What kind of cheese is this, and what should you pair it with?
Suluguni is a Georgian cheese. It is prepared in a special salt brine or grape juice, from which it acquires an elastic, but at the same time soft structure. Its unique taste allows it to be consumed as an independent product or added to various dishes, for example, khachapuri. It will give a special accent to meat and fish dishes. In addition, suluguni is often used as a filling for pies, corn cakes, or as one of the components of salads.
Like any cheese, suluguni goes well with wine. It makes an excellent addition to olives, legumes, and cucumbers.
Almost all types of milk are suitable for making Georgian cheese: cow's, goat's, sheep's, but the traditional recipe involves using sheep's milk. However, to create suluguni on an industrial scale, more popular types of milk are still used, and this in no way detracts from its taste. But for a delicious version of cheese, with a richer and more refined taste, buffalo milk is used.
Sulguni cheese
This popular product in our country is prepared using ancient technology, which dates back centuries. Suluguni cheese belongs to the group of brine cheeses that are ripened in a solution of table salt. Classic Mingrelian cheese is prepared only with sheep's milk, but in industrial production any milk (buffalo, cow or goat) is used. A high-quality product has a pleasant sour-milk, salty taste and a layered dense consistency. Nutritionists advise eating this cheese more often for those who play sports or try to maintain their figure. The fact is that suluguni contains a lot of protein with a rich amino acid composition. The fat content of the product is 45-50%, so it helps to quickly restore the body's wasted resources. Fresh cheese without additives is useful to include in the diet of children, pregnant women and people weakened by chronic diseases.
Subtleties of cooking
In order to taste truly traditional suluguni, you need to go to its homeland, where its preparation takes into account all the subtleties and requirements of the preparation process.
The main requirement when creating suluguni is the addition of the enzyme pepsin, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. In addition, pay attention to the choice of milk: it should be homemade and used only raw. Store-bought pasteurized milk, and especially skim milk, can cause the cheese to fail.
From available materials, you will definitely need a gauze cloth, with which you will need to squeeze the resulting curd from the whey.
It is also possible to prepare suluguni at home, and correct adherence to all recipe recommendations guarantees the receipt of a unique, delicate cheese.
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Classic recipe for making suluguni at home
Ingredients | Quantity |
cow's milk - | 8 liters |
pepsin liquid - | 3 ml |
salt - | 300 g |
Cooking time: 900 minutes | Calorie content per 100 grams: 285 Kcal |
For lovers of suluguni cheese who decide to recreate this version of the Georgian dish, you should be patient, since the process is very labor-intensive.
How to cook:
- Milk is poured into a deep container (pan) prepared in advance and heated to a temperature of 35⁰;
- Afterwards, pepsin is added to the heated milk, mixed and left in a warm place for 1 hour;
- As soon as the milk curdles and turns into dense lumps, they need to be collected and placed in gauze, and then hung for 1 hour to allow excess liquid to drain. There is no need to pour out the whey remaining in the pan, it will still be useful;
- After an hour, the cheese is tested for readiness: to do this, break off a small piece of it and dip it in hot water for a few minutes. If the cheese stretches after this, then it is ready; if it crumbles, then leave it for some more time;
- As soon as the cheese becomes elastic, it is cut into large layers and placed in a container with cold water for 20 minutes to stop the fermentation process;
- Now the suluguni needs to be cut into small cubes, put them in an aluminum bowl and pour hot water at a temperature no higher than 65⁰;
- As soon as the cheese starts to melt a little, drain the water and add new water. This procedure must be repeated until a homogeneous elastic cheese mass appears in the bowl;
- Next, the brine is prepared: to do this, the whey from the pan is mixed with salt;
- Suluguni is placed in brine and left for 12 hours;
- As soon as the specified time has passed, the cheese is sent to the refrigerator for several hours, and then it can be consumed.
Suluguni cheese with sour cream at home
To prepare suluguni according to this recipe, you will need sour cream with high fat content (more than 30%).
Ingredients:
- sour cream - 230 ml;
- milk - 2.2 liters;
- chicken egg - 4 pcs;
- fresh dill - 1 bunch;
- salt - 40 g;
- seasonings are at your discretion.
Cooking time: 7–8 hours.
