Queso Panela

[hplace]

Has anyone made or have a recipe for Queso Panela? I found a recipe on the web written in Spanish and I have translated it, but it is very inexact on temperatures, times, and process.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks.
Elton

[pamaples]

I've never made it. Send the recipe in Spanish and I will ask around.

[hplace]

Here is a link to the recipe:

http://bibliotecadigital.conevyt.org.mx/colecciones/consumir_bien/lacteos/queso_panela.htm

[DeejayDebi]

It is also called Queso Blanco

[pamaples]

I'm going to ride my bike over the see a friend who used to make cheese commercially in Mexico. It didn't sound like Queso Blanco to me when we were talking to him on the phone. We'll see. Lotsa different fresh Mexican cheeses and many are very similar, differing only in texture.

[hplace]

I appreciate your help!!

[pamaples]

El Señor is out of town; but probably by the end of next week I'll have your answer.   :)

[jimmyzshack]

Don't know if this helps but:

Queso Panela


Yield: 1 kg

Prep Time: 4 1 / 2 hours


Ingredients


3 liters of pasteurized whole milk (it is advisable to skim or low-fat)
2 3 / 4 cups of whole milk powder (412 g approx.)
1 1 / 2 tablespoon of calcium chloride powder (or 1 teaspoon of liquid calcium chloride) *
1 / 8 of rennet tablet *
1 / 2 cup boiling water
1 1 / 2 tablespoons table salt

* They are available in stores or food commodities in large pharmacies.



Utensils


pot with a capacity of 5 liters
cup, preferably measuring
large kitchen spoon
big knife
1 m blanket of sky
plastic container with a capacity of 4 liters
large aluminum colander cylindrical and flat base (regular opening)
object weighing approximately 10 kg or a pot of water for pressing
plastic container with tight-fitting lid
adhesive label


Procedure:


Pour into the pot of milk and, hence, dissolve the powdered milk, put in warm over medium heat, being careful not to boil.
Besides, a quarter cup of boiled water, dilute the calcium chloride and pour into warm milk, stirring with a spoon, remove from heat and add the previously rennet tablet dissolved in a quarter cup of water.
Let stand for 20 minutes, so as to form the curd.
After that time, insert a knife to the bottom of the curd: roll completely cleaned, cut into cubes about an inch (to separate the curd from the whey). Then let it stand for 20 minutes at least. Place over low heat and stir very gently.
The gallon container, arrange the blanket-to-strainer way, and through it, skip the serum. Knotted rug, pressing the curd.
Then, untie the blanket over the pan and add salt to the curd, kneading lightly.
Put the curds in the strainer (which should be on the tray to drain off the whey that there is clear), cover with the blanket over it, place the heavy object to press. Let stand for hours.
After that time, with clean hands, take the cheese and turn to ensure that all the whey drain, cover and replace the weight for an hour and a half.


Packaging, storage and expiry:


Once the cheese is without serum, place in airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. Paste a label with the product name, the date of manufacture and expiry.

Panela cheese produced by this technology is approximately 15 days under refrigeration.


Recommendations:


Another way to verify that the curd is ready is to cut small triangular with a knife and if he maintains his consistency, proceed to cut it into squares an inch, if not, leave it long enough to get consistency is stable, ie not broken.
Using raw milk increased output following the same process.
If you want you can flavor the cheese with chopped walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts and pine nuts, or with garlic and onion powder, or some other condiment of your choice. You only need to add the cheese just before pressing.
You can eat the cheese after the second day of production to make it absorb the salt.
Save the serum obtained after cooling to take advantage in the development of lactic or yoghurt drinks.

[hplace]

Did you use an online translator? What is a "1 m blanket of sky"?  :)

[jimmyzshack]

lol yea no sky for me.

[DeejayDebi]

Translating recipes is NOT easy.

[hplace]

That's for sure! I lived in Mexico for 2 years speaking Spanish the entire time. Even with that experience, I had difficulty understanding this recipe. The biggest problem is the measurements and temperatures are not exact.

[DeejayDebi]

Sometimes they get down right funny!

[pamaples]

I talked to my friend briefly today. He was just in the middle of a family gathering but we will get together over the weekend and make this cheese.

Pam

Lotsa sky out here;)

[kvnjns]

Did you use an online translator? What is a "1 m blanket of sky"?  :)

Haha, a blanket of sky is a cheese cloth.