TzaVideo http://bcove.me/vmmdci3d
Items to Purchase
http://www.cheesemaking.com
Or
The Brooklyn Kitchen
100 Frost Street
Brooklyn, NY
http://thebrooklynkitchen.com/
The below items will make Feta
SKU
Description
Qty
Shipped
Price
Total
Cheese Cloth-for Lining Molds
U1
1
0
$5.95
$5.95
2
0
$2.95
$5.90
1
0
$6.50
$6.50
1
0
$4.95
$4.95
1
0
$11.00
$11.00
1
0
$11.00
$11.00
1
0
$5.95
$5.95
1
0
$5.95
$5.95
1
0
$9.50
$9.50
1
0
$3.00
$6.00
Cheese Salt
S1
R7
Liquid Animal Rennet
Size Choice: 2 Ounces
C14
Size Choice: 2 Ounces
Calcium Chloride
Mesophilic-MA011-Large Pack
MA 011
Mesophilic-MM100- Large Pack
MM 100
C20G
U2
M7
SM1
SANI
Chevre(DS)-5pack
(Soft Cheese)
Butter Muslin-for Draining Soft Cheese
Camembert-1 cheese mold
Cheese Mat - 1 mat
Star San-Sanitizer for Dairy and Food Use
1
9.95
9.95
Taylor Digital Programmable Thermometer $22 at Walmart
http://www.walmart.com/ip/17167406?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000973266&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=13696574470&wl4
=&wl5=pla&veh=sem
Items in yellow are optional, makes soft cheese.
Quick instructions
Sanitize all bowls, spoons, etc.
By a big box of Kosher salt at the super market. It is cheeper.
Use bottled water if you are diluting/rinsing anything because tap water has chlorine.
Overview - Heat the milk, add the culture, etc. and wait an hour, add the rennet and wait an hour, drain the
whey and put the curds in the cheese mold.
1. Slowly heat 1 gallon milk to 93 degrees, keep the pot covered. Save a cup of milk.
2. Mix container of plain quality Greek yogurt with a cup of milk, mix until smooth.
3. When the gallon of milk is warm:
a. Add yogurt to pot and stir
b. ½ tsp calcium chloride and stir
c. Sprinkle 1/8 tsp of MM100 or MA 011 culture onto the top of the milk, mix after 2 minutes, and
let sit for r 60 minutes. Periodically turn on the stove to keep the heat constant. Set the alarm on
the thermometer to keep it around 93-95 degrees. Keep pot covered.
4. After 1 hour add ¼ tsp of rennet ( I add ½ tsp, but that may be too much)
a. Dilute rennet in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water. Stir slowly in an up and down direction for 1
minute.
The test for this will be to insert a clean finger into the curd and lift slowly until the curd splits.
Observe the break and if it does not break clean or the whey is very milky, more rennet is needed
the next time (it can not be added now). If the curd seems tough or the whey excessively clear,
then less should be used next time. The milk will begin to thicken in about 10 minutes but allow it
to set for 40-60 minutes from the time of rennet addition.
5. Put a mat on top of an empty bowl, and put the cheese mold on top of the mat. The cheese will drain into
the bowl.
6. Drain whey from the pot and scoop curds into the mold using a large serving spoon that has holes in it. I
try to get as much liquid out now, but don’t beat up on the curds too much.
7. Put a paper towel over the cheese and let it sit for 2 hours, then turn it over by placing another mat on
top and flipping the mold. Leave it on your counter with a paper towel over it for the rest of the directions.
8. Flip the mold a few times over the next two days; slide the cheese out of the mold when it shrinks
enough. Cover it with a paper towel and let it sit out for a day or two or three to dry.
9. Put it into a Tupperware with full brine (bottled water) and cover for 24 hours. The cheese should float.
10. Pour out half of the salt water and replace it with bottled water. Cheese should sink.
11. Let it sit on your counter for a week to a month to ferment. The brine will keep away bacteria. If you have
not eaten it by then you can put it into the refrigerator. The cold will stop the fermenting.
12. Pour out salt water and let the cheese sit in fresh water for 8 hours or more before serving.
Below are several recipes. They all seem to be different methods of making the same cheese. They’ll
make you nuts. The above method works good.
