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Cheese from Latvia

Jāņu siers TSGJāņu siers

Sour curds made with lactic acid bacteria are crumbled into skimmed milk heated to 85–90 °C, and stirring at 65–85 °C splits the mix into a slightly stretchy curd and whey. The whey is drained, eggs, butter or cream, salt and caraway are stirred in at 65–70 °C until the mass leaves the pan, and it is set in round moulds. The fermentation happens in the curds; the cheese itself is heat- and acid-set, a boundary entry.

Fully documentedCheese1.3 h – 1.5 hTSG (EU, entered in the register by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2045 of 13 November 2015)Family: Acid-heat set cheese family (FERMENTATION BOUNDARY)

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe TSG specification's recipe for 10 kg of finished cheese.
Skimmed milk28–50 L[janu-tsg]
Skimmed milk curds10–13 kgCurdled with lactic acid bacteria[janu-tsg]
Butter or cream1.0–1.2 kg butter (82 % fat) or 2.5 L cream (35 % fat)[janu-tsg]
Egg, without shells0.6–1.0 kg[janu-tsg]
Caraway seeds40–50 g[janu-tsg]
Cooking salt100–120 g[janu-tsg]
Beta-carotene food colouring (optional)[janu-tsg]
Starterthe lactic acid bacteria that sour the curds; no rennet

Total time across the recorded steps: 1.3 h – 1.5 h

Start
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85–90 °C

What changes: Skimmed milk heats in a pan to just below the boil

Step 1 of 5
Heat the milk without boiling
Time
Not documented
Temperature
85–90 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Sour curds made with lactic acid bacteria are crumbled into skimmed milk heated to 85–90 °C, and stirring at 65–85 °C splits the mix into a slightly stretchy curd and whey. The whey is drained, eggs, butter or cream, salt and caraway are stirred in at 65–70 °C until the mass leaves the pan, and it is set in round moulds. The fermentation happens in the curds; the cheese itself is heat- and acid-set, a boundary entry. Made in 5 steps over 1.3 h – 1.5 h. The longest step, shape in moulds and cool, takes at least 1 h (European Commission 2015). Lactic acid bacteria that curdle the milk into the sour curds used as the base does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 1 hSet[janu-tsg]Shape in moulds and cool
Temperature85–90 °CSet[janu-tsg]Heat the milk without boiling

What makes this one different

Jāņu siers is not set with rennet or ripened. Sour lactic curds are cooked into hot milk and then cooked again with eggs, butter and caraway, so it is a cooked curd cheese, not a ripened one.

Shape
Low cylinder 8–30 cm across and 4–6 cm high
Composition
Fat in dry matter at most 30 %, water at most 58 %, salt 1.2–1.8 %

Related ferments

Variants

  • Home recipeA small home wheel from curds, rich milk, water, eggs, butter, caraway and coarse salt (leaflet recipe)

Safety

The milk is heated to 85–90 °C and the final mass to 65–70 °C, and the cheese is cooled after moulding. It is a fresh cheese with up to 58 % water. The CDC says perishable food should be refrigerated promptly and not left out for more than 2 hours.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The specification cites recipes from 1796 onwards and the Latvju dainas folk songs collected by Krišjānis Barons (1894–1915), in which tying the cheese in cloth with the knot at the centre makes the round 'sun' shape. Latvia's application was published in 2015 (OJ C 204, 20.6.2015) and the Commission entered the name in the TSG register on 13 November 2015.

  1. [janu-tsg] European Commission 2015, Product specification of a traditional speciality guaranteed 'Jāņu siers', EU No LV-TSG-0007-01264 – 09.10.2014, Official Journal C 204, 20.6.2015, pp. 20–23 (copy held in the UK GI register)spec
  2. [reg2015-2045] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2045 of 13 November 2015 entering a name in the register of traditional specialities guaranteed (Jāņu siers (TSG)) (copy on legislation.gov.uk)spec
  3. [celotajs] Daugavpils University and the Latvian Country Tourism Association 'Lauku ceļotājs', Jāņu siers / Jāņi cheese (bilingual leaflet with a home recipe; names five TSG producers)web
  4. [cdc-food-safety] US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Food Poisoninggov