Making mascarpone cheese at home - photos and videos

Not only professional cheese makers can make an elite Italian product; ordinary housewives can also cope with this task. Making mascarpone cheese at home is as easy as shelling pears, you will need a minimum of time and ingredients, the product does not require ripening, so it is done quickly. We offer you several simple recipes that will help you create a delicious product that is perfect for preparing all kinds of dishes.

Homemade mascarpone cheese made from sour cream

Ingredients

Step-by-step preparation of homemade mascarpone

Creamy Mascarpone turns out tender and even airy. It is for these qualities that the product is valued by true gourmets.

Its only drawback is its high calorie content.

In general, the preparation itself takes about 2 hours, but immediately after its completion you can start eating the delicious delicacy.

1. Mix milk with sour cream, mix everything thoroughly.
2. Place the container with the milk mixture on low heat and cook it, stirring constantly. Be sure to check the temperature of the mixture during the cooking process (using a special kitchen thermometer); it should not exceed 75°C.
3. Pour lemon juice into the milk and mix everything again. During this time, the sour cream and milk mass should curdle, but not boil.
4. Turn off the stove, remove the pan from it and leave to cool for a while.
5. Transfer the heated mass into a colander lined with multi-layer gauze (pre-moistened in water).
6. Leave it in a colander for an hour so that the liquid can drain. If all the whey does not drain within an hour, then leave the cheese in a colander for some more time.
7. We squeeze the finished cheese with our own hands. The harder you do this, the denser the consistency of the product. It is best, of course, to prepare Mascarpone tender, but the final word is up to your taste.

Fresh cheese made from sour cream and milk can be consumed immediately after preparation. Eat it as a stand-alone product, or add it to any other dishes.

How to store mascarpone

Store the remaining Mascarpone that is not eaten immediately in the refrigerator.

The temperature in the cheese compartment should not be below zero (for more information about storing dairy products, we invite you to read our detailed article).

Store cheese for no longer than 3 days, this is its maximum storage period.

Homemade cheese without cooking

Busy housewives are sometimes intimidated by the need to spend extra time in the kitchen. Don't worry, there is a way to avoid this. Here's a great homemade recipe. Mascarpone cheese is soft and very tasty. Even gourmets can argue that it is made from the purest cream.

To prepare, you will need a package of fermented baked milk in a tetra pack. You can take several at once, because they simply eat this cheese instantly. So, we put the purchased fermented baked milk in the freezer and leave it until completely frozen. After a day, we take it out, cut the cardboard packaging and put the frozen fermented baked milk on cheesecloth in a colander. We place a pan under it to collect the whey and put the structure in the refrigerator. This will slow down the thawing process. In about a day, the whey will drain, and a delicious cheese mass will remain on the gauze. As you can see, there are quite a few options for preparing mascarpone. You can choose the one you like best. Now let's talk about what you can prepare using homemade mascarpone.

Homemade mascarpone cheese: recipe with cream

How to make classic Italian Mascarpone with just 2 ingredients?

In fact, it's easy to do. It will take no more than 10 minutes to prepare, another 12 hours will be spent straining - that’s all, this will be enough for the product to be ready for use the next day.

Ingredients

• Cream (fat content from 30% and above) – 1 l;
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp. l.

How to make creamy mascarpone

1. Heat the cream on fire to 80°C.
2. Add lemon juice to them (you can replace it with diluted citric acid), continue to heat the cream over moderate heat for another 10 minutes.
3. We throw the mass onto multi-layer gauze (at least 5-6 layers), or better yet onto linen fabric, it will not allow even small cheese flakes to pass through. Leave the cheese mass in this position overnight (about 12 hours) to strain.
4. By breakfast, delicious homemade cheese will be completely ready and can be eaten.

If any difficulties arise during the cooking process or some aspects of cooking remain unclear, watch the short but quite detailed master class “How to make Mascarpone cheese at home.”

