Goat Milk

Cheese is a powerhouse of essential nutrients. The major health benefits of cheese include relief from hypertension and osteoporosis. It also helps in maintaining bone health, gaining weight and dental care. For ages, it has been part and parcel of daily life in Europe, America, Australia and nearly every country in the world that has a cold climate, except certain countries in the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle Eastern region. That being said, India and some of its neighboring countries have been using a slightly different form of cheese which is commonly known as “cottage cheese” or “paneer” for generations.

Unlike traditional cheese, cottage cheese is not fermented. Over the last 10 years or so, cheese has become widely popular in India and neighboring countries with multinational companies like McDonald’s stepping into these countries with their mouth-watering products like pizza and hamburgers both of which use a lot of cheese. Contrary to the popular belief of fresh edibles being more nutritious, fermented cheese is far more nutritious than its fresher counterpart.

It is prepared from milk or milk products such as curd.  There are many varieties and flavors of cheese available all around the world.

Nutritional Value of Cheese

Cheese contains many nutrients, including vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. Other vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin are also found in different types of cheese. Adding it to your diet also provides certain vital minerals such as calcium, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and iron to the human body. [2]

Wonderful Benefits of Cheese

The health benefits of cheese include the following:

Dental Care – Cheese has very high calcium content, the first and foremost thing you need for strong teeth. Moreover, it is very low in lactose content. Older the cheese, lower the lactose content in it. This also is beneficial for the teeth as any form of sugar (glucose, maltose or lactose) in food can harm the teeth.

Improves Bone Health – Apart from having very high calcium content, cheese is also rich in vitamin-B, which is very good for children, women (particularly when pregnant or lactating) and elderly people, for the formation and strengthening of bones and cartilage. The vitamin-B in cheese aids to the proper absorption and distribution of calcium.

Osteoporosis – Osteoporosis is mainly a deficiency disease caused by a deficiency of calcium (non-absorption), resulting in a decrease in bone mineral density. This is particularly seen in women who have undergone menopause, elderly people and children who suffer from malnutrition. This can be treated with protein, calcium and a vitamin-rich diet. Calcium alone will not help much, because the problem is with its absorption and its utilization for bone formation. These three components are found in abundance in cheese. Therefore, it can be an ideal part of the diet for those suffering from osteoporosis.

Prevents Hypertension – Sodium and cholesterol are the two elements mainly considered harmful for hypertension and hypertensive people. In this way, cheese should be viewed critically. The fat content of the cheese depends very much on the quality of the milk, whether it is full fat or full cream, low fat or fat free. In general, high-fat ones are more popular, since they tend to taste better. But, keeping in view the public demand and health concerns, low-fat cheese is also being introduced to the market. This means that you need to be choosy while picking it for your home and diet.

Don’t forget the sodium content! Although the sodium content of cheese varies according to the amount of salt added to the milk prior to cheese formation, it is never low enough to be recommended for hypertensive people, as salt is an inevitable part of the cheese. In general, it is not recommended for people suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure). Although low sodium and low-fat cheese are helpful in reducing homocysteine, an agent that is often related to heart diseases, this fact still does not make it recommendable for hypertensive people. Another thing in it that can help hypertensive people is the vitamin-B content if they do choose to eat it.

Promotes Weight Gain – Cheese is an excellent food for gaining weight. It is full of proteins, fats, calcium, vitamins, and minerals. You need protein for muscle formation and growth, fats for fat-based processes in the body, calcium for heavier and stronger bones and vitamins and minerals for improved metabolic function. You just need to eat a lot of them, do your exercise and sleep an adequate amount.

Other Benefits: Cheese contains conjugated linoleic acid and sphingolipids which may help prevent various diseases. It contains a lot of vitamin-B which develops in it during the fermentation process. Vitamin-B is very good for maintaining many functions in the body and also for protection against diseases like Beriberi. It also enhances blood formation, strengthens the liver, and facilitates the absorption of nutrients in the body.

How to select and store Cheese?

Different types of cheese are available in markets all over the world. Some varieties such as fresh cheese with no preservatives are to be used within a few days of purchase as they easily spoil. Store it in cool places or refrigerate them. Before eating or using cheese keep it at room temperatures for better flavor and texture.

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

Paneer (also spelled Panir)  – a cheese originate and made in India. Paneer is also called Queso Blanco (kay’so blan’ko) (white cheese) in Latin America. It is a bland cheese that is kind of rubbery and will not melt.

 

Paneer is sometimes called “Vinegar Cheese” because vinegar is used as an “acid precipitant”, that is, the acid of the vinegar (along with higher heat) makes the curds separate from the whey. The cheese cannot be made using low temperatures.

 

A wonderfully tasty food source and excellent meat extender. You can actually, sprinkled with seasoned salt and serve as a snack . It is also one of the few cheeses that freezes well, so you can stock up for the dry times.

 

 

 

 

How to make Paneer

 

 

Paneer is easy to make and there is so much you can do with it. Paneer  is perfect for “first timers” but even the more advanced can try it or try it again. It is quick and simple to make, and takes very little special equipment.

 

Instructions:

 

You can use as much goat milk as you’d like, 1 gallon or much more as long as your pot is big enough. Do not use an aluminum pot. Over direct heat, warm the milk to 183°- 185° (not any higher), and maintain that temperature for 10 minutes. Stir it often to keep it from scorching and if it does scorch, use a stainless steel scrubby to clean your pot later.

 

With the milk still on the heat, while stirring, add about 1/4 Cup of white vinegar per gallon of milk. It taste better with white vinegar than cider vinegar. You do not need even to measure the vinegar, just pour in a glug, stir, look, pour in a glug, stir, etc. until the curd separates. The separation should happen right away. When the curd separates cleanly from the whey (it will look like very fine, white particles floating in the greenish whey), pour it into a cheesecloth lined colander and put the colander over another pot to save the whey for later use. Use real cheese-making cheesecloth and not the ones you can buy at the grocery store.

 

Tie the corners of the cloth together and hang the bag to drain for a few hours. Refrigerate your cheese after it has drained. It will keep for a couple of weeks.

 

 

 

Now that you have this rubbery ball of cheese, what do you do with it or how do you enjoy it

 

Well, Paneer is like tofu,  it will take on the flavor of the food it is cooked with. Just cut it into bite-sized cubes and throw it into chili or spaghetti.  If you love pasta cooked in whey you can always save whey just for this purpose. Try serving your chili over vermicelli cooked in whey, topped with a sprinkle of cheese, some sprouts and a dollop of goat yogurt.

 

You could use Paneer as a meat extender or replacement. If you are a vegetarian, you can use a lot of Paneer. You make “chicken a la king” using cubes of Paneer instead of meat. A quick dinner is mac’n cheese, made from a box, but also add onions, Paneer cubes, peas and buttermilk. When you make taco meat, cut it up in tiny cubes and simmer it with the meat for about an hour.

 

You can also marinade Paneer and throw it on top of salads or use it in stir-fry. Paneer is really in its element when used in curry. Serve the curry over rice cooked with whey instead of water and add a handful of raisins and a clove to the rice as well to make it really authentic.

 

There are endless uses for Paneer, so make some of this quick and easy cheese and experiment for yourself. Enjoy!

 

 

 

More Acid Cheeses Recipes for you. Check them out!

 

 

Modern Ricotta