Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (2024)

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  • by CFH Admin
  • June 23, 2022
  • 3 min read

Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (1)


Rated 2.8 stars by 10 users

This alternative recipe for parmesan cheese does not use the lipase flavor additive, and is made with skim milk rather than whole milk.


INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE AT CULTURES FOR HEALTH

Fresh Cheese Making Kit

Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (5)

Fresh Cheese Making Kit

$45.99

Our most comprehensive choice, the Fresh Cheese Kit contains two starter cultures and supplies to make five different varieties of soft cheese - feta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, fromage blanc, and traditional quark. Kit contains a Mesophilic Cheese Culture, a Fresh Cheese Culture, calcium chloride, vegetable rennet, cheese salt, butter muslin, a thermometer, and an instruction and recipe booklet.

Packaging andEquipment in the kit may appear different than pictured.

Thermophilic Starter Culture

Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (6)

Thermophilic Starter Culture

$12.99

This useful culture makes a variety of hard cheeses, including parmesan, romano, provolone, and swiss.

Liquid Animal Rennet

Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (7)

Liquid Animal Rennet

$9.49

High quality single strength animal rennet. This non-GMO animal rennet is preferred for aged cheese as it creates a more desirable flavor and aroma during the aging process. Each bottle contains enough rennet to set (12) 2-gallon batches of cheese.

Cheese Salt

Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (8)

Cheese Salt

$5.99

An easy-to-dissolve, iodine-free salt perfect for cheesemaking.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 gallons skim milk
  • 1/4 tsp.thermophilic starter culture
  • 1/2 tsp.liquid rennetdissolved in ¼ cup cool water
  • Cheese salt
  • Olive oil (for rubbing)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat milk to 94°Fusing a hot water bath. The temperature should be brought up slowly, over about 20 minutes. When the milk is at 94°F, remove the pot of milk from the heat source.
  2. Sprinklethe starter over the milk andallowit torehydratefor 5 minutes before whisking it in thoroughly.
  3. Coverandmaintaintemperature for45 minuteswhile the milk ripens.
  4. Addthe diluted rennet andslowly whiskin for 1 minute or so.Coverandallow to setfor45 minutes. When you have a clean break, use a whisk tocutthe curd into 1/4-inch pieces. Let the curds rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Slowly raisethe temperature to124°F. This should take about an hour.Keep stirringto keep the curds from sticking together (matting) and to firm them up a bit. When the temperaturereaches 104°F, stop stirringandallowthe curds tosettleand mat for the duration of the heating period, or until the temperaturereaches 124°F. Once you have achieved this temperature,coverthe pot andmaintainthetemperature for 10 minutes.
  6. Linea colander with dampbutter muslin. Suspend it over a large bowl or sink.Ladlethe matted curds into it, and let themdrain for 5 minutes.Transferthe curds (in thebutter muslin) to a 5-inchtomme moldor 8-inchcheese press. Let them continue todrainfor 10 more minutes.
  7. Pull up the ends of thebutter muslinandfoldthe ends over the top of the curds.Placethe follower on top.Press at 10 pounds for 30 minutes.
  8. Pull the cheese out of the mold,peelaway the cloth,flipthe cheese over, andrewrapit in the cloth.Pressagain at10 poundsbut this time for1 hour.
  9. Remove, undress, flip,andre-dressthe cheese again.Placeit back into the mold andpress at 10 poundsfor12 hours.
  10. While the cheese is being pressed, prepare a near-saturated brine (about 30-ounces of salt to 1 gallon of water) and put it into the refrigerator with a lid on it to chill. It should be about 50° to 55°F.
  11. Remove the cheese from the mold and peel away the butter muslin. Take the brine out of the refrigerator andpourit into a container big enough to hold the wheel of cheese. Place the cheese in the brine and put the container of brine and cheese back into the refrigerator. Let the cheesesoak for 12 hoursin this manner, flipping it over halfway through the brining time.
  12. Take the cheese out of the brine and pat it dry with a clean towel.Placeit on a cheese mat or drying rack. Let itdryat room temperature for1 to 2 days, or until it is dry to the touch. Continue flipping the cheese every now and again during this drying period.
  13. Agethe cheese in a ripening box or cold cellar (at 50-55°F) for2 weeks,flippingonceevery day. After this time, continue toage for 3 months,flippingit once a week. After three months,rubthe entire surface of the cheese with olive oil. Continue torubwith oilevery 3 monthsof aging.
  14. If any unwanted mold develops on the rind of the parmesan, use a bit ofcheeseclothwet in a vinegar water solution to wipe it away, and oil the cheese again.

If you are patient enough, this cheese is great if aged for up to a year, but you can eat and enjoy it around the 7-month point.Once the cheese has been cut into, it will store best if wrapped incheese paperand stored in the refrigerator.

Ready toLearn More?

