Things to Know About Cream Cheese

Various types of cheese are summarized under the legal term “cream cheese”. In addition to the actual cream cheese, dairy products such as cottage cheese or granular cream cheese, layered cheese, mascarpone, skyr – discover our skyr recipes – and ricotta are also included. Mozzarella belongs to the upper category Pasta Filata. For the production of cream cheese in the narrower sense, skimmed milk is thickened with lactic acid bacteria and, if necessary, rennet or rennet substitutes, i.e. the proteins are precipitated and the liquid whey emerges from the resulting curd. The remaining protein mass is given the desired fat content by adding cream: The result is the typical creamy, spreadable cream cheese, which also results from the high water content. With at least 60 percent fat in the dry matter or 34 percent in absolute terms, double cream cheese is the variant with the highest fat content. Cream cheese is available in all fat content levels.

Purchasing and storage

Due to its high water content, cream cheese does not keep very long once the packaging has been opened. It keeps in the fridge for about a week. Unopened products can usually be used for four weeks, some types of cream cheese even shorter or longer. Please note the best before date printed on each product, it provides the best orientation for the shelf life of the cream cheese. When you are pregnant, it is always better to buy cream cheese packaged and not open from the cheese counter – there is a risk of increased bacterial contamination. If you make cream cheese yourself, impeccable hygiene during the production and removal of portions is also very important.

Kitchen tips for cream cheese

The uses of cream cheese are as varied as the varieties that exist. Cream cheese can be used to (gratinate) savory dishes – such as baguettes or quiches – and in the sweet American-style cheesecake, double-cream cream cheese provides the typically creamy consistency. The double cream level is also ideal for cooking cream cheese, so the high-fat content makes sauces nice and creamy, for example. You can also use a leaner variety for our cream cheese dip. Grainy cream cheese adds a bit of crunch to dishes and lends itself to a wide range of cottage cheese recipes. If the cream cheese is too firm, you can simply mix it with a little cream or milk to make it more liquid.