The calorie content of the product per 100 g will be 290 kcal.
Recipe for making suluguni cheese with sour cream step by step:
- Milk is poured into a deep saucepan and heated over moderate heat until the first bubbles appear. Afterwards, reduce the heat and add salt while stirring;
- Pour sour cream into another container, beat eggs into it, and mix everything thoroughly, bringing it to a homogeneous consistency;
- The resulting mixture is slowly added to the milk;
- The dill is washed, chopped finely and added to milk; seasonings can also be added;
- As soon as the milk begins to curdle, turning into cottage cheese, simmer it for a few more minutes (5-6) over low heat;
- The resulting cottage cheese is placed on cheesecloth spread in a colander. Leave the product for 25 minutes to allow all the liquid to drain;
- Next, the gauze is folded into a bag, the remaining liquid is manually squeezed out, and then placed in a deep container, covered with a plate, on top of which a bottle of water (5 liters) is placed;
- Leave the cheese in this position for 3–5 hours, periodically draining the accumulated liquid;
- Ready suluguni should be kept in the refrigerator for some time before serving.
How to quickly cook suluguni from cottage cheese
You can make original young cheese from good cottage cheese. This homemade suluguni recipe is suitable for beginners, as preparing the product is very simple.
Ingredients:
• one hundred grams of butter;
• teaspoon of soda;
• teaspoon of salt.
Cooking method:
Pour milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
When continuous bubbles appear, add cottage cheese to the milk and stir.
Cook with constant stirring for about twenty minutes.
Pour the mixture into a colander with gauze and wait for the whey to drain.
Return the curd mass to the pan, turn on the heat, add eggs and butter, stir.
Add soda and salt, mix again.
Cook for about ten minutes until the cheese begins to melt.
You need to prepare a container for storing cheese in advance by greasing its walls with vegetable or butter.
Place the finished suluguni in a container, level it with a plastic spatula or spoon.
After cooling, place the suluguni in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours, that is, overnight.
Melted suluguni at home
To prepare this type of suluguni you need the following:
- milk - 2.8–3 liters;
- pepsin - on the tip of a knife;
- ordinary water - 1.9 liters;
- salt - 70 g.
Cooking will take 15-16 hours.
100 grams of melted suluguni contains 290 kcal.
How to make processed suluguni cheese at home:
- Milk poured into a saucepan is brought to 45⁰;
- Pepsin is dissolved in 25 ml of cold water;
- Next, the dissolved pepsin is poured into the milk and mixed. Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and leave for half an hour;
- After 30 minutes, the cheese is tested for elasticity: run a knife or spoon over its surface; if it “springs”, then cut the cheese and leave for another 25 minutes, and then mix;
- Next, the cheese is placed on cheesecloth, the liquid is squeezed out and left hanging for 1.5 hours;
- Meanwhile, salt is dissolved in water, and then the cheese is immersed in this brine. Leave it for 5 hours at room temperature;
- After a while, the cheese is cut and poured with boiling water until it is completely immersed;
- In boiling water, the cheese will begin to melt, so you need to stir it to achieve homogeneity of the product;
- Then, the cheese again needs to be hung in gauze for 1.5 hours;
- Afterwards, prepare a new saline solution and place the suluguni in it for 6 hours. After which it is completely ready for use
What dishes do I make with suluguni?
They say that the first pancake is lumpy. For the first time, I got a delicious and beautiful cheese. Layered, with holes, moderately salty. But the most important thing is that my husband and children liked my cheese. Gradually I learned to make homemade cheeses. Somehow, I didn’t have time, so I bought it in a store, but they immediately figured it out.
I like salads with the addition of suluguni. At first I looked for recipes on the Internet, then I started adding my own ingredients. For my daughter's birthday I made a salad with peaches, tomatoes and fried cheese. The guests were delighted. When my little girl proudly announced that her mother makes the cheese herself, I was bursting with joy.
But of course, we loved khachapuri with homemade cheese. Sometimes I add different herbs, as an experiment, mint, basil, rosemary. If there is no time to cook khachapuri, then I just buy lavash and make sandwiches with boiled greens and cheese. You can add pieces of chicken instead of boiled pork. We take them with us when we go outdoors.