The Feta Recipe
Our Feta recipe below is made with whole fat cow milk but ewe or goats milk can easily be used to achieve more traditional
flavors.
Heating and Acidifying the milk:
This Feta begins with 4.5 gallons of whole milk. It is the heated to 93F.
When the target temperature is reached add 1/4 tsp of MM100 culture and ripen for 60 minutes.
(Note: if using pasteurized milk, also add 3 ml calcium chloride)
Note : if you would like to make a 2 gallon batch
You can simply reduce the culture and rennet and change the press weight as indicated below. This will
make about 2.5 lbs of cheese.


Use 1/8 tsp of the MM 100 or 1/2 pack of our buttermilk culture
 Use 1/4 tsp of a single strength rennet
For consolidating and forming the cheese use only a pint jar of water for weight (some will
choose to use no weight depending on the texture desired)
Coagulation with rennet:
Once the milk is ripened, add a bit over 1/2 tsp or more precisely 1/2 tsp plus another 1/8 tsp (3 ml) of single
strength rennet or 1/2-3/4 rennet tablet. Dilute rennet in 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water.
Stir slowly in an up and down direction for 1 minute.
The milk will begin to thicken in about 10 minutes but allow it to set for 40 minutes from the time of rennet
addition.
The test for this will be to insert a clean finger into the curd and slowly lift until the
curd splits. Observe the break and if it does not break clean or the whey is very milky,
more rennet is needed the next time (it can not be added now). If the curd seems
tough or the whey excessively clear, then less should be used next time.
Cutting the curds and
releasing the whey:
Cut the curd to 1/2 inch cubes over 5 minutes and slowly stir for another 20 minutes to
release the whey while maintaining the original temperature. The firmness of your final
cheese depends on the time stirred in whey. 20-30 minutes
is right for the Feta I make here with the longer time for the
richer late season milk.
When the curds reach the proper dryness, allow them to
settle to the bottom of the pot for 10 minutes.
Removing the whey:
Prepare sanitized molds to receive the curds. I use our Basic Kit Mold for this and
usually find that 2-3 molds will be required depending on the yield from your milk. No
cloth is needed for these molds, but if using a mold with less openings you can use a
draining cloth to assist the drainage.
Remove the whey down to the curd level before transferring the curds to the draining
mold. Very little acid will have been produced to this point.
Forming the Cheese:
Allow the curds to drain overnight keeping them at 68-72F for this time and turning in
the molds frequently for the first 2 hours. Little or no weight is needed for this cheese,
depending on how open/closed you like the feta texture. Here I use about 2 lbs
(aproximately 1 qt of water) It will consolidate under its own weight quite well during draining. During this time
the culture will continue to produce acidity and by the next morning or afternoon the cheese should be quite firm,
consolidated and the smell of acid should be apparent (pH= 4.7-4.8).
The curd mass can now be cut into smaller pieces (1/2-1 lb
each) to facilitate salt absorption in brining. If you find the
curds are still too moist at this point, some dry salt will help.
Allow draining for another 6-12 hrs. (final pH will be 4.5-4.6)
Salting the Feta
Now place in saturated brine for 8 hrs per 1 lb piece (4 hrs per 1/2 lb pieces).
Brine can be made by adding 2.5 lbs of non-iodized salt to 1/2 gal of water then
topping up to 1 gal with water (there should be salt un-dissolved in the jar). If the
brine is fresh add 1/2 tsp calcium chloride to the gallon (this will keep the brine from
pulling calcium from the cheese). The brine should then be kept at 50- 52F . The brine can be filtered after use
and reused.
Remove cheese blocks from brine
and arrange on mats to drain. Allow
assimilation of salt for 1-3 days at
48-56F covered loosely with
sanitized cloth to prevent
contamination. Turn each block
several times a day to encourage draining/drying. This step
will dry the surface, harden the cheese and allow the brine to
stabilize throughout the feta.
Failure to do this can easily result in an unstable cheese when placed in the storage brine, in which case the
calcium is stripped from the curd and the surface deteriorates in a matter of days.
