Forms for cheese: types, tips for choosing and using

Making cheese at home is quite simple: you need to choose a suitable recipe, acquire a shape and strictly follow the manufacturing technology. There are many types of cheese, the unique taste of which is obtained due to a certain ratio of moisture and consistency of the finished product: from soft brine Suluguni cheeses to hard Parmesan. Making your own cheese at home, you can be completely sure of the excellent quality of the finished product.

The container for cheese should be as smooth as possible, strong, withstand the pressure of the press and temperature changes. The bowl for the preparation of cheese delicacies must be made of high-strength heat-resistant food grade plastic or high-quality stainless steel and must not react with whey. Plastic molds can be used for the following types of cheese:

• semi-solid (Kostroma, Gouda, Roquefort with mold) - the temperature of their preparation is about +30 degrees;
• fermented milk (Adyghe, Creamy, Lithuanian) - with cold fermentation + 21– + 27 degrees and warm fermentation up to +32 degrees.

Stainless steel bowls are used to prepare cheeses such as:

• hard (Parmesan, Edam, Russian) - the cooking temperature is + 40– + 50 degrees at high pressure;
• brine (Feta, Suluguni, Brynza) - with a cooking temperature of about +60 degrees;
• soft (Bree, Camembert, Dorblu, Riccota) - they are made with the addition of cream and are self-pressing, the cooking temperature reaches + 72– + 75 degrees.

The form for creating any kind of cheese must necessarily have perforation: the taste and consistency of the finished product depends on the size and location of the holes. The less moist the cheese, the higher the concentration of calcium and nutrients in it. The most valuable in terms of the amount of nutrients are cheeses like Parmesan, which literally crumble when sliced.

To press cheese, you need a special absolutely smooth lid, they are thick and flat (the main pressure is on the center of the lid) or with an adapter. The adapter must be strong, it is easy to withstand the pressure of the press, but not give an extra load on the cheese (most often the adapters are hollow inside). Wooden lid, excess weight can irrevocably spoil the taste and texture of the cheese.

It is best to use special presses. Pressing - this is a necessary stage in the manufacture of cheese products, the essence of which is to remove intergranular moisture, compact and shape the head.

Self-pressing - removal of moisture by turning the mold, there is no pressure on the cheese, excess moisture drains naturally. Napkin pressing - the cheese mass is wrapped in a special drainage cloth and promotes the correct drainage of the liquid. Napkinless pressing - when using a perforated cheese mold, you can do without a drainage cloth, the head will be smooth and even.

The stage of pressing the cheese head can last from 2 to 18 hours, depending on the selected recipe. Pressing must be carried out smoothly, daily increasing the pressure according to the technology for making a certain type of cheese. If pressing is accelerated, a dense crust of deformed cheese grains will form on top, which will block excess liquid and the cheese will be spoiled and will not be able to ripen.

According to the cooking technology, each type of cheese is prepared in a mold with a certain type of perforation, namely:

• peas - intended for the production of hard smooth cheeses: a shape with a round base and sparse holes, as well as with a minimum number of holes along the sides and bottom;
• basket - suitable for making cottage cheese and soft varieties, it is similar in shape to a paper basket: it has a round base, frequent elongated rectangular vertical holes that retain clots well;
• cylinder - used for noble varieties of cheese (Camembert, Caciotta, Brie, Reblochon), has a fine frequent perforation in the form of squares;
• sieve - for the preparation of the most delicate in consistency of the finished product, the shape resembles a ladle (with a long handle), small very frequent perforations, most often square-shaped holes, clots flow down slowly and evenly;
• cones - rather rare holes, located in even rows at a distance of about 1 cm from each other, this type of bowl is suitable for hard and semi-hard cheeses (Cheddar), it is necessary to additionally use a drainage bag;
• pyramid - Trapezoidal container with rare holes, suitable for making the unique French Valence cheese;
• bricks - horizontally located frequent rectangular holes, the bowl is narrowed downwards, has a bowl-like shape, intended for making curd cheeses (medium soft), whey from this shape drains most quickly;
• mesh - square shape with frequent transverse rectangles, for brine and semi-soft cheeses (Suluguni, Caciotta);
• cobweb - transverse stripes are located in a circle, in the center at the bottom of the "flower", high sides without holes, a long handle, the pattern looks like a spider web; excess moisture is easily removed, suitable for making Mozzarella.

The size of the cheese mold depends on the type of finished product, for example:

• Adyghe: diameter - from 18 to 22 cm, height - 5–6 cm, cylindrical shape;
• Dutch: length - up to 30 cm, width - up to 15 cm, block shape;
• Edam: ball diameter - 10 cm.

Materials: plastic and metal (stainless steel).

The form must be chosen depending on what kind of finished product you want to get in the cooking process. It is worth noting the following main selection criteria:

• bowl material (metal or plastic);
• Wall thickness;
• perforation type;
• what pressure the container can withstand.

Molds for large heads (5–6 kg) are mainly intended for self-pressing cheeses that need to be turned frequently, so they must have increased strength and durability. On the market there are forms of various manufacturing countries: Russia, Holland, Italy and so on (before buying, it is advisable to request a quality certificate from the seller).

It is not recommended to buy Chinese molds, they are often made from low-quality materials and made in violation of standards, because the production of cheese products is not widespread in China.

Instead of special forms, you can use a regular colander and cheesecloth for cheese, but this way it is possible to prepare only some varieties of this delicious delicacy. The cheese must be cooked with pressure, therefore it is recommended to use a special press in addition to the mold. A home press consists of several parts: frame, basket, plate, piston, drain bags.

Manual presses are as convenient and efficient as possible, they do not require an additional power source, are compact and easy to operate, and are recommended for home use.

After cooking, the cheese must be allowed to ripen correctly, only after that it can be served. It is more advisable to cook cheeses that are quick to prepare and ripen at home. Having a mold for cheese at home and often using it, there will always be a delicious and wholesome delicacy on the table, and the cooking process will be brought to automatism and will take little time. Cooking cheeses at home eliminates the need to search for the desired type of this product in stores, and independence from bans on the sale of imported cheeses will appear.

For tips on choosing and using cheese molds, see the following video.