There are two categories of milk to make a raclette cheese:
The raclette cheese made from pasteurized milk
To pasteurize milk , it must be heated for 15 to 20 seconds at a temperature between 72 and 85 degrees Celsius. This method allows you to get rid of all the germs present in the milk, whether good or bad.
Costly but effective in eliminating any health risk, this method is mainly used by manufacturers who favor uniformity and health security. If the absence of microorganisms gives more uniform and less interesting cheeses when made by the industry, this does not mean that all pasteurized milk cheeses are bad… Everyone is free to make their own opinion.
pasteurization makes it possible to preserve the vitamins and minerals present in milk. So pasteurized milk is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D and protein.
The raw milk raclette cheese
The principle of raw milk is that it is not subjected to any heat treatment before its use. This requires that it be used as soon as possible after processing (within 48 hours) to avoid contamination (fresh milk). The fact that it is not subjected to a heat treatment allows it to preserve the microbial flora, which will play an important role in the refining of the cheese and therefore in the taste of cheese to raclette.
As a result, unpasteurized dairy products have more character and are better suited to aging. This method requires milk production near the place of manufacture of the cheese .
Fans of raclette cheese know that the taste of raw milk cheese is incomparable. This is why they are ready to pay the price of raw milk, even if it is more expensive than pasteurized milk. But what makes the taste of raw milk raclette cheese so special? First of all, raw milk has a stronger taste than pasteurized milk. Next, raw milk raclette cheese has a denser and richer texture.
Finally, the taste of raclette cheese with raw milk is more complex, because there are a multitude of flavors that develop in the mouth which are brought by the different fodder of the different alpages that cows bush.
cheese with pasteurized milk is most suitable for raconnette. If you use raw milk cheese, care must be taken that it does not heat too long or at too high a temperature. Remove the skillet earlier and let the cheese melt for a few more moments in the skillet before enjoying it.
Which raclette cheese to choose for a pregnant woman?
Raclette cheese made from raw milk
It is not as safe as pasteurized milk. Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria including listeriosis which can be dangerous for a pregnant woman and her baby.
Listeriosis can cause abortion, premature delivery or serious neonatal infection.
Raclette cheese made from pasteurized milk
It is heated to a high temperature which kills harmful bacteria. So a pregnant woman must absolutely eat raclette made from pasteurized milk.
Raclette cheese made from thermized milk
This is a method developed specifically for the production of cheeses . The basic idea is to heat the milk for at least 15 seconds at temperatures ranging from 57 to 68 degrees Celsius. It should be borne in mind that this method of processing milk does not completely eliminate the risk of listeriosis, and therefore it is not recommended for pregnant women.
