This Salty, Fresh Curd Cheese From Nicaragua Takes Only ONE Hour To Make

Рет қаралды 4,877

Күн бұрын

Cuajada, a fresh curd cheese from Nicaragua, takes only an hour to make and requires nothing but milk, rennet, and salt. And as far as equipment goes, there is no cheese press, cheesecloth, or even a refrigerator --- just a kettle, thermometer (optional), and your hands. And it's delicious!
LINKS and RECIPES
Rennet: bit.ly/3AZldBT (New England Cheesemaking)
Facebook Group: Learn to Make Cheese
Cuajada Fresca (in Spanish): bit.ly/3C84yxy (KZfaq)
And another Cuajada Fresca (in Spanish): bit.ly/3r4mfI3 (KZfaq)
Read my blog: jennifermurch.com/
Recipes: jennifermurch.com/recipe-index
Email me: jennifer@jennifermurch.com
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cuajada
00:37 Heating the milk
01:13 Secret about sanitation
02:07 Adding Rennet
04:44 Cutting the curd
05:25 Pressing the curd
08:34 Squeezing the curd
13:00 Kneading and Salting
14:56 Forming the cheese
16:05 How to serve cuajada
17:35 Eating cuajada, and a trick for cooking beans
Disclaimer: This video may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I'll receive a small commission.

Пікірлер: 63

@JuanPerez-lu2tf 5 ай бұрын

Me gusto cuando dijiste “nicaragua y cuajada” se ve que tienes un bello recuerdo de nuestro bello país. Todavía tengo recuerdos de esos panes que enseñaste hacer a mi mamá 😋

@jmilkslinger 5 ай бұрын

Todavía pienso mucho de Nicaragua --- es un lugar bien especial. (Cómo se llama su mamá?)

@ellievega3075 Ай бұрын

Awesome! I can't wait to make Cuajada cheese.

@PeterSedesse 4 ай бұрын

I lived in Nicaragua for years. this is the best cheese ever... and sooo addicting. I used to go to the little pulperia next to my house, by a pound, and then like 2 hours later have to return to buy another pound.

@henrysteppel2031 9 ай бұрын

Cuajada is my favorite cheese,I ate it with gallo pinto!. I will make this ! Thank you very much Jennifer!

@ronsimpsjr34 5 ай бұрын

You made realize how much I miss Nicaragua…..😢 but you showed me how to make one of my favorite cheeses. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and experiences……❤

@y2k4ed 10 ай бұрын

Fascinating. I’m in Colombia and want to make many types of cheese. When I talk foreign cheeses to Colombians they scratch their heads.

@thriftathome Жыл бұрын

Love the glimpse of Nicaraguan cooking/eating! Definitely going to try the bean method.

@all_the_thoughts Жыл бұрын

Definitely going to try this!

@user-ms1iu1fu4w Ай бұрын

Thank you for this video ❤🎉your video makes more sense ❤

@lilbitzhomestead 5 ай бұрын

I love this ty for sharing your experience and mak I ng this video

@missmishpot Жыл бұрын

My brother in law is Guatemalan, and I was asked if I can make “salty crumbly cheese” for him because he’s missing home and we have a milk cow. I wonder if this is what he’s wanting? It’s worth a try, so I’m going to try this for sure! I’ve not seen anything else like it. Thank you for sharing your experience and recipe! Delightful and educational.

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

We lived in Guatemala for a bit, too, and if I remember correctly, the cheese there (queso fresco?) was a bit drier and more crumbly than cuajada --- but they are definitely similar. I gues you'll have to make it and let your brother-in-law be the judge! Buen provecho!

@tymotheuspel569 Жыл бұрын

Amazing how people discovered this. And it’s delicious

@dennisbishop3842 Жыл бұрын

You are inspirational ❤️ 🙌.

@caitlinrojas6142 10 ай бұрын

We literally ate it with everything growing up! My grandma had me help her every time she made it and I loved it! One of my favorite ways to eat it is on a tortilla with some crema spread on top and then the cheese crumbled over everything.

@jmilkslinger 10 ай бұрын

Bliss!

@patriciasummers8881 3 ай бұрын

Bean gravy!!

@sl5888 Жыл бұрын

Please teach us how to make nicaragüense tortillas 🤤

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

I would love to, but I never mastered the art of patting out such HUGE tortillas! Plus, the corn needs to be cooked in lime over a wood fire, hand-ground, etc, etc --- that's what gives the tortillas their distinct flavor. HOWEVER, I do make my own corn tortillas from store-bought maseca flour which has been processed with lime, and they are wonderful in their own right. (Get the recipe here: jennifermurch.com/2011/01/patting-them-out)

@dustyschwartz1576 Жыл бұрын

Being married to a Nica and having children half I can attest that this cheese is really good.

