How to make mascarpone cheese at home

Mascarpone is considered one of the most delicious soft cheeses. The product came to us from Italy, it is firmly entrenched in the hearts of adults and children. On the basis of mascarpone, they prepare main dishes, snacks, salads and desserts. Cooking cheese does not require financial and time costs, so many housewives prefer to comprehend the culinary niche on their own. Mascarpone at home is cooked without ripening. There are basic recipes that we’ll talk about today.

Secrets of Mascarpone Cooking

1. Soft cheese contains lemon juice, it serves as a thickener for cream, sour cream and other milk components. Some housewives prefer to replace the juice with wine vinegar. They argue that such a move helps to achieve a gentle and creamy taste.
2. Of great importance is the fat content of the dairy product, on the basis of which mascarpone will be made. As a rule, cream is used in production. Buy a product with a mass fraction of fat content of at least 28%. The best option is 33% cream, in no case do not buy a composition above 40%.
3. Take care of the thermometer in advance, because during the preparation process you will need to monitor the temperature regime. If there is no thermometer, control the process with the little finger. Immerse it in the composition, if the finger tolerates - the temperature is acceptable. Too hot composition must first be cooled.
4. After cooking, you need to evaluate the consistency of the cheese. To do this, dip a teaspoon or a tablespoon into the resulting composition, then gently pull the cutlery out of the mass. If the procedure is carried out correctly, a circle of cream cheese will remain on the surface.
5. If you set a goal - to get a dense and thick mascarpone, after cooking, leave it in the refrigerator to “lie back”. In cases where at the exit a person wants to enjoy soft cheese, proceed to use immediately after insisting (the duration is indicated in the instructions).
6. When heating cream or sour cream, set a small burner power. Otherwise, the pan will burn from below and ruin the whole process. The cheese will start to smell like burning, in this state it is not recommended to use it.

Sour cream based mascarpone

• lemon juice - 35 ml.
• sour cream (fat content of 20% and above) - 775 ml.
• fat milk (from 3.2%) - 190 ml.

1. Cheese based on sour cream is airy and light, its only drawback is excessive calorie content. The cooking process does not require special skills, you will need about 2-3 hours of free time.
2. Cool the sour cream and milk to room temperature, after removing the ingredients from the refrigerator. After the products reach the desired temperature, mix them together.
3. Pour the milk mixture into an enamel pan, set the stove to low power. Constantly mix the composition with a wooden spatula so that the mass does not burn. While languishing, check the temperature with a thermometer.
4. The temperature of the milk mixture should not exceed 75 degrees. Continuing to stir, pour lemon juice into the composition of the milk mass. You will notice how the mixture begins to curl up, do not allow boiling.
5. Turn off the burner, cover the pan with a lid and leave at room temperature until it cools completely. At this time, fold the cheesecloth into 6 layers, soak the cloth in filtered water. Prepare a colander, line it with wet gauze, after squeezing it.
6. Move the cooled milk mass to a kind of filter, wait 1 hour until the whey completely drains.If the liquid does not drain completely, leave the product for another 2 hours, in no case do not press it with your hands at this stage.
7. After draining the whey, gently press the finished product with your palms. Adjust density with your hands. Move the mascarpone cheese into a plastic container, store no longer than 2 days on the middle shelf of the refrigerator. Eat with vegetables and herbs.

Cream Mascarpone (15-20%)

• pasteurized cream (fat content of 15-20%) - 385 gr.
• lemon juice - 15 ml.

