How to prepare your own brine for long-term storage of cheese?

The use of various technologies for making cheese allows us to give each variety a unique taste and aroma.

For the so-called brine varieties, special brines are used to obtain certain taste qualities of the cheese and extend their shelf life.

Why is it needed?

When producing soft varieties, cheesemakers use special solutions - brines. Their second name is brine. Immersion of cheese in brine is provided for by the peculiarities of the technology, so that the product ripens and acquires the structure, consistency and taste appropriate to a particular variety.

A special brine composition is prepared for different varieties with a certain concentration of salt and other ingredients. If the salt concentration is insufficient, the milk protein turns into a liquid state and the cheese becomes covered with mucus, loses its taste and quickly deteriorates.

How to store?

Storing cheese with brine not only maintains the original softness of the product and its juiciness, but also prevents the spread of pathogenic microflora. That is, it significantly extends the shelf life of soft cheese, preserving the taste and aroma of the product.

The shelf life of products also depends on the salt concentration in the liquid.This figure ranges from 10 to 18%, respectively, for a particular variety.

Storing soft cheese requires certain conditions. Therefore it is recommended:

1. When purchasing a finished product, choose one that is already placed in a special solution.
2. For longer storage of finished products in brine, it is better to place them in a refrigerator with a constant temperature of no higher than 6°C.
3. If the cheese was purchased without brine, then it is advisable to make a special solution yourself and immerse the product in homemade brine.
4. The brine should completely cover the cheese. This will protect it from drying out, changing structure, color and taste.
5. The storage container must be tightly closed. The best containers for storage are glass, ceramic or enamel dishes.
6. It is necessary to adhere to the shelf life of the product. If the tight factory packaging is opened, then without brine it can be consumed for only a day.
7. For long-term storage, the concentration of brine should be at least 18%. If before eating it seems that the cheese is very salty, you can pre-soak it in cold water.

A special solution retains all the qualities of soft products for a long time. Even at room temperature, its shelf life will be more than 5 days. The optimal temperature of the refrigerator, this period increases from 2 weeks to several months, depending on the saturation of the brine.

How to do it at home?

For those who make cheese or purchase the finished product in large quantities, it will be useful to learn how to prepare the brine yourself. Below are recipes for brine of different concentrations.

Cheese making uses two main types of soft cheese solution. This:

1. Saturated solution. Used for quick salting of very salty cheese, as well as for long-term storage of the product.
2. Unsaturated brine. Suitable for making cheese with a delicate salty taste. Suitable for storing many soft cheeses.

Rapa, prepared using one of the options mentioned, is a preservative for cheese. In this optimal environment, consisting of water, salt and auxiliary components, the product gradually ripens and acquires the consistency and taste characteristic of a particular variety.

The video will show you how to prepare brine for storing cheese:

Rich recipe

The quality of cheese largely depends on properly prepared brine. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly observe the ratio of components and the sequence of actions.

Ingredients per 1 liter of liquid:

• water – 1000 ml;
• salt – 250 g;
• 9 percent table vinegar - 10 ml;
• calcium chloride (30%) – 4 ml.

Preparation:

1. Boil the required amount of water.
2. Add salt. You can use non-iodized or marine.
3. Stir well until the salt is completely dissolved. The presence of a small sediment indicates a high concentration of the composition.
4. Cool the composition to a temperature of 10-15°C.
5. Add vinegar to restore the balance of liquid ions.
6. Administer calcium chloride to reduce ion exchange.
7. Immerse the cheese in the resulting brine.

The product should not be kept in a saturated solution for very long. As soon as the products are ripe, it is recommended to transfer them for further storage to a less concentrated solution.

Unsaturated

An unsaturated brine differs from a concentrated one only in the ratio of ingredients.The cooking technology is practically the same.

Ingredients:

• water – 1 l;
• salt – 200 g;
• 7 percent vinegar – 5 ml;
• 30% calcium chloride – 4 ml.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Dissolve salt in boiled water.
2. Add vinegar and calcium chloride.
3. Mix the composition thoroughly.
4. Cool to room temperature.
5. Soak cheese in brine.

Alternative option

Alternatively, you can use a recipe without vinegar. It can be replaced with sugar.

What you will need for preparation:

• water – 1500 ml;
• salt – 200 g;
• sugar – 100 g.

Stages of work:

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add salt and sugar.
3. Stir well.
4. Cool to 20°C.
5. Fill the container with brine with cheese.

All recipes contain approximate quantities of ingredients. For large production volumes, the rates of components used should be increased or decreased accordingly.

What cheeses are stored in brine?

The answer suggests itself. Of course, these are all pickled, that is, soft varieties. Without brine and after opening the factory sealed packaging, they deteriorate very quickly. Their shelf life ranges from 1 to 3 days. Without brine, they either dry out or become covered with mucus and quickly become unsuitable for consumption.

These include the following varieties:

• feta,
• Chechila,
• Suluguni,
• feta cheese,
• Georgian,
• Dagestan.

Conclusion

Cheese making of brine varieties and their storage is impossible without the use of brine.Therefore, it is so important to know and observe all the subtleties of the technological process, including aging cheese in brine, which ensures the richness of the product, its taste and aroma characteristics.

The choice of the right recipe depends on the type of cheese. and the purpose of its use - for ripening or storage.