

Marina Kamanina's Cheesemaking School invites you to learn cheesemaking!
Details on cost, time and types of cheeses during training are discussed in personal correspondence or by phone.