1. At the exit you get about 180 gr. Mascarpone, it all depends on the characteristics of the cream (consistency, fat content, manufacturer, etc.).
2. Prepare the dishes with enamel coating, pour in the cream, brought to room temperature. Stir constantly, simmer the product at minimum power, gradually bringing the mass to a temperature of 80 degrees.
3. If there is no thermometer, refer to the state of the mixture. She will start to foam, but not boil. It is this symptom that will tell you that the cream has reached the desired temperature. Once this happens, remove the pan from the heat.
4. Pour in the lemon juice immediately, knead until smooth, put on the stove again. At low power, simmer the milk mass until the cream is curdled. At first they will resemble kefir, then they will curl even stronger. As a rule, coagulation takes 7-15 minutes.
5. Remove the composition from the stove, leave at room temperature for a quarter of an hour. Cream will not be divided into whey and cottage cheese, they will only thicken a little and become dense.
6. Select an empty pan, put a colander in its cavity. Roll up gauze in 6 layers, soak in clean water and wring out. Spread a colander with it, pour the creamy mass inside. Leave the cheese to drain for 1 hour.
7. After the specified period, roll the gauze in a bag, tie the ends together, hang over a bowl. The serum will drain for about 2 hours. After that, you need to squeeze the cheese a little by hand and move it into a plastic container.
8. Put a heavy load (about 350 gr.) Over the mascarpone, send it to the refrigerator for 10 hours. Then proceed to the tasting, eat cheese for 3 days.

Fat cream mascarpone (30–33%)

• lemon juice - 80 ml.
• cream with a fat content of 30% - 950 ml.

1. Pour the cream into an enameled pan, put on the stove, bring to a temperature of 85 degrees. Add lemon juice; if desired, replace it with citric acid diluted in water according to the instructions.
2. Simmer the milk-lemon mixture over low heat for about 15 minutes, stir so that the mass does not burn. Collect the composition from the walls of the pan and send it back.
3. Line the colander with a linen cloth dampened with water or gauze folded in 7 layers. Pour the cooled milk mixture into a sieve, leave for 12 hours.
4. After the specified time, squeeze out the remaining whey with your hands, move the mascarpone into a food container. Use immediately after preparation, keep in the cold for no longer than 2 days.

Wine vinegar mascarpone

• cream (fat content 25–33%) - 1 liter.
• wine vinegar (white) - 15 ml.

1. Cool the cream to room temperature, before cooking they should not be cold. Pour the product into a pan with a thick bottom, immediately pour in the vinegar and simmer over low heat until the first bubbles appear.
2. Stew the composition for about 5 minutes, do not forget to stir, so that the mass warms up evenly. After about 3 minutes, it will begin to separate into cottage cheese and whey, then darken a little more and remove from the stove.
3. When the mass has cooled, move it to the refrigerator for 12 hours. At the end of the time, prepare a colander. Cover it with gauze folded in 6 layers. Pour the entire product inside, leave the whey to drain.
4. After 3 hours, wrap gauze in a bag, put oppression on top of the mass. Wait about 6 hours, then turn around and proceed at the tasting. If you do not eat everything at once, put the leftovers in the refrigerator.Shelf life - 2 days.

Powdered milk mascarpone

• lemon juice - 35 ml.
• cream (fat content from 28%) - 550 ml.
• milk powder - 40 gr.

1. In most cases, cheese made on the basis of milk powder is used in cakes, pancakes, cakes, ice cream and other sweet dishes. It is not always suitable for appetizers and salads.
2. To begin cooking, remove the cream from the refrigerator 3 hours before starting to cook the mascarpone. Shake the packaging, pour the composition into a thick-bottomed pan and place on the stove.
3. Warm up the composition very slowly, do not leave the stove, otherwise a crust will form on the bottom. Constantly stir the mixture, the total duration of the heat treatment is 10-12 minutes. During this period, the mixture warms up to a temperature of 80 degrees.
4. When the first small bubbles appear, start gently pouring powdered milk one teaspoon each. Avoid folding the bulk product, immediately knead it with a fork on the edge of the pan.
5. When the milk swells, turn off the hotplate, pour in the lemon juice and leave to cool completely. Roll up cheesecloth in 4 layers, line it with a colander or kitchen sieve. Pour the milk mass into the filter, stamp with your palms.
6. Cover the container with cling film, refrigerate for 9 hours. After this time, remove the cheese from the cheesecloth, transfer to a tightly closed container. Shelf life is 3 days.

It is easy to cook mascarpone cheese at home, taking into account important aspects. Consider the technology using cream of various fat content, sour cream, milk powder. Use a colander / kitchen strainer and gauze filter. Keep the composition in the refrigerator, do not exceed the expiration date, if possible use immediately after preparation. Replace lemon juice with acid (dilute it in water, observing the proportions 1: 8) or white wine vinegar.

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