Hungarian túró is a classic cream cheese that resembles cottage cheese or ricotta but has a milder and creamier flavor. The cheese is traditionally made by allowing milk to sour and then slowly heating until the curds separate from the whey. The result is a crumbly yet soft cream cheese that is used in many Hungarian recipes, including túrós palacsinta (pancakes with cream cheese filling), túrós csusza (pasta with túró and bacon), and in various cakes and pastries. Túró is rich in protein, naturally low in fat, and perfect for both cooking and baking.
Making your own Túró is not particularly difficult but does require a little patience. In Hungarian cuisine, Túró is used extensively in both cooking and baking. Examples of recipes with Túró include Strapacska , Körözött and Túrógombóc .
Ingredients:
2 liters of milk (preferably unpasteurized or high-fat farm milk)
1 cup sour cream (optional, for extra creaminess)
A pinch of salt
Do this:
Sour milk
Pour the milk into a clean, large glass jar (a glass jar allows you to see the process clearly). Cover with a plate or lid. Leave at room temperature for 2–3 days until the milk has soured and thickened (similar to fil or yoghurt). Then spoon off the cream that has collected on the surface.
Heat slowly
Place the glass jar with the fermented milk in a larger saucepan and pour water around it (water bath). Heat slowly over low heat! The proteins start to precipitate already at 40 °C, so the important thing is not a high temperature but that the entire mass is heated through. You can feel with your hand that the upper part of the jar has also become hot. Be patient, heat slowly! Heat until the mass separates into white curds and yellowish whey. Stir gently.
Strain
Place a thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth in a colander and place it over a saucepan. Pour in the hot milk mixture. Let stand and drain for several hours, preferably overnight.
When all the whey has drained off, you have a crumbly but creamy cream cheese. The whey that collects in the saucepan can be drunk well chilled or used for pancakes or bread baking. Store the cream cheese in the refrigerator and use within 3–4 days.
Enjoy your meal!🇭🇺
Tasty meal!🇸🇪