Many people believe that Georgian Suluguni cheese is braided pigtails or thin sticks, but this misconception is extremely erroneous. The classic recipe has nothing to do with a hard smoked product; suluguni belongs to soft cheeses. On its basis, second courses, salads, snacks are prepared, often suluguni is consumed with bread and herbs. To fully enjoy a quality product, it is enough to cook it at home.
What is suluguni cheese
- Suluguni looks like cheese, it belongs to the category of soft cheeses in brine. The final product is not covered with a crust, which usually appears after a long maturation.
- As a rule, the preparation of suluguni is not limited to any framework. However, many prefer to age the cheese in a salt solution, lemon or grape juice. The main advantage of Suluguni is considered to be that cheese can be made from any kind of milk (cow, sheep, goat, buffalo, etc.).
- If we talk about classical technology, it is better to cook suluguni from sheep's milk. But many people know that it is extremely difficult to get. For this reason, many housewives have learned to improvise, ultimately getting an equally exquisite product.
- Perhaps one of the most important features of the preparation of suluguni is that it is prepared without emulsifiers and preservatives. Since synthetic components are completely absent, you will get a natural and healthy cheese as a result.
- It is generally accepted that suluguni is most recommended for use by children and people with rheumatism, arthritis and other ailments caused by insufficient calcium in the body.
- Suluguni has a fairly wide scope. It is added to baked goods, fried, baked and smoked as an independent snack. Cheese is also added to salads, main dishes, wrapped in pita bread or smeared on bread.
- The Georgian dish khachapuri is prepared on the basis of suluguni. Also, many chefs successfully combine pickled cheese with olives, black olives, purple onions, cucumbers and beans. Suluguni is decorated with fish and meat, then poured with table vinegar.
Features of the preparation of suluguni
Depending on the chosen recipe, you need to take care of the main ingredients and improvised means. They will be required in the process of making cheese.
- Pepsin. The classic suluguni recipe includes this enzyme. Pepsin can be purchased at a pharmacy, it is available in the form of a powder or solution (10%). In the second case, one ampoule has a volume of about 10 ml.
- Sour cream. This ingredient is not required in all recipes. However, if you prefer sour cream-based suluguni cooking technology, buy a product with a fat content of 30% or more. The consistency should be medium, no need to take too thick or liquid composition.
- Milk. If possible, purchase a high-quality home (farm) composition; raw milk is used to prepare suluguni. Discard the pasteurized fat-free composition, otherwise the taste and quality of suluguni will suffer. In some cases, the cheese may not curl at all, all efforts will come to naught.
- Handy materials. During cooking, the milk will separate into curd and whey. You need to prepare a gauze or cotton cloth with which you can wring out and strain the product. You will also need a culinary thermometer, which will allow you to fully comply with the technology. Other improvised materials (dishes, cutlery, etc.) you will find in your kitchen, depending on the recipe.
- sour cream (fat content from 30%) - 235 ml.
- fresh dill - 1 bunch
- milk - 2.2 l.
- chicken egg - 4 pcs.
- seasonings - to taste
- salt - 40 gr.
- No need to defend milk and skim cream from it. Pour the product into a saucepan with a thick bottom, put on the stove, bring to the appearance of the first bubbles at medium power. Reduce the heat, add salt and start stirring vigorously to dissolve the granules.
- Pour sour cream into a separate deep container, break eggs into it and mix with a fork / whisk. You can use the mixer at low speed, the main thing is to bring the composition to homogeneity. Make sure that there are no air bubbles in the mass.
- While the milk is simmering on the fire, slowly pour the beaten mixture of eggs and sour cream into it. Wash, dry and chop the dill, also send it to the pan. Add seasonings (optional). Wait until the milk begins to curdle. You will see large flakes on the surface.
- After dividing the composition into whey and cottage cheese, simmer the mass on the stove for another 5-7 minutes, then turn off the burner. Prepare a colander or kitchen sieve, line the cavity with gauze folded in 4 layers. Transfer the curd mass to the container.