How to make Mascarpone cream cheese at home (video)

What is Mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone is a cheese, more like a creamy cheese product. From the local dialect the word “mascarpia” is literally translated as “cream”. According to the original recipe, classic Mascarpone was made from heavy cream, which was skimmed from buffalo milk. Today, Mascarpone is mainly made from regular cow's milk, but buffalo milk is a rare and valuable product, so it is used entirely to produce the famous Italian Mozzarella cheese.

To protect its national product, in Italy, at the state level, Mascarpone was officially recognized as a traditional Italian product. This status ensures that the production and quality of cheese is controlled by the state.

History of Mascarpone

In the Italian province of Lombardy, in the second half of the 16th and early 17th centuries, a cheese called Mascarpone first appeared. Lombardy is a region in which agriculture, livestock farming and cheese production have long been developed. The products of these farms were highly valued far beyond the borders of the region. This region includes the famous cities of Cremona, Milan, Mantua, and Brescia.

It is most likely that the origin of the name "Mascarpone" comes from the local word "mascarpia" - this is the local name for Ricotta cheese. This is explained by the fact that the manufacturing processes of both varieties are very similar.

The second assumption is that the name comes from the word "mascarpa", meaning a dairy product made from whey. But regardless of the version of origin, all culinary specialists and historians agree that the cheese was produced by accident.

Mascarpone is made from cow's milk cream; no rennet is used in its production. Excess moisture is removed from the heavy cream by adding a small amount of citric acid and using a strong cloth.

Secrets of successful homemade mascarpone

Fat content of cream for cheese

To prepare Italian cheese, use only fresh and natural products.

However, in addition to freshness, pay special attention to another factor - the fat content of the cream. The fat content should be approximately 22-33%, a little more is possible, but it is not recommended to take cream above 40%.

“Mascarpone” may not work out, or the taste of the cheese will not be of the best quality.

Replace lemon juice

To thicken the cream, you can use not only lemon juice, but also white wine vinegar.

Many housewives claim that this is even better, since the cheese turns out even more tender.

Use of homemade mascarpone

It is not necessary to use ready-made Mascarpone only for making desserts.

Based on delicious homemade cheese, you can make ravioli, pancakes, cakes, various salad sauces, cake creams, etc.

Spices for homemade cheese recipe

Often the cheese mass is mixed with spices, anchovies and even mustard, but it is best to do without additives, preserving the natural tenderness of the cheese, both in taste and consistency.

This is such an exquisite and unusual mascarpone cheese at home. Its preparation is not only not difficult, but also a pleasure. Try to surprise yourself and your loved ones with an elite Italian product, prepared at home with love with your own hands. And may your efforts not be in vain.

Who should not abuse mascarpone?

Mascarpone is a dairy product, so naturally it is not suitable for people who are lactose intolerant. Due to its high calorie content and large amount of fat, mascarpone is not recommended for children under 3 years of age and people who are overweight. People suffering from high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels should not get carried away with mascarpone. Excessive consumption of dishes with cheese should be avoided if you have kidney disease or gastrointestinal tract disease.

As you can see, making mascarpone at home is not very difficult, the main thing is time and desire, but the pleasure of using it cannot be described in any words. Your family and friends will be very happy to try this cream cheese in any of the famous Italian desserts and will never forget its divine taste.

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Interesting facts about mascarpone

To make mascarpone, heavy cow's cream is used, and the most expensive and delicious variety is made from buffalo milk. The production of this cheese does not use rennin (an enzyme produced in the stomach of calves, which is used in the production of other types of cheese), which allows it to be consumed by vegetarians.

Creamy mascarpone is able to fight stress and depression, thanks to its high amino acid content. And antioxidants, of which there are also many in cheese, increase immunity and are an excellent means for preventing diseases.

Where is mascarpone used in cooking?

The first association that arises from the name mascarpone is the Italian “Tiramisu”. And not for nothing, because in this particular dessert cream cheese cannot be replaced with any other product, otherwise it will be a completely different dish.

