Monterey Jack or sometimes shortened to Jack is a semi-hard cheese from Mexico which is customarily white and is made using cow’s milk. It is commonly used in cooking because it melts beautifully and has a mild flavor, making it an ideal base for other flavors. Like the majority of other cheeses, Monterey Jack, which is made from cow’s milk, is fat-rich. But it’s also a good calcium source. Check out the nutritional information, health advantages, and applications of Monterey Jack cheese below.
How to make Monterey Jack Cheese
You can make Monterey Jack Cheese at home. Here is the recipe to make Jack Cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 gallons of cow or goat milk.
microbial culture (Select One)
- Direct-set mesophilic culture, 1 packet
- Bulk mesophilic culture, 1/8 tsp.
Select one Rennet
- Liquid rennet, 1/2 tsp., diluted in lukewarm water, 1/2 cup
- Vegetable rennet from 1/4 tablet, dissolved in 1/2 cup of cold water
- Cheese salt, 1 tablespoon
Instructions to make
- Heat the milk in a stockpot to 32 degrees Celsius after adding it.
- Add the starter culture, then completely blend by stirring.
- Give the milk 45 minutes to ripen.
- 15 grams of salt should be added to the diluted Rennet.
- Stir the milk for one minute after adding the salty Rennet.
- Let the milk sit for an hour, or until a clear break has formed in the curd.
- After cutting the curd into 1-cm cubes, let it for five minutes to rest.
- In 30 minutes, heat to 38 degrees Celsius. This indicates that the temperature should only rise by a maximum of one degree every five minutes.
- To prevent the curds from Blinding together during this time, stirring often.
- Maintain the temperature at 38 degrees Celsius for another 30 minutes, stirring often to avoid matting.
- Give the curds five minutes to rest.
- In order for the curds to barely be visible at the bottom of the saucepan, pour out the whey.
- Stir the curds five times during the 30-minute setting period to avoid matting.
- To drain any residual whey, pour the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth.
- If using, add 15 grams of salt and stir by hand.
- Fill the mold with the curds, and press at 5 kg for 20 minutes.
- For 20 minutes, remove, turn, and redress before pressing at 10 kg.
- Remove, adjust, and press for 12 hours at 15 kg.
- Take the cheese out and brine-wash it.
- For three days, let cheese mats air dry at room temperature (covered with a fly net).
- When the cheese is touchably dry and the rind has darkened in color, wax or vacuum seal it.
- Your Monterey Jack Cheese is ready to eat.
Food and Safety
Monterey Food Safety and Storage Jack cheese should be kept in a refrigerator because it is perishable. It remains fresh in the refrigerator for a month from the date of sale and in the freezer for up to four months. Any cheese that has mold or smells off should be thrown aside.
Health Advantages of Monterey Cheese
Eating dairy products like Monterey Jack cheese has a lot of advantages. Learn more about how this low-carb, calcium-rich cheese may help you in achieving your health goals.
Helps In Weight Loss
Monterey Jack cheese has 6 grams per serving, which is a good amount. Even better, each serving of the reduced-fat variety contains 7 grams. Eating meals keeps you full and helps prevent hunger, and protein is the food that satisfies hunger the most. Additionally, eating regularly during the day may prevent you from overeating at your next meal.
May Help Control Hunger
The kind of food you eat can help or hurt your health and nutrition goals when it comes to controlling hunger. You need to eat meals that make you feel full to control your hunger, and protein is the nutrient that satisfies hunger the most.
Good For Bones
Your bones contain the majority of the calcium in your body. Your risk of osteoporosis may rise if you don’t get enough calcium in your diet. Adding some Monterey Jack cheese to your morning eggs, lunchtime sandwich, or evening salad may help increase your daily calcium intake and enhance the health of your bones because it contains 200 milligrams of calcium per ounce.
Good for Carbs
Monterey Jack cheese is a fantastic low-carb snack or addition to your roasted broccoli and grilled chicken dinner if you’re seeking low-carb foods. It is the ideal choice to include in your meal and can aid in controlling your type 2 diabetes-related blood sugar.
Monterey Jack Cheese: How to Include It in Your Diet
- Monterey Jack cheese has a light, buttery flavor and is easily melted.
- Due to its mild to mellow flavor, it is perfect for melting, slicing, and munching on Mexican dishes.
- Monterey Jack cheese can be used in place of Parmesan on spaghetti when it is eaten fresh.
- It’s a well-known cheese that tastes great with a snack. It tastes fantastic in dishes like sauces and soups.
- Jack cheese can be found in mashed potatoes, shepherd’s pie, macaroni and cheese, casseroles, and other dishes.
- With pieces of cucumber and tomato, this cheese can be served toasted on wheat bread.
Also read: Gorgonzola Cheese: Types, Benefits, Safety & Storage
Side effects of taking Monterey cheese in your diet
Monterey Jack cheese has many advantages but it has some negative effects also. Because taking any cheese in an excessive amount can cause major problems.
Cause kidney Disorders
Monterey Jack has a lot of sodium in it. It is harmful to those who have kidney disorders. Kidneys must exert more effort to remove sodium when they are diseased and unable to filter blood as they should. Your condition can therefore get worse. In such cases, medical professionals advise against cheese.
Dehydration
The main cause of dehydration is not getting enough water to drink. However, high-sodium foods like Monterey Jack Cheese can also result in issues of this nature. Additionally, compared to other foods, it has more salt. Make sure you’re drinking enough water before and after sodium-rich meals to prevent drying out because studies suggest that symptoms like headaches and reduced urination are markers of dehydration.
Cause Excessive Sodium in the Body
Monterey Cheese is sodium-rich cheese but when you consume too much sodium, it causes a disease’s hypernatremia. Unfortunately, this happens when one does not eat or drink enough or is unwell with a high fever, vomiting, or infection that causes extreme dehydration. Other causes include excessive sweating or diuretic drugs that dehydrate the body. Nausea, vomiting, weakness, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, confusion, and kidney impairment are all signs of hypernatremia.
Conclusion
Monterey jack is a semi-firm, creamy, mild-flavored white cheese made from cow’s milk. It started in California and now rules the entire planet. This Jack Cheese is perfect for using on food while toasting, melting, slicing, and toasting. It is also a great source of protein, fat, cholesterol, and calcium. Protein is crucial, and this cheese can support your low-carb or ketogenic diet goals. Additionally, it has moderate levels of zinc, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamins A and B12, and zinc.
Also Read: Bad Effects of Excessive Protein
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Monterey Jack is good for bone, brain, and dental health as well as for overall wellbeing. It is also works well for carb counters as well. Overconsumption, however, might have negative effects such as kidney problems, an increased risk of developing chronic heart illnesses, hypertension, weight gain, dehydration, and constipation.