  • Overview of Cheese Cultures: Thermophilic and Secondary Starters
  • Wrapping and Storing Different Types of Cheeses

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Simple Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Cultures For Health (2024)

FAQs

What cultures are used in Parmesan cheese? ›

For common Parmesan, LAB starter cultures such as L. bulgaricus or Streptococcus thermophilus are often used to provide the source of acidification. Because the milk is cooked at high temperatures during production, the starter cultures are naturally selected to be thermophilic bacteria in order to survive.

What are the three ingredients in Parmesan cheese? ›

True Parmigiano-Reggiano is a storied cheese with a tightly controlled process and simple recipe. It has only three ingredients: fresh milk from the Parma/Reggio region of Italy, salt, and rennet. Many kinds of cheese labeled Parmesan are created with more or different ingredients.

How healthy is Parmesan cheese? ›

Parmesan cheese provides large amounts of high quality protein — protein of high biological value — because it contains high concentrations of all the essential amino acids ( 1 , 2 ). And because it contains all the essential amino acids, it's considered a complete protein.

Is Parmesan cheese good for high blood pressure? ›

Additionally, excessive consumption of high-fat and high-sodium foods like parmesan cheese may contribute to health issues such as heart problems and elevated blood pressure. It's important to maintain a diverse and balanced diet for optimal health.

Are cheese cultures healthy? ›

Cultured foods like yogurts, kombuchas, and even cheese have gained widespread popularity due to the many health benefits they provide. Fermented foods and drinks contain many good bacteria called probiotics that helps restore your gut health and has many digestive enzymes.

What cultures are used in cheese? ›

mesophilic cultures is essential for many types of fresh, young and medium aged cheese including Cheddar, Gouda and Chèvre as well as washed and bloomy rind cheese including Muenster and Camembert. The bacteria in mesophilic culture works at a range of 62-102F and is happiest between 84-86F.

What are the ingredients in real Parmesan cheese? ›

It's amazing that parmesan is made with the same four ingredients – milk, salt, bacteria cultures, and rennet – like nearly every other cheese on the planet. And yet cheesemakers create cheeses as different as cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, swiss, and gorgonzola from these basic building blocks.

What is the main ingredient in Parmesan cheese? ›

Parmesan cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk and is aged at least 12 months. Whole milk and naturally skimmed milk are combined and then distributed into copper vats for heating. During the two-step heating process, additional ingredients like whey and rennet are added to form the curd.

What's the difference between Parmesan and Parmesan? ›

For a cheese to be classified as Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must come from particular regions of Italy and contain only certain approved ingredients. Parmigiano-Reggiano is also aged at least one year and up to three years. Parmesan, on the other hand, is not regulated, and may be aged as little as 10 months.

What cheese is healthier than parmesan? ›

Some of the healthiest cheeses are feta and goat cheese, which are better for lactose intolerance. Cottage cheese and ricotta have more than 11 grams of muscle-building protein in a single serving. Swiss cheese is naturally lower in sodium, so it is a good option for people with hypertension.

Is parmesan cheese kidney friendly? ›

If you're looking for overall CKD-friendly cheeses, your best bets are cream cheese, goat cheese, ricotta, and parmesan. Keep in mind that a low phosphate diet is often around 800-1000mg, a low sodium diet is often around 2000mg, and a low potassium diet is often 2000-3000mg.

Is it OK to eat parmesan cheese everyday? ›

You could technically eat up to 4.5 ounces of parmesan cheese daily to fulfill your daily dairy requirement. But remember that this means that you shouldn't eat other dairy sources on the same day. There's also a chance that this much parmesan could put you over the limit for other nutrient requirements.

Can diabetics eat parmesan cheese? ›

- Parmesan cheese: It is another high-protein, low-fat cheese that can be beneficial for people with diabetes. It is a good source of calcium and phosphorus, and it can help to regulate blood sugar levels.

Can you eat parmesan cheese if you have high cholesterol? ›

You can eat cheese and still maintain healthy cholesterol levels. One study reported that cheese intake, compared with the same amount of fat from butter, didn't increase LDL. While you may not want to eat tons of cheese, there's no reason you need to totally cut it out of your diet.

Does Parmesan cheese have live cultures? ›

Yes. Traditional Parmesan cheese that is made from unpasteurized milk contains beneficial bacteria that can help promote healthy gut bugs. The probiotics in certain other aged, fermented cheeses have also been shown to be able to survive stomach acid, and are able to colonize.

What bacteria is in Parmesan cheese? ›

casei, L. fermentum and L. rhamnosus. Those bacteria are the “brain” of the cheese, and together with the cheesemaking procedure will make the milk into Parmigiano Reggiano (instead, say, of Cheddar or Emmentaler).

Why is Parmesan cheese only made in Italy? ›

Is parmesan cheese only made in Italy? Parmesan can be made anywhere, but there are some caveats. The name Parmigiano Reggiano is protected and regulated, so only cheeses made in a specific area of northern Italy that adhere to a strict set of production guidelines may be called Parmigiano Reggiano.

What are the bacterial cultures in cheese? ›

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play an essential role in traditional cheese making, either as starter cultures that cause the rapid acidification of milk or as secondary microbiota that play an important role during cheese ripening.

References

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