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Jāņu siers
Caraway curd cheese
Jāņu siers: Latvian midsummer caraway curd cheese
Jāņu siers is the round, golden caraway cheese that Latvians make for Jāņi, the midsummer festival on 23–24 June, when it is eaten with rye bread and honey, and songs, around bonfires. Unlike most cheeses it needs no rennet: fresh curd cheese is cooked with hot milk, eggs, butter and caraway into a smooth mass, then pressed in a cloth and left to set. Its round shape and golden colour stand for the sun. A common mistake is cooking it over a high heat, which makes it grainy and rubbery. Chef's tip: stir constantly over a low heat until it pulls away from the pan in one shiny ball, then press it straight away.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the cheese
- 8 ¼ cups whole milk
- 3 eggsbeaten
- 1 ¾ oz butter
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 8 ¼ cups whole milk to the boil, add 2 ¼ lb curd cheese (tvorog) or quark and stir over a medium heat until the whey separates, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander and squeeze out the whey.
Step 3: Return the curd to the pan over a low heat. Add 1 ¾ oz butter, 1 ½ tsp salt, 3 eggs and 1 tbsp caraway seeds and stir constantly for 10–15 minutes, until smooth, yellow and coming away from the pan in one ball. Common mistake: high heat; it turns rubbery.
15 minStep 4: Tip into a cloth set in a round bowl, twist the cloth tight and press under a weight for 6 hours in the fridge.
Step 5: Unwrap and slice. Keeps 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jāņu siers take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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