🇱🇻 Latvian Cuisine

Jāņu Siers

Midsummer Cheese

Prep Time 1.5 hours
Servings 10
Difficulty Medium
Calories 224 kcal

A rich, golden pressed cheese made with eggs and caraway seeds, traditionally prepared for the Latvian Midsummer festival Jāņi.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Heat milk in a large pot until it reaches 85°C (185°F), stirring occasionally.
  2. 2 Slowly pour in buttermilk while stirring. The milk will begin to curdle.
  3. 3 Pour beaten eggs into the curdling milk in a thin stream, stirring gently.
  4. 4 Continue heating gently until curds fully separate from whey, about 10 min.
  5. 5 Strain through cheesecloth-lined colander. Mix in caraway seeds, salt, and butter while curds are still warm.
  6. 6 Pack curds tightly into a cheesecloth-lined mold. Press with a heavy weight for 4-6 hours.
  7. 7 Unmold the cheese and serve sliced at room temperature.

Did You Know?

Making Jāņu siers is a communal ritual — families gather days before Midsummer to prepare it, and no Jāņi celebration is complete without it.