Name: Fresh Tenili-Inspired Georgian String Cheese
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 3.8 L pasteurized, non-UHT whole cow’s milk, cold; 7.5 g citric acid; 120 ml cool filtered water, for the citric acid; 2.5 ml liquid single-strength rennet; 60 ml cool filtered water, for the rennet; 2 L filtered water, chilled to 4 °C or colder; 40 g fine salt; 120 g pasteurized cream, about 20% milk fat, cold

A wide bowl of fine Georgian-style cheese strands with cream on a wooden table.

Yieldabout 450 g cheese strings; 4 servings

Preparation35 minutes

Cooking15 minutes

Passive time130 minutes

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The dish

About Fresh Tenili-Inspired Georgian String Cheese

ტენილი ყველი · about 450 g · Moderate · 3 hours

Tenili is a Meskhetian string cheese associated with Samtskhe. Its characteristic long strands are traditionally rinsed in brine, coated with cream and packed tightly into a clay vessel to mature. This recipe borrows the string shape and cream finish for a fresh home preparation.

The method below uses pasteurized, non-UHT cow’s milk, citric acid and liquid rennet to make a quick-stretch curd. The strands are chilled in a measured 2% brine, drained and folded with pasteurized cream. The result is a fresh cheese inspired by Tenili, not the aged product made under the protected geographical indication. It has not undergone the traditional maturation process.

Use a thermometer throughout. Milk labelled UHT or ultra-high-temperature processed may not form a workable curd, and raw milk is not recommended for home cheesemaking. Rennet strength varies, so use a single-strength product and check its label before measuring. Keep the brine and finished cheese refrigerated; never mature this version at cellar temperature.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

ტენილი ყველი · about 450 g · Moderate · 3 hours

Curds

3.8 Lpasteurized, non-UHT whole cow’s milk, cold
7.5 gcitric acid
120 mlcool filtered water, for the citric acid
2.5 mlliquid single-strength rennet
60 mlcool filtered water, for the rennet

Brine and finish

2 Lfiltered water, chilled to 4 °C or colder
40 gfine salt
120 gpasteurized cream, about 20% milk fat, cold

Method

Sanitize the equipment. Wash, rinse and sanitize the pot, thermometer, knife, sieve, cloth, bowl, storage container and food-contact surfaces, following the sanitizer label. Keep the milk refrigerated until you begin.
Acidify and set the milk. Dissolve the citric acid in 120 ml cool water and dilute the rennet separately in 60 ml cool water. Warm the milk slowly in a stainless-steel pot to 16 °C. Stir in the acid solution, then heat gently to 32 °C. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the diluted rennet for about 30 seconds, cover and leave for 5–10 minutes, until a knife makes a clean cut through the curd.
Cut and drain the curd. Cut the curd into 2 cm cubes. Return the pot to low heat and raise the curds and whey to 41 °C over about 5 minutes, stirring gently so the cubes separate without crumbling. Rest for 2 minutes, then drain through the sanitized cloth in a sieve for 5 minutes.
Heat and stretch. Transfer the curd to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, turning it between bursts, until the centre reaches 71 °C; drain released whey. With clean heat-safe gloves or utensils, fold and stretch the hot curd until it is glossy and elastic, then pull it into fine strings. If it cools before it stretches, reheat in 15-second bursts and check the centre temperature again.
Chill in brine and finish. Dissolve the salt in the chilled water to make a 2% brine. Place the strings in a covered container of brine and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then gently fold through the cold cream. Serve chilled or cool.
Store safely. Refrigerate promptly in a clean, covered shallow container at or below 4 °C. Do not age this fresh version. Use within 3 days; discard it if it has been above 4 °C for more than 2 hours.

Excerpt

Make a fresh home version inspired by Meskhetian Tenili: fine, hand-stretched cheese threads, briefly chilled in brine and folded with cream. This version is not aged and is not the registered Tenili geographical indication.

Practical guidance

Use pasteurized, non-UHT milk and a single-strength liquid rennet. Different rennet products are not interchangeable by volume; follow the product’s dilution and potency information if it differs from the specification here. Keep all equipment clean and sanitized, and avoid touching the curd with bare hands once it is heated.

The curd should become elastic and glossy as it stretches. If it tears and feels firm, warm it briefly again and recheck that the centre is at 71 °C. Do not keep heating it for a long time: excess heat can make the strands tough. Pull the cheese into thin strands while pliable, then chill them promptly in the brine.

The 2% brine is calculated from 40 g salt in 2 L water. The finished cheese’s salt level will vary because the curd retains an uncertain amount of brine. The nutrition estimate is therefore approximate, especially for sodium.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: about 112 g cheese strings plus 30 g cream
Energy: approximately 395 kcal
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Protein: 26 g
Fat: 31 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: approximately 568 mg; actual amount may be higher or lower depending on brine uptake

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Use pasteurized non-UHT milk and pasteurized cream; raw milk is not recommended for this home recipe. Sanitize food-contact equipment and use a thermometer to verify that the stretched curd reaches 71 °C at the centre. Keep the brine and cheese at or below 4 °C. Refrigerate promptly, do not mature this fresh cheese, use it within 3 days, and discard it after more than 2 hours above 4 °C.

To serve

Serve the cream-coated strands chilled or cool, as a small cheese course or part of a Georgian-inspired table.
Pair with bread and fresh vegetables; keep any leftovers covered and refrigerated.