Mascarpone is soft, airy and incredibly tender. It has a creamy texture, a fairly neutral taste and a very high fat content - about 75%. It does not change its structure when cooked, so it is more often used for making desserts such as cheesecake, cake creams, and as a filling for ravioli and pies.

In cold appetizers, mascarpone can serve as a filling for portioned rolls, for example, salmon or prosciutto.

Extraordinarily delicious creamy sauces are prepared with this cheese. With olive oil and rosemary – for pasta; based on chicken broth with the addition of parmesan - for chicken and rabbit; with lemon juice, spices and fresh herbs - for fish.

People on a diet use mascarpone instead of butter to make sandwiches - it has almost half the calorie content of butter of the same fat content. At the same time, mascarpone is distinguished by a rich composition of vitamins and microelements, the lack of which often affects the body on a diet. It contains a high content of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins B, A, C, PP.

What is mascarpone eaten with?

Italians have long understood that it is advisable to use mascarpone cheese not only in making tiramisu cake. It is constantly present on their tables - why not learn from this useful experience? Cheese goes well with coffee, vanilla, and chocolate. Fresh fruits, other types of cheese, mushrooms, fish, ham and many other products are suitable.

So, what do you eat mascarpone with:

• Sandwiches. Spread a little cheese on your morning sandwich - tasty, but also very filling. You will get great pleasure if you mix cheese with mustard and any herbs (for example, dill and parsley). Finely chopped ham and sausage would be appropriate.
• Cream. Add a little sugar and powder to the cheese - a delicate cream is ready for coating shortbread cakes. You can also grease ready-made buns baked for tea with it, or simply spread it on fresh bread.
• Dessert. Prepare a dessert with mascarpone and it will delight you and your guests: mix cheese with powdered sugar, add chopped fresh fruit.
• Pasta and polenta. Italians often use mascarpone in preparing pasta and polenta - by the way, there are many recipes.
• Pies, cheesecakes. Mascarpone is used in many recipes for making pies and cheesecakes, sweet sauces, ice cream, and puddings. Sometimes cheese acts as a cream for cakes, and icing is made with it.
• Risotto. Sometimes Italians use mascarpone instead of butter when preparing risotto, adding it at the very end. As a result, the taste improves and the calorie content increases.

Some interesting facts about mascarpone:

• Cheese is contraindicated for those wishing to lose weight, since its calorie content is significant - 400 - 500 kcal. per 100 gr. product. The fat content is also not pleasing - up to 40%, which is too much, so girls who are losing weight should not get carried away with cheese - there is very little protein - 5%.
• It is not recommended to consume mascarpone in large quantities for those suffering from hypertension, obesity, liver and gastrointestinal diseases.

For all other cheese lovers, mascarpone can be consumed; it contains vitamins, amino acids and microelements. But remember the sense of proportion, of course.

Homemade mascarpone cheese recipe

Mascarpone is not a cheap cheese, so housewives often look for a way to replace it. On the Internet you can find many different recipes for preparing a product similar to cream cheese, but the result is usually far from the original.

Mascarpone cheese is prepared quite quickly at home. It belongs to young cheeses that do not require ripening. The manufacturing process is based on curdling cream using natural acid: lemon juice or white wine vinegar.

A worthy replacement for mascarpone

If the reason for looking for a replacement for mascarpone is not its price, but its absence on store shelves, then try taking ricotta . This is also an Italian soft cheese, very similar in consistency and taste to the hero of our article.

Ricotta is made, however, not from cream, but from whey, and it comes in different flavors, therefore, given the variety of types of ricotta, you need to know which one is more suitable for which dish.

For desserts, buy sweetish ones; smoked and salty varieties will replace mascarpone in appetizers.

Philadelphia cheese, the American analogue of mascarpone, can also be a good alternative . It is prepared from the cream of cow's milk and the milk itself. It is used for cheesecakes and, sometimes, for tiramisu.

However, both ricotta and Philadelphia are not a cheap pleasure, and most readers are interested in a budget version of the famous mascarpone.

