I have been experimenting with Finnish egg cheese a few batches now. Since I'm happy with the results, I thought I'd share. This is a traditional Finnish cheese that has been made with slight variations over the country. It is a fresh cheese (no aging) and it gets fried in an oven.
Ingredients:
- 3 liters milk
- 1 liter buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
Since this is very easy recipe, I usually don't plan ahead and end up using shop-bought milk. Never done this with fresh milk actually... I should.
Process:First I put the milk into a pot with full heat. While the milk is warming, I separate egg yolks and whites, then mix the egg whites with the buttermilk.
When milk boils, I remove it from the heat. Then pour the buttermilk mixture to the hot milk stirring constantly. I let the curds separate under a lid undisturbed for 15-30 minutes. When it's finished, the whey is geenish, much like when I make paneer.
I poured the mixture into a cheesecloth lined colander, draining most of the whey. Then put it back to the pot. Mixed egg yolks and the salt with the curds. For molds I use my faithful Ikea cheesemolds lined with cloth since I like my cheeses small & round. Traditional wooden molds don't need a cloth. After ladling the curds to the molds I pat the surface flat and let the cheese drain overnight in a refrigerator.
The cheese is edible next morning. Many prefer munajuusto just like this. I like to fry it for extra taste and firmer texture.
I fry the cheeses in 300C oven with "grill" setting on. I don't take time, just watch for the little black spots. When there are a few, I turn the cheeses and fry the other side. The cheese can be eaten while hot, but I prefer to cool it down before consuming.
As I said, this cheese is also enjoyed without frying, perhaps even more often than with. Many recipes also don't include the step of separating the yolks and whites, they just mix the eggs with the buttermilk. I'm still not sure if there's a difference in taste this way or is it just batch to batch variation. And since this is "folk recipe", all the amounts vary hugely. Actually, the book I took this recipe from, didn't state any amounts, it just listed the ingredients and the process.
Unfortunately our cheese plate had only two of my self-made cheeses, munajuusto and feta. But the brie, camembert, gouda and Oltermanni (Finnish cheese, I don't know to what I'd compare it to) were good also :)
riha, great post and pictures, thumbs up!
Great looking cheeses and very different method using eggs, I'm going to try this quick and simple cheese this weekend!
One small question, I assume you bring it just to start of boil as rolling boil would have cooked taste?
Yes, I bring it just to start of boil. Could try to boil for a while though, see how it affects the taste. Quick & easy cheeses are nice to experiment with.
Oh that looks tastey! Thanks Riha! I will try this soon also.
Dear riha!
I stumbled upon the egg cheese recipes in the net two or three times before I read your post here. I passed them by with no attention because I thought it's some kind of "not real" cheese with those eggs added. But now when I know this is the traditional Finnish cheese I do want to make it.
I just made some changes and here is what I've got.
Ingredients:
2 liters of raw cow's milk
1 liter of whey (decided to use the whey instead of buttermilk cause it is always plenty of it available)
3 eggs
1 teaspoonful of salt
Procedure:
1. Bring the milk just to start of boil and take it from the hit.
2. While the milk is heated mix the eggs with the whey. (I don't separate eggs with yolks and whites just because I'm lazy :)).
3. Pour the mix into the milk giving it good constant stir.
4. Let the bowl cool down for 1.5 h. There are small flakes obtained. Much smaller than at the riha's pictures. Flakes sink and greenish whey is upon them.
5. As the flakes are small, pour all the whey and flakes into the cotton cloth bag and hang it to drain for 9 hrs.
6. Salt and thoroughly mix the cheese.
7. Put the cheese in the mold and press it with 7 kg weight during 1 h just to give it a wheel form.
8. Sprinkle derived wheel with a salt to form some rind and place it to a refrigerator for night long.
All those above mentioned magic passes yield next morning 540 g of cheese. I like it's look and taste. Thank you, riha! The only one problem remains riha, how to pronounce "munajuusto" in order to sound like a real Finnish cheese maker? ;D
Pavel, yay for your success! I'm going to have to try the whey method as well. It has never occurred to me that one could use whey as acidifier.
If you read IPA, munajuusto is ['munaˌju:sto]. Finnish pronunciation is very simple compared to some other languages :) I actually was going to include the pronunciation to my first post, but apparently forgot this important detail. Good of you to remember.
Riha!
Actually the whey is a good acidifier. I make one more cheese with it. It's name is "Adygeisky" but I saw a mention of this very cheese at this forum so I don't share the recipe. But I can if you want me to.
Only one important thing you have to keep in mind before you start. Only the whey left after non-rennet cheese I use this way. Because when I make those types of cheeses, the milk sits at least 24 h with starter added and pH is low enough. I just can't say what will happen if the whey from rennet cheese is used.
