When cooking rolls, cheesecakes and some other dishes, you can often find Philadelphia cheese on the list of essential ingredients. It is manufactured by Kraft Foods and is a premium product. You can not buy it in every store, and he can’t afford it for everyone. Even a jar weighing 175 g may seem like an impermissible luxury for many of our compatriots, and for making a cake or cheesecake such jars you need 3-4 pieces. The question of how to replace “Philadelphia” cheese, so that the family budget does not suffer much, worries many housewives who like to pamper loved ones with tasty pastries or love rolls that include this expensive product. There is an alternative to this cheese, but the cheaper the product is, the less it looks like the original, unless it is a home-made cheese.
Cheeses like Philadelphia
“Philadelphia” refers to the category of soft cream cheeses that do not require ripening. This makes it possible to do the same at home. However, cheesemaking to many housewives seems to be a difficult task, and they prefer to pick up a ready-made replacement for “Philadelphia” from among the cheeses sold in stores. They may like the following cheeses:
- Almette (Poland);
- “Syrko” (Serbia);
- Mascarpone (Italy);
- Cremette (Germany);
- Frischkase (Germany);
- “Buko” (Denmark);
- Tasty Frech France).
It is considered possible to replace “Philadelphia” with classic cream cheese of the President brand, as well as other cream cheese processed in plastic containers, but such a replacement will not be entirely adequate. Most cheeses, which are able to replace the “Philadelphia”, are cheaper than the American product, but also do not belong to expensive goods. Thrifty housewives still prefer to make soft cream cheese with their own hands. It is believed that a homemade product is not only cheaper, but it also tastes more like Philadelphia cheese.
Cooking Features
Homemade cheese, similar to “Philadelphia”, is made from fermented milk products. This process takes about a day and does not require high professionalism, as inexperienced housewives fear. Knowing the basic principles of home-made cheese making and following the instructions accompanying the selected recipe, even an aspiring cook will successfully cope with the task.
- On sale you can find dairy products of different quality. Some manufacturers add antibiotics to them to increase the shelf life of cottage cheese, milk or kefir. Others, wanting to reduce the cost of the product, make cottage cheese with the addition of vegetable raw materials. It will be difficult and sometimes impossible to get cheese from such products. Choosing in the store raw materials for cheese, carefully study the composition of products and give preference to those that have a short shelf life. An even better idea would be to use farm products.
- Despite the fact that Philadelphia cheese does not require ripening, you need to start cooking it a day or even more before its intended use, since it will take time to separate the whey.
- Whey will separate better or faster if the prepared cheese is kept under pressure. For this, it is enough to cover it with a plate and place some load on top. As it can act as a can filled with water.
- Philadelphia homemade cream cheese is stored in glass containers that need to be sealed tightly. When stored in bags, it will deteriorate faster. The product should be refrigerated. But even with proper storage, its shelf life is only 5-7 days. It is necessary to use it during this time.
Cheese, resembling the taste of the legendary “Philadelphia”, at home can make them milk and kefir, sour cream (with or without yogurt), cottage cheese with cream and cream. Technology of preparation of the product may be different. In order to avoid mistakes and get the expected result, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations accompanying the selected recipe.
Philadelphia cheese made from milk and kefir
Composition:
- milk - 1 l;
- kefir - 0, 5 l;
- chicken egg - 1 pc .;
- salt - 5 g;
- sugar - 5 g;
- citric acid - at the tip of the knife.
Preparation Method:
- Heat the milk. Add sugar and salt to it. Stir. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
- Pour kefir into hot milk. Stir until milk is completely curtailed.
- Place a colander over the pan. Put in it folded gauze.
- Pour the curdled mass into a colander. Wait 20 minutes. During this time, the main part of the serum will drain into the pan.
- Spread the fermented milk into a bowl. Pour the serum into a clean jar for later use for culinary and other purposes.
- Shake an egg in a separate container, add citric acid to it, whisk it.
- Pour the egg mass to the curd. Beat them together.
- Wrap cheese in cheesecloth, put in a bowl. Cover with a plate, set the pressure from above. Put the cheese for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge.
After the indicated time, the remaining whey will separate, the cheese will become slightly denser, and it will be convenient to use it for making rolls, cheesecake and other dishes.
Philadelphia cheese made from yoghurt and sour cream
Composition:
- unsweetened yogurt - 0, 5 l;
- fat sour cream - 0, 25 l;
- salt - a pinch.
Preparation Method:
- Put yogurt and sour cream in a bowl, add salt to them, mix thoroughly.
- In a sieve, lay a thin cloth or folded gauze.
- Put a mixture of fermented milk products in the sieve.
- Tie the ends of the fabric on top, hang the knot over the pan. To fix the structure, you can use a spatula or a ladle, tying a knot to a long handle.
- Remove this structure in the refrigerator for a day.
- Transfer the small amount of fermented milk back to the sieve, without removing it from the fabric. Set on top of the oppression and leave in the refrigerator for another day.
The process of obtaining cheese from yogurt and sour cream cannot be called quick, but the result justifies the time spent.
Philadelphia cheese from cottage cheese
Composition:
- fine-grained curd - 0.5 kg;
- cream with fat content not less than 30% - 0, 2 l;
- fat sour cream - 0, 2 l;
- salt, sugar, fresh greens - to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Pass the curd through a sieve so that it acquires a delicate and smooth texture.
- Pour the cream into a clean bowl. Beat them with a mixer in a dense foam.
- Put the cream to the curd, mix.
- Add sour cream, stir again or even whisk with a mixer.
- Add salt to cheese. If you want to use it for dessert. You can add some sugar. If cheese is used for savory snacks, it can be supplemented with finely chopped greens.
- Stir the food again and place in the refrigerator for several hours.
Time is needed not only in order for the cheese to stiffen and become denser, but also for the components in its composition to become friends, becoming a single unit. Experienced cooks believe that it takes about a day.
Cheese “Philadelphia” is in demand in cooking, but is expensive. It can be replaced with homemade cheese. There are several recipes for cream cheese, they are all much simpler than it may seem at first. Having shown attentiveness and patience, even an aspiring cook can get an excellent result.