It is for them that there are several proven recipes for making homemade mascarpone cheese, which will taste almost indistinguishable from the original.

How to make mascarpone cheese at home

The recipe for mascarpone at home is simple, you will need:

• One liter of cream with a fat content of at least 25%;
• lemon juice – 3 tbsp. l.

UHT cream is not suitable for making mascarpone. There is a high probability that these will not curl or will take more time to curdle. The ideal option is homemade, but be sure to try them before purchasing. If you feel bitterness, it means they are stale or have been removed from unsuitable milk, and the final product will also be bitter.

1. Pour the cream into a small saucepan. Place it in a large pan of water so that the bottom of the smaller one touches the water, but does not completely sink into it.

2. Heat the cream over medium heat to a temperature of 80°C.

3. At this moment, without turning off the heat, pour lemon juice into the cream. I make this straight from the lemon.

4.Reduce heat to low. Stir the cream with a wooden spoon and pour lemon juice into it in a thin stream. Simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly (time may increase due to the individual qualities of the cream). The mixture should thicken and flakes of curdled cream will appear. Remove the pan from the water bath and cool the mixture, stirring.

5. Now you need to take another container, a sieve and gauze. Cover a sieve with 5-6 layers of gauze and place it in a deep bowl.

Place the entire curd mass on cheesecloth.

Now homemade Mascarpone cheese can be used to prepare various dishes.

Proven recipes for mascarpone at home

Today we will learn how to cook the famous Italian cheese, which is included in many dishes. It's not just desserts, hot dishes and soups. Cheese is added to both salads and snacks. Its structure is very delicate, it is light and airy. You want to work with him, you want to change him and try him in new images!

Previously, such cheese could only be bought abroad, but now it can be found in almost every store and even in markets. But all this doesn’t matter anymore, because today we will learn how to cook it at home from the simplest and most affordable ingredients.

Of course, it is much easier to buy ready-made cheese, because it does not require so much time. But if you have a day or at least a night to spare, we still recommend making mascarpone yourself. It will be cheaper and more natural.

To make cream cheese, you will definitely need a dairy product. Somewhere it’s cream, somewhere it’s milk powder, and somewhere it’s sour cream. All these ingredients must be as fresh and high quality as possible. The cheese will have to wait for hours, as the whey must drain. And if your dairy product was not initially fresh, the mascarpone will have to be thrown away.

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and place the dish in a water bath.
2. Stirring, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

3. When the temperature of the cream reaches 85 degrees Celsius, remove it from the heat.
4. Pour off the citrus juice in a thin stream and let the temperature drop to 82 degrees.
5. Return to the water bath and heat to 84 degrees.
6. When the mixture becomes creamy, remove from heat.
7. Stirring, bring to 45 degrees and pour into a sieve through cheesecloth.

8. Squeeze out the whey, tie and hang overnight.
9. In the morning, transfer the gauze into a colander and into a bowl.

10. Place a weight on top and put it in the refrigerator for ten hours.

Tip: You can also use lemon juice.

Homemade mascarpone, second recipe with lemon juice

• 400 ml. cream (pasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized) with a fat content of 15-20%
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

You will get approximately 150-200 g of cheese (depending on the specific brand of cream, fat content, etc.)

Pour the cream into a bowl and place in a water bath.

With constant stirring, over low heat, bring to almost boiling temperature (85 degrees) - when the water is just about ready to boil, but is not yet boiling.

At this point, remove the bowl with the cream, set it aside and pour in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix.

Return the bowl with the cream to the water bath. The fire is minimal.

Stirring constantly, watch how the structure of the cream changes.

At first nothing happens - the cream remains liquid. Then the mass begins to slowly curdle and becomes similar to kefir.

Finally, the mass thickens and resembles the consistency of a thick cream (this process can take from 5 minutes to 20 - depending on the specific cream).

Remove from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. Do not overcook the cream on the heat - otherwise the cheese will have a “cooked” taste.