Brine Storage of your Feta:
The brine for Feta storage is an 8% brine. Add sufficient 8% brine to cover the cheese, and ripen at 48-50F for
up to 30 days.
Subsequently
store at 46-42F
until consumed.
Finally prepare
a storage salt
brine of 6-8%
(6-8 oz of salt
in 3 qts of
water will fill a 1 gallon jar to hold this batch), place Feta into a large container with lid and fill with the brine.
Make sure the container has minimal head-space to avoid mold development. The feta can be aged in this brine
for just a few weeks or up to a year or more at 45-55F. Younger cheese will be milder in flavor.
This tends to be a high salt cheese and if the salt is too high for your taste simply soak for several hours (up to a
day) in milk before using.
Recipes

1/2 tsp Calcium Chloride Liquid (30%) Dissolved in 2 Tbs distilled water

1/4 tsp Mesophilic A Cheese Culture OR

1/4 tsp Feta Mesophilic Starter Culture Use this OR Mesophilic A

1/2 tablet Rennet Tablets (microbial) Dissolved in 1/4 cup distilled water

1 gallon Whole Milk Cow or Goat

1/8 tsp Lipase Enzyme Powder (Mild) Recommended for cows milk















Procedure
Dissolve lipase powder in 2 Tablespoons distilled water. Combine milk with calcium chloride and 22 powder in a
6 quart or larger pot. Gently stir milk and heat to 90° F. Remove pot from heat. Sprinkle culture over milk
surface and let rehydrate for 1 or 2 minutes. Gently and thoroughly stir culture into milk.
Note the time and add rennet by mixing it into milk with an up and down motion for about 1 minute. Monitor gel
development. (See: Test for gel development)
Cut curd into ½ inch pieces. It is okay if they are not perfect cubes. Let the curds heal for 5 minutes. (See: How
to Cut Curd)
Maintaining a temperature of 90°F, stir the curds gently for 20 minutes. Allow the curds to settle for 10 minutes.
Drain the whey into the sink, keeping the curd back with your free hand.
Divide and scoop the curds into two small ricotta baskets or berry baskets (like the green pint–sized in which
strawberries are packaged).
Place one basket on top of the other and place on a tray to catch the whey. Press for 30 minutes. Remove the top
basket, turn the cheese over in each of the baskets and switch baskets, placing bottom basket on the top this
time. Press 30 minutes. Repeat this sequence 2 more times, allowing 1 full hour between switches this time (for a
total of 3 hrs. of pressing).
Remove the cheese from the baskets and place them on a draining mat overnight at room temperature with
cheesecloth loosely covering them.
Prepare a heavy brine solution of ½ gallon of water, 1 lb. flaked salt, 1½ teaspoons calcium chloride solution and
1 teaspoon vinegar. Heat and stir until salt is dissolved. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature until
needed.
Next day, cut the Feta cheese into 1 ½" - 2" cubes and place into cooled brine. Place the brine into your aging
refrigerator for 6 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare a pickling brine of 1 quart hot water, 3 oz. flaked salt, ¾ teaspoons calcium chloride solution
and ½ teaspoon vinegar. Stir until dissolved and refrigerate at your aging temperature.
After 6 hours, remove the cheese from the heavy brine. It will have formed a firm rind.
Place blocks of cheese into a clean 1 quart jar and fill with the pickling brine to the top. Place a lid on and store
in your aging refrigerator up to 1 year. The temperature for aging can be anywhere from your regular refrigerator
up to 55°F.
If the cheese is exposed to air in the jar, it may mold. Just cut the mold off and make sure the cubes stay
submerged in the pickling brine.
Directions
2 US Gallons, 7 Liters Whole Cow Milk Feta, Draining Whey - CheeseForum.org
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pour milk into vat.
Heat slowly to 32°C/90°F, stir slowly so doesn’t catch or have cold areas. Maintain temperature through whole process vat.
ie turn heat off and on.
Optionally add and stir in Lipase, method to add at Wiki: Ingredients,When To Add.
Optionally add and stir in Calcium Chloride, method to add at Wiki: Ingredients,When To Add.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Add and stir in Mesophilic Starter Culture, method to add at Wiki: Ingredients,When To Add.