Thanks for IPA :)
About how long would a cheese like that keep? Does it have to be eaten very quickly since it has eggs in it? How many days would you have before you had to cook it?
I actually don't know. If I haven't eaten it it means that I have forgotten about it and find it from my fridge after it has tried to become a stilton and failed.
I fry it immediately when it has drained. Naturally it also lasts longer when it has been fried. I'd venture a guess that a fresh cheese would last something like from 5 days to a week and fried version double that. Stored in a fridge naturally.
I actually bought some while on vacation and the package says it will keep for 9 months if unopened.
Nine months? Wow. There's got to be some vacuum pacing and preservatives involved.
This looks good! I want to try it sometime. Thanks for posting it!
It does contain Potasium Sorbate for a preservative and it is vac packed. I use that in some of my sausages I wonder what the percentage is for cheese? I may have to research that ...
Apparently this stuff has become so popular they can't keep it in the stores. I ate half a pack for supper last night. Good stuff!
I'll definitely have to make some soon. It looks incredible: some bread, a slab of meat, that... and some veggies on the side. Living like a king.
I was surprised how good it was. I bought one plain one for the true tasting expecting a really bland omelet sort of thing. You can taste the egg but the cheese flavor is very discernible as well.
I will be making this soon for the boys at work to go with our Monday bagels with some some smoked breakfast sausages. I think they will really like it.
You have got scandinavian cheeses mixed up. There's no eggs in that one if I read the text correctly from the pic. Also, it calls itself "juustoleipä" which is different from "munajuusto".
I have been slack in making and therefore have not posted a recipe for leipäjuusto yet. Leipäjuusto is a bit dryer, always fried cheese. I have never found any flavoured varieties in Finland, but have spiced my own with lemon peel.
I happened to try leipäjuusto (self-made) with some italian salami they had on sale in local store. Awesome. Perhaps I will give this pepper variety also a try.
Ah I have two recipes (neither of which I can pronounce) Both end in juusto. One is Munajuusto and the other is leipäjuusto. In pictures they look alot alike.
I think the plain one I ate said egg cheese on the front and looked just a little different. This one says Baked cheese. Both said Juusto on front - maybe that's the brand name?
Finnish for cheesemakers :)
"Juusto" means "cheese".
Muna = egg
Leipä = bread
So we have egg cheese and bread cheese. The name of the latter is because they used to dry the cheese just like bread. When the dry cheese is warmed, it softens again. Or so I have heard, I have never tried dried cheese.
Why thank you. I have yet to find a Finnish translator online. :-\
I use http://www.sanakirja.org/ (http://www.sanakirja.org/)
(sanakirja is also Finnish and means dictionary (or wordbook if you translate it literally))
It's got many languages including Finnish and English. You have to choose English user interface from top right corner.
Thanks hon! Now I can start researching Finnish recipes again. I actaully have a few but I couldn't read them before.
Debi, do you have one similar to Gjetost/Brunost?
I have several that end in "ost." Note: I have not tried any of these yet!
Gjetost
Norwegian a slightly sour but sweet caramel with a smooth texture similar to fudge. the milk is often mixed with cow's to give a more varied taste. The result is a semi-hard cheese with a fat content lower than most (about 30%).
ingredients:
1 gallon fresh cows milk whey (not more than 2 hours old)
1 cup heavy cream
Procedure:
Pour whey into a large pot.
Add cream.
Slowly bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.
Skim off the foam and set in refrigerator.
Boil down the whey stirring occasionally.
When whey has reduced to about 80% add the foam and stir.
Continue to reduce whisking to keep smooth.
When the mixer is the consistency of fudge pout into a metal pan and cool in cold water.
Keep stirring to prevent lumps.
When it has started to firm up place in air tight container and refrigerate to set.
Cool in refrigerator at 40°F and 90% humidity.
Gjetost and Myseost will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 weeks and should be firm enough to slice.
Herregaardsost - Hard Swedish cheese, flat and round
Ingredients:
Milk Pasteirized
Mesophilic Starter culture
0.75 grams/gallon Sodium Nitrate
rennet
Procedure:
Warm milk to 86°F and add culture.
Add sodium Nitrate amd mix well.
Add rennet and allow to firm about 30 to 35 minutes.
Cut curds to 3/8 inch pieces and stir to float.
Scald curds raising temperature to 107 to 113°F over 60 minutes.
Stir curd until the whey is expelled.
Press curd lightly under whey with plates then drain off whey.
Cut curds to fit into molds and fill molds.
Press lightly allowing the curds to cool.
Imerse in 50°F salt bath for 2 to3 days .
Drain and dry for 14 days at 50 to 53°F.
Store for 3 weels at 60 to 65°F then store for 3 months at 53°F or until ripe.