Don't expect the process to resemble curdling milk (as when making cottage cheese). The cream will not immediately separate into solid mass and whey - but will only thicken and thicken.

Place a sieve over the empty dish, line the sieve with cotton cloth or gauze in 4 layers. We spread our cheese and let the whey drain - about 40 minutes - an hour.

Then we hang it for another hour so that the remaining whey drips out and the cheese thickens.

And finally, put it back into the sieve, and put a small load on top (300 grams) and put it in the refrigerator for at least 8-9 hours (overnight).

In the morning we unwrap and consume.

See also the recipe for homemade Philadelphia on the blog

Soft cheese made from sour cream

Just one ingredient, and the result is a delicate, light creamy cheese, from which you can prepare a large number of different dishes and desserts.

What time is it - 12 hours.

What is the calorie content - 115 calories.

1. Place a large colander in a bowl and cheesecloth in it, folded in four layers.
2. Pour sour cream into it and put it in the refrigerator for twelve hours.
3. If possible, seal tightly or temporarily remove from the refrigerator all foods that smell strongly.
4. After the time has passed, check the mass. There should be a dense mass left in the gauze, and if there is none, return the sour cream for another couple of hours, pressing it with pressure.

Tip: You can use organza instead of gauze.

Cooking method

And now, in order, how to make mascarpone cheese:

• Shake the cream (if the product is good, you won’t be able to pour it out) into the pan.
• Place on low heat and heat. We must not allow it to boil, so we watch it very carefully.
• We dilute citric acid in a spoon of water and pour it into the cream.
• Continue heating and stirring until thickened. Usually 10 minutes is enough.
• We cover a colander placed over a pan of larger diameter with a clean linen napkin and pour our mixture into it.
• After about an hour, the serum will disappear. Now the mass resembles dough. It needs to be transferred to a suitable pan and put in the refrigerator for a day to ripen.

The output will be approximately 500 g of product. Depends on how sooner or later you decide to remove it from the napkin to weigh it out, or rather, how much whey the product has retained.

Mascarpone based on heavy cream

This cream cheese recipe is very close to the original. It uses cream and lemon (or rather lemon concentrate), so it should turn out delicious if you do it right.

How much time – 10 minutes + night.

What is the calorie content - 117 calories.

1. Pour the cream into a saucepan and place on the stove, turn on the heat.
2. Bring the contents of the container to 75 degrees Celsius.
3. Dilute citric acid in water and pour into cream.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring, for ten minutes.
5. Fold the gauze into several layers and place in a colander or sieve.
6. Place the sieve (or colander), in turn, in a bowl.
7. Pour the cream into it, stir and put in the refrigerator overnight.

Tip: store mascarpone for no more than three days and be sure to keep it airtight.

Creamy mascarpone - homemade cheese recipe

The famous Mascarpone cheese is used not only for desserts; it goes perfectly with fish, meat pates, pasta, sauces, and salad dressings.

We need the following ingredients:

• Cream 30% fat – 500 ml
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l. or diluted citric acid.

How to make mascarpone cream cheese

1. Pour fresh heavy cream into a saucepan and, stirring constantly, heat over medium heat to about 85 degrees.
2. Add lemon juice or citric acid and mix thoroughly. Continuing to stir, simmer over low heat for another 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the stove and leave for 30 minutes to curdle.
4. Line a sieve or colander with gauze folded in 3-4 layers.
5. Pour the curdled cream from the pan into a sieve and leave for an hour until all the whey has drained through the cheesecloth into a bowl.
6. Pour the whey or pour it into another container, put the sieve back on the bowl and, wrapping everything in cling film, place it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours.

After 10 hours, the mascarpone is ready. Store homemade mascarpone in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a tightly closed container.

Unusual recipe with milk powder

We offer you an unusual recipe for mascarpone at home. The cheese will contain cream, lemon juice and milk powder, which makes the recipe unusual.

What time is it - 10 hours.

What is the calorie content - 140 calories.

1. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place on the stove, turn on the heat.
2. Stirring constantly, warm them up and pour in the milk.
3. Pour in citrus juice, stir and remove from heat.
4. Place a sieve in a bowl, and four layers of gauze in it.
5. Pour the cream into it, compact the mixture and cover with cling film.
6. Place in the refrigerator for ten hours.

Mascarpone - what is it and its origin story

In the traditional sense, mascarpone has nothing in common with cheese. It's more like thick sour cream or cream. It would be correct to call it soft cheese.

The difference between mascarpone cheese and other cheeses is that rennet is not used in production and there is no need to age it for ripening. You can make cheese quickly. It is clear that you are unlikely to be able to comply with all the technological details of the process at home. But you will achieve an exquisite original taste, the same as that of a store-bought one.

They say that mascarpone cheese was first invented in Italian Lombardy, at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. There is some debate as to what exactly the word means. According to one version, it comes from the Spanish “mas que bueno” - better than good, in memory of the days when the country was under Spanish rule.

There is another version - the word mascarpone means “dairy product”, ricotta cheese.
In Italy it is called “mascarpia”, and the process of preparing both cheeses is similar. By the way: the other day I learned how to make Savoyardi cookies, which are used for making tiramisu. Find the recipe here. [information] Easy to prepare yourself:

Popular dessert Tiramisu based on cheese

We decided to share with you at least one recipe where mascarpone can be included. Here is a delicious, airy, aromatic dessert tiramisu. Enjoy!

How much time - 40 minutes.

What is the calorie content - 265 calories.

1. Add sugar to the coffee and let it dissolve thoroughly. If the crystals do not disperse, the drink can be heated, then cooled again.
2. Add a third of the liqueur to sweet coffee for flavor.
3. Place the yolks in a deep container, add powdered sugar.
4. Place in a water bath and combine the ingredients while stirring.
5. Then let the mixture cool and at the same time become thicker.
6. Start beating the cold mass with a whisk or mixer until fluffy and airy. It will take about 5-7 minutes, no more.
7. Pour in the remaining liqueur, stir and add mascarpone in parts.
8. At the end, stir the mixture again to achieve homogeneity.
9. Whip the cream to stable peaks in a separate container.
10. Mix the yolk mixture with the cream mixture until smooth.
11. Place some of the cream into the mold and spread it evenly across the bottom.
12. Pour the coffee into a bowl and dip the savoiardi into it one by one.
13. Place on the cream in a row, then grease it with cream.
14. Repeat layers until the cream runs out. It should be the top layer.
15. Break the chocolate and then grind it into crumbs using a blender, mix with cocoa.
16. Place the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least five hours, or better yet, overnight.
17. Before serving, sprinkle the dessert generously with chocolate powder and serve.

Tip: Dip the savoiardi for no more than a minute, otherwise they will become soggy.

Cream cheese with added sauce

This recipe for homemade mascarpone is also close to the original. Cream and wine sauce are used here, and even the Italians themselves often replace lemon juice with it. It’s worth a try, because it makes the taste more delicate and creamy.

What time is it - 18 o'clock.

What is the calorie content - 118 calories.

1. Pour cream into the pan, add sauce and stir.
2. Place on the fire and cook, stirring vigorously, until the mass begins to form cottage cheese.
3. Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate for ten hours.
4. After this, put the mixture on a sieve and leave for another eight hours.

Tip: ready-made mascarpone must be stored airtight.

Homemade product based on cottage cheese

This recipe has gained a lot of popularity recently. Mascarpone is often made from cottage cheese and it turns out very well. Let's check how close it is to the classics?

How long is it - 20 minutes?

What is the calorie content - 138 calories.

1. Rub the cottage cheese through a fine sieve or beat with a submersible blender. If this is a sieve, then it is better to use it two or even three times.
2. Pour in the cold cream and start whipping with a mixer or whisk.
3. Beat until the mixture turns into cream.

Tip: for a pleasant aroma, drop a little vanilla essence into the still liquid mixture.