I noticed that since we became addicted to Georgian cuisine, my complexion has improved and my nails have become less brittle.
So my advice to you is, if you want to look good, eat tasty and healthy food, then open the Internet and type into a search engine, “Suluguni cheese recipe for cooking at home.”
Suluguni with lemon juice
Adding lemon juice during the preparation of Georgian suluguni helps to quickly separate the whey from the cottage cheese.
To prepare suluguni based on it, you will need the following components:
- milk - 2 liters;
- lemon juice - 60 ml;
- iodized salt - 75 g.
It will take 8 hours to prepare.
270 kcal per 100 g of cheese.
Recipe for homemade suluguni with lemon juice step by step:
- Milk is heated in a saucepan to 40⁰;
- As soon as the first bubbles appear, lemon juice and 15 g of salt are poured into the milk (this will speed up the separation of the curd from the whey);
- When the first curd flakes form on the surface of the milk, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes;
- The cottage cheese is collected and placed on gauze prepared in advance. The cottage cheese is wrapped in it and left hanging for 1.5 hours;
- While the remaining whey drains from the curd, prepare a new portion of brine from the remaining 60 g of salt and 2 liters of water. It is better to start making it as soon as the whey begins to flow less and less;
- After the allotted 1.5 hours, the cottage cheese is removed from the gauze and placed in brine. Leave it there for 6 hours. After which, the finished cheese is completely ready.
How to quickly cook suluguni according to a simplified recipe
Suluguni cheese can be prepared much easier at home. This will save time and allow you to enjoy the fresh, sweet taste of cheese slices in just a few hours.
Ingredients:
• four liters of milk;
• teaspoon of salt;
• a tablespoon of salt;
• one hundred ml of lemon juice.
Cooking method:
Pour the milk into a suitable saucepan and heat to forty degrees.
Pour a dose of salt and juice squeezed from fresh lemon into the milk.
While stirring the mixture, wait for it to curdle.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander lined with gauze.
When the whey has drained, bring the ends of the gauze filter together and tie them.
Leave the resulting bag in a colander for four hours.
Make a saline solution (a tablespoon of salt per liter of water).
Remove the cheese lump from the cheesecloth and immerse it in salt water.
Leave the cheese in the brine for 10-12 hours.
Useful tips
- For those who do not like to wait long or simply prefer to enjoy young suluguni cheese, the cooking process can be completed as soon as the milk forms a curd mass. It is collected and placed on gauze, and the remaining whey is removed by squeezing. The cheese is ready to eat and does not require further aging in brine;
- But brine is required to obtain real suluguni. So in order to taste the true taste of the cheese, you will have to be patient;
- If suluguni is required as a filling for various baked goods, then it can be crushed and left for some time in a warm environment. It will begin to melt, which is what you need to use it as a filling;
- Suluguni is tasty not only in its original form, but also as a fried dish. To do this, place a piece of butter in a heat-resistant dish (frying pan with a thick bottom) and melt it over the fire. The cheese, meanwhile, is sliced, rolled in flour and placed in a frying pan. Covering it with a strong plate, fry it for 3 minutes on one side, adding a little flour, and then 2 minutes on the other side, also sprinkling it with flour. Fried suluguni is served with finely chopped herbs and seasoned with a small amount of lemon juice.
As you can see, you can taste Georgian cheese without leaving the walls of your home. Cooking suluguni will add variety to the diet, complement various dishes and become an excellent independent snack.
The only negative is that you will need a large amount of milk. But suluguni truly justifies these costs. In addition, it is not only tasty, but also very healthy.
The cheese is rich in various vitamin complexes; it is recommended as a rehabilitation product after a viral illness; it will speed up the recovery of strength.
But people who regularly count calories should not overuse suluguni, as it is very high in calories.
Application of cheese
This wonderful product is eaten in a variety of forms: raw, smoked, fried and baked. That is why there are a lot of dishes that can be prepared with suluguni. First of all, cheese can be served as an independent dish (in the form of slices), used as a filling for pies, as a salad component, or as a basis for first and second courses. Nutritionists say that Suluguni cheese goes best with fresh vegetables, beans, and red onions. Its taste is perfectly emphasized by balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sour cream.