@shirleykurtz2633 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful

@emmajohnson592 Жыл бұрын

Is this good with cornbread.

@emmajohnson592 Жыл бұрын

🎉

@amaliaarauz2240 7 ай бұрын

Cuajada is a good cheese 🧀

@irmacox3561 Жыл бұрын

This amazing!! Do you know how to make queso seco Nica?

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

No, I haven't made queso seco. We didn't eat it much when we lived there, so I never incorporated it into my diet. Do you have a good recipe for it?

@sueranbarger5874 Жыл бұрын

Is it something that would be good on pasta dishes? Thanks for sharing.

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

While you can always eat cheese with pasta, I don't think cuajada pairs particularly well with it. Cuajada is salty and nubbly --- not a creamy, melting cheese. It's better for corn tortillas and beans, eggs, veggie salads, tacos, etc. However, if you left out some of the salt, mixed in some heavy cream, and then added it to a lasagna in place of ricotta, I bet no one would fuss!

@kalimariah1 7 ай бұрын

Long process I’ll stick El Salvador cheese easy same taste

@nick7890vs 5 ай бұрын

Love this cheese did you use vegetable rennet or animal rennet im so excited about making this to eat with my beans and papusas

@jmilkslinger 5 ай бұрын

Animal

@justme2059 Жыл бұрын

We have some Nicaraguans that are working in our area. They get raw milk from me to make cheese. They get it from me right off the cow. I thought (the way they described it) was queso fresco cheese they were making. Maybe this is the cheese though. It’s 2 guys and they do 4 gallons every other week.

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

Two guys making cheese every couple weeks --- I love it! It could be more like queso fresco, though. There are a couple fresh cheeses that are quite popular in Nicaragua --- cuajada was the one that we ate most frequently in our community when we lived there.

@maggietaylor9713 Ай бұрын

Yummy. The cheese, the beans... Just delicious. Can this cheese be made with goats milk too? I'd really like to have a go. 🤗

@jmilkslinger Ай бұрын

I don't see why not! Do it!

@kellenjohnson9994 Жыл бұрын

Is the milk you use raw or non pasteurized- or is it just whatever you buy from the grocery store? I’m a city girl, I’ve never made cheese before, but I’m craving this ever since visiting nicaragua and im so happy I stumbled upon your video

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

I use raw milk from our cows, but you can make cuajada with storebought milk. You may need to add some calcium chloride to get a strong curd set, but then again, I don't recall anyone using calcium chloride in Nicaragua so it'll probably be just fine without. Happy cheesemaking!

@carmenblandon-field3451 4 ай бұрын

Can lactaid be used instead of whole milk?

@jmilkslinger 4 ай бұрын

I haven't done it before, but I think so. Give it a go and let me know what happens!

@jimduffy9773 Жыл бұрын

Was this a raw milk cheese? When you were kneading the cheese the texture of the curd was very apparent. Nice video.

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

Yes, raw milk from our Jersey cow.

@aprilmaldonado5196 2 ай бұрын

Are you using Celsius for 90degrees ?

@jmilkslinger 2 ай бұрын

No, Fahrenheit.

@Alexander-uj5pb 18 күн бұрын

👍👍😀😀💯

@judithlehman6533 Жыл бұрын

Can you use grocery store rennet....for making ice cream style?

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand the question. Say more?

@judithlehman6533 Жыл бұрын

I'm wondering if the little rennet tablets at the grocery work the same as liquid rennet. I haven't bought any in so long that maybe it doesn't even exist anymore. Our family always used the tabs for homemade ice cream.

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

@@judithlehman6533 Oh! I had no idea they sold rennet tablets at the grocery store! And you used them for making ice cream?? Do say more! (Sorry I'm not more help...)

@Lamplady333 2 ай бұрын

@@jmilkslinger I think they mean Junket Tablets...

@joycehazlerig1957 Жыл бұрын

I’m gonna try will this with my goats milk

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

Yay! Please report back --- I'd love to know how it turns out!

@dustyschwartz1576 Жыл бұрын

So is this cheese ever smoked because I'm sure I've had it smoked and that's the best for black beans

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

Yes! I've seen videos showing how they smoke it (just on a rack above the cookstove), but I don't think we ever ate it smoked when we lived in Nicaragua. I bet it's delicious!

@dustyschwartz1576 Жыл бұрын

@@jmilkslinger have you ever been to Diriamba

@dustyschwartz1576 Жыл бұрын

West of Managua

@jmilkslinger Жыл бұрын

@@dustyschwartz1576 It sounds familiar, and I think so, but it's been years! We lived in Casas Viejas, north of Ocotál and El Jícaro.

@dustyschwartz1576 Жыл бұрын

@@jmilkslinger sounds like south of Managua but I could be totally wrong. My wife's family came from Diriamba and boaco or something like that and some others from Jinotepe