Jāņu Siers (Latvian Midsummer Caraway Cheese)
Local name: Jāņu siers
In short: A soft, sliceable cheese of cooked curd, butter, eggs and caraway, made for Latvian Midsummer and eaten with rye bread and cold drinks. It takes about 55 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Resting
- 12 h
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 175 kcal
Jāņu siers is the cheese of Jāņi, the Latvian Midsummer celebration, when families gather around bonfires. It is made at home from fresh curd cheese gently cooked with butter, egg and sour cream until it turns smooth and thick, then pressed and chilled until it can be sliced. Caraway gives it its typical aroma. Serve thick slices with rye bread, fresh herbs and something cold to drink.
Instructions
- Crumble the quark into a large heavy saucepan and mix in the baking soda and salt. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. The curds soften.
- Line a sieve or a small mold with a damp cheesecloth.
- Add the butter to the pan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the curds melt into a smooth, thick, stretchy mass. Do not let it boil.
- Beat the eggs with the sour cream and caraway. Take the pan off the heat, stir the mixture in, then return to low heat and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring, until very thick and glossy and the mass pulls away from the sides.
- Pour into the lined sieve, fold the cloth over the top and press lightly. Cool for 1 hour, then weigh the cheese down with a plate and chill overnight.
- Unmold, slice and serve with rye bread.
Tips
- Use dry, crumbly quark. If yours is wet, drain it in a cloth-lined sieve for 2 hours first or the cheese will be loose.
- Chopped dill or chives, or a little crushed garlic, can go in with the caraway for extra flavor.
Questions and answers
What is Jāņu siers?
A soft, sliceable caraway cheese made from cooked curd, butter and eggs. It is traditionally made for Jāņi (Midsummer) and served with rye bread and beer or kvass.
Why does Jāņu siers need baking soda?
The soda softens the quark so the curds melt into a smooth mass when heated. Without it, the cheese can turn grainy or rubbery.
How long does Jāņu siers keep?
Wrapped and chilled it keeps for 5 days. It does not freeze well, so make only what you will eat.
How long does it take to make Jāņu Siers (Latvian Midsummer Caraway Cheese)?
About 55 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Jāņu Siers (Latvian Midsummer Caraway Cheese)?
About 175 kcal per serving, with 11 g of protein, 3 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 175 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 340 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