Myseost
ingredients:
1 gallon fresh cows milk whey (not more than 2 hours old)
1 cup heavy cream
Procedure:
Pour whey into a large pot.
Add cream.
Slowly bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.
Skim off the foam and set in refrigerator.
Boil down the whey stirring occasionally.
When whey has reduced to about 80% add the foam and stir.
Continue to reduce whisking to keep smooth.
When the mixer is the consistency of fudge pout into a metal pan and cool in cold water.
Keep stirring to prevent lumps.
When it has started to firm up place in air tight container and refrigerate to set.
Cool in refrigerator at 40°F and 90% humidity.
Gjetost and Myseost will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 weeks and should be firm enough to slice.
Gammelost
Norwegian goat's milk cheese that has a very strong flavor and a texture that ranges from soft to very hard depending on its age.
Ingredients:
Skimmed Milk
Lactic Adic starter
Penicillium roqueforti
Mucor racemosus
There are two methods of producing this cheese
Procedure ONE: - The Hardanger method
Add about 0.5 % of lactic starterto skim milk and souring for a day or two at 19°C 66°F.
Warm slowly to145°F ( 63°C ).
After about 30 minutes place curd in cloth bags and press heavily.
After pressing remove from the bags, brake up the curds and place in cloth lined moulds.
Place moulds in a pot of boiling whey for 3 ½ hours. Make sure the whey covers the cheese.
Remove molds from whey amd drain at room temperature overnight.
The next day remove the cheese from the molds and air dry for a day or two.
Pierced the cheeses with a themometer probe and pour in Penicillium roqueforti.
Place cheese in an aging area at 50 to 55°F (10-13°C) and a relative humidity of 90%.
A Mucor racemosus, which is propagated by hand rubbing the surface with mycelium from older cheeses, develops on the surface of the cheese. The cheese is inverted daily or at least every other day, and rubbed or cleaned if necessary. The curing period is about 4 week or somewhat longer.
Procedure TWO: - The Sogn Method
Add 1.5 to 2 % of starter to the skim milk, and let it sour at a temperature of 72-75°F (22-24°C).
After two days, the milk may be transferred to the cheese vat where souring is completed at a temperature of 77°F (25°C) .
When the milk has reached the desired stage of souring (a later stage than in the Hardanger method), it is heated slowly to the boiling point.
The whey is removed, and the curd is heated to about 195°F (90°C), then placed in moulds to drain.
The moluds are covered with cloths and kept in a warm place.
After the whey has drained, the curd is removed from the moulds, crumbled fine, inoculated with mold M.racemosus, and repressed.
The next day the cheeses are removed from the moulds, dried in a warm place for 4 or 5 days, and then taken to the curing room. The curing process is the same as in the Hardanger method.
NOTE:
In both methods, after the cheese is partly cured, it may be put in chests lined with straw that has been treated with heated juniper extract.
The yield of cure cheese is between 4 -5 1/2 pounds per 100 pounds of milk or 4.5 to5 kg 100 kg of milk.
Thanks, Debi! Wow, that's a bunch of recipes. :)
I'm working on a cheese eBook. Some I have had longer than some members have walked the planet! :D
I saw once Norwegian wrote that gjetost has original name Brunost. Brun - brown, ost - cheese. Similar to myseost. Myse - goat, ost - cheese.
I've tried brunost couple of times. Just boiled down the whey for 5.5 - 6 hrs. Testes good but sour. I didn't obtain a smooth structure may be because of I didn't add cream. Bought samples do look smooth and may be some day I'll retry brunost with a cream. TY Debi.
Your welcome
I just made this stuff yesterday.
Sadly, as I tend to do, I put in a little too much salt.
The cheese is edible, especially with bread, but I want to try frying it for taste.
This recipe made me two 6" tall, 3.75" dia. cheeses. Huge.
gjet= goat ost=cheese gietost=goat cheese
myse=whey ost=cheese mysost=whey cheese
brun=brown ost=cheese brunost=brown cheese
gammal=old ost=cheese gammalost=old cheese
Just for clarity...
Thanks for this recipe. My kids think this is their favorite cheese..this week.
very interesting cheese. Is it ever made with herbs? How would you describe the flavor-it looks firmer than a Chevre, but still very soft in texture. I just happen to have a fresh gallon of cows milk i picked up yesterday, i'm going to have to give this a try this weekend. Thanks!
The curds have more of a texture, and the inside is softer then the outside, after broiling. What surprised me most was how sweet it is, and one of the reason the kids like it so much, I'm sure.lol Keep in mind the sweetness when choosing your herbs and it'll be great.
I love sweet and spicy combinations. I'm going to try making it next with some pepper flakes and crumble it on some fresh spinach and drizzle some balsamic vinegar over it all. I don't know if it will be any good, but I'm dying to find out :0)