Cover and set aside ~ 60 minutes for milk to ripen (starter culture to start working and acidity to drop).
Dilute rennet and stir in, method to add at Wiki: Ingredients,When To Add.
Cover and set aside for curd to form.
Cut curd after ~60 minutes or use one of the more advanced methods to determine when to cut detailed at Wiki:
Curds,When To Cut.
When curd is ready to cut, cut into roughly even sized ~1 cm/0.5 inch cubes, more information at Wiki: Breaking Or
Cutting The Curd.
Let freshly cut fragile curds sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to heal.
Gently stir cut curds for ~10-45 minutes, stir occasionally and slowly initially when curds fragile (ensure cut curds do not knit
together) to medium speed and more often when curds have released more whey and tougher. Less time and stirring will
result in softer Feta, longer will result in harder-crumblier Feta.
Allow curds to settle in whey for 5 minutes then ladle or pour off whey down to level of curds. If making whey based brine,
retain whey volume of roughly half amount of milk into brining container.
To drain and form Feta, either:
Fresh Feta In Water Brine - CheeseForum.org
Scoop curds out of vat with basket and place on draining tray, then ladle remaining curds and whey onto top of
baskets. Or ladle cut curds and remaining whey into camembert style draining hoops on mats on draining
board. Turn cheese several times, and let drain overnight at rom temperature. More information at Wiki: Turning
Cheeses.
o Ladle the curds and remaining whey into a cheesecloth lined colander in sink allowing whey to be discarded down
drain. Tie corners of cloth into knot and hang for 12 hours or overnight over sink or stockpot to discard or catch and
then discard draining whey. Every 4-8 hours scrape drier cheese off of cloth to allow mositure cheese to drain better.
Remove Feta from baskets or hoops or from hanging cheese cloth and optionally cut into ~3 cm/1 inch cubes.
To salt Feta, either:
o Sprinkle with salt (6% by weight).
o Place cheeses or cut cheeses in 5-15% brine solution. See Wiki: Brine For Ripening Cheese linked above.
While Feta can be consumed immediately after salting, it is preferrable to ripen at ~15C/60F for minimum 4-5 days.
Place in cold household refrigerator, consume within 1 week if dry salted, by 1 month if low 5% brine, by 1 year if 15%
brine.
o
15.
16.
17.
18.
Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Allow minimum of 7 hours to make and then drain overnight.
If your Feta is too salty, soak in fresh water or milk for a while before serving. Note, higher % brine and lower storage
temperature results in longer shelf life Feta.
If your Feta is too rubbery reduce the temperature next time you make.
If your Feta it is too soft, salt later as acidity was still to low; if too crumbly, salt sooner.
Add fresh herbs (i.e. coriander, basil, or rosemary) and garlic into vat after whey removed down to top of curds, stir to
distribute, then ladle the cut curds, remaining whey, and herbs into the molds or cheesecloth.
Can replace NaCl salt in brine with 1/2 KCl salt for less salty tasting, but still long preservation Feta.
For the cheese:
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with live cultures
1 gallon whole pasteurized milk
1/4 tsp. lipase powder, preferably calf
3/4 tsp. calcium chloride
1/4 tsp. liquid rennet
1-1/2 oz. kosher salt (6 Tbs. if using Diamond Crystal; 3 Tbs. if using Morton)
For the brine:
2 oz. kosher salt (1/2 cup if using Diamond Crystal; 1/4 cup if using Morton)
Day 1: Make the cheese curd:
Sterilize all the equipment you will need for this first day of work. Clean all counters with hot soapy water or
an antibacterial wipe.
In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with 1/2 cup of the milk.
In a deep 8- to 10-quart pot, heat the remaining milk over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a
slotted spoon, until it registers 90°F on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the yogurt
mixture. Turn off the heat (leave the pot on the burner), cover, and let sit for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl with a soupspoon, stir the lipase with 1/4 cup water until blended—it doesn’t
matter if the lipase stays a little lumpy. Let sit for 20 minutes. Stir in the calcium chloride and rennet until
the mixture is smooth and blended.