- Leave in this state for a quarter of an hour, then tie the corners of the gauze together, forming a bag. Squeeze out the composition with your hands, place the curd under the press. To properly build oppression, send the composition to the pan, cover with a plate and place a five-liter bottle on top.
- The remaining serum will come out after 3-5 hours, you need to periodically drain the resulting liquid. After the specified time, unfold the finished suluguni, move it to a plastic container or a tight plastic bag. Store in refrigerator.
Melted suluguni cheese
- milk - 2.8 l.
- pepsin - 1 pinch
- salt - 70 gr.
- drinking water - 1.9 l.
- Dilute pepsin in 25 ml. cold drinking water, stir until the granules are completely dissolved. Pour the milk into an enamel pan and heat it to 45 degrees.
- As soon as the dairy product reaches the required level, turn off the burner and add the dissolved pepsin. Mix very gently, cover and leave the composition for 30 minutes.
- After the allotted time, open the lid, evaluate the result. If the surface of the milk "springs", cut the composition into small pieces so that the whey leaves faster. Wait a quarter of an hour again, then mix the product with a wooden spatula.
- Line a colander or sieve with gauze folded in 3 layers. Tie the fabric into a bag, squeeze out excess liquid with your hands. Hang the product over a deep bowl or sink, leave for 1.5 hours until the serum drains completely.
- Prepare a brine by mixing salt and drinking water together. Bring the composition to complete dissolution of the crystals, then remove the cheese from the fabric and immerse in brine. Keep the product for about 5 hours at natural temperature.
- After the expiration date, remove the cheese, chop it into small pieces. Pour boiling water into the pan, dip the cubes of cheese into it so that the liquid completely covers the product, but does not rise above it.
- You will notice that the water will begin to melt the cheese. Mix the composition with a spatula until the mass becomes plastic. After that, start stretching the cheese so that it becomes layered.
- Line the sieve with gauze, pour the finished product into it and tie the fabric in a knot. Hang the cheese over a bowl to let the whey glass (about 1.5 hours). Make another brine of water and salt, taking the above proportions. Move the melted cheese into the liquid, wait 6 hours.
- pepsin - on the tip of a knife
- cow's milk - 270 ml.
- goat milk - 4.7 l.
- curdled milk - 250 ml.
- salt - 15 gr.
- Dilute pepsin with cow's milk, leave for half an hour. After the time has passed, strain the resulting sourdough through 2 layers of gauze, heat on the stove to 35 degrees.
- In another container, bring goat's milk to 40 degrees, then pour yogurt and pepsin-based sourdough into it. Leave the pot at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After the milk begins to curdle, put it on the stove. Add salt, wait for the crystals to dissolve. Heat the mass to 40 degrees.
- Line a colander with gauze, transfer the finished product into it, tie it in a bag. Leave to drain for 3 hours, placing a plate and a press on top of the cheese.
Suluguni based on lemon juice
- milk - 2 l.
- lemon juice - 55 ml.
- fine salt - 75 gr.
- Heat the milk on the stove to a temperature of 40 degrees, stir constantly so that the composition does not burn on the walls of the dishes.
- After the appearance of the first bubbles, pour in lemon juice, add salt (15 gr.) And wait for the granules to dissolve. Such a step will help the milk to separate more quickly into curd and whey.
- After you see that cottage cheese flakes begin to appear on the surface, simmer the composition for another 5 minutes, then turn off the burner. Prepare a colander or kitchen sieve, line with three layers of cheesecloth.
- Using a slotted spoon, put the cottage cheese into a container, tie the fabric in a tight bag, leave until moisture drains (about 2 hours). If possible, hang the suluguni so that the whey drains faster.
- After you see that the liquid no longer separates from the curd, proceed to the preparation of the brine. Dilute the remaining 60 gr. salt in two liters of boiled water, mix.
- When the granules dissolve, remove the cheese and remove it from the cheesecloth. Put in brine for 6 hours, then proceed to the tasting. Store in the refrigerator for up to 15 days.
It is easy to cook suluguni cheese at home if you follow one of the above technologies. Consider a recipe based on goat's or cow's milk, make a sourdough starter from pepsin, lemon juice.