Turn the burner under the milk mixture to medium low, add the lipase mixture and stir with a slotted spoon
for 1 minute. Stop the movement of the milk with the spoon and hold a thermometer in the center of the
milk—the temperature should be at least 96°F; if necessary, continue heating until it comes up to
temperature.
Remove the thermometer, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit undisturbed until the curd is firm and
has a clean “cleave,” 1 to 3 hours. To determine a clean cleave, wash your hands with soap and hot water
and insert a finger (or a sterilized spoon) 1 inch diagonally into the curd and pull straight up. If the cleave is
clean, the curd will split with sharp edges and whey will start to fill the split.
Cut the curd:
With a table knife, cut the curd all the way to the bottom of the pot in a 1/2 -inch crosshatch pattern. Turn
the heat to low and heat for 5 minutes. Stir the curd with the slotted spoon and insert a thermometer; it
should read at least 96°F. If not, continue heating, stirring occasionally, until the curds come up to
temperature, increasing the heat to medium low, if necessary.
Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes to break up large chunks.
Drain the curd:
Set a large colander over a large bowl and line it with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Pour the curd into the
strainer and drain off the whey for 30 minutes. Put 1 quart of the whey in a sterile 1-quart liquid measuring
cup, cover, and set aside at room temperature.
Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and tie them loosely at the top of the curd; then tie them around a long
spoon or several chopsticks. Hang the bag inside the pot at room temperature for 24 hours, loosely
covering the top with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, you should feel a firm, solid mass of curds; if not, let the
curd hang for another few hours and check again for firmness.
Day 2: Salt the feta:
Sterilize the equipment you’ll need for this day of work. Clean all counters with hot soapy water or an
antibacterial wipe. Untie the cheesecloth and transfer the feta to a cutting board.
Cut the feta into 2- to 3-inch pieces. If you see small, uniform, round holes throughout the cheese when
you cut it, and it feels spongy, that means undesirable bacteria have contaminated it and you should throw
it out. Otherwise, arrange the squares in a single layer in a sterile shallow container with a tight-fitting lid.
Sprinkle about 1/2 oz. salt over all sides of the cheese. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3 days.
Turn the feta daily and resalt with 1/2 oz. salt on days 3 and 4. Each day, pour off the whey as it collects in
the bottom of the container.
Day 5: Brine the feta:
Sterilize a 3-quart covered container. Transfer the cheese pieces to the container—it’s fine to stack them at
this point. Stir the 2 oz. kosher salt into the 1 quart of reserved whey until it is dissolved. Pour this brine
over the cheese, covering it completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 weeks. The longer the feta is aged,
the stronger the flavor and crumblier the texture will be.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 70; Fat (g): 6; Fat Calories (kcal): 50; Saturated Fat (g): 4; Protein (g): 4; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 1.5;
Carbohydrates (g): 1; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 320; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 0;
Feta Cheese
Our desire to make feta cheese was inspired by my uncle John. John lives in Greece and makes two types of
cheese out of his farmhouse kitchen from milk he gets from his goats. One of the cheeses is a soft unripened
cheese that we don't know the name of. The other is feta. It's pungent. It's salty. The texture is crumbly. His feta
is the real deal. Most fetas found in the grocery store are mild tasting and too firm. What we were doing when we
set out to make feta cheese was trying to recreate John's feta in Canada.
We started with a recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine (Aug/Sep 2009, No. 100) but we used goat's milk instead of
cow's mile. Some of the ingredients can be tricky to find. We bought calcium chloride, lipase powder, liquid rennet,
and reusable cheese cloth online from the New England Cheese Making Supply Company.
For the first batch we used the amounts of lipase powder, rennet and calcium chloride suggested by the Fine
Cooking recipe. It was very salty and had a very strong flavour. So pungent that we thought it might have gone
bad. We had to rinse it before eating it to get rid of some of the salty flavour. Even then, we gave most it to my
brother (my brother's love for cheese knows no boundaries). The yeild was lower than expected so that might have
explained some of the saltiness.
The lipase emzyme breaks down fat in milk to give cheese its "goaty" flavour. We've read that the lipase emzyme is
typically more active in goat's milk than it is in cow's milk. The recipe we were working from called for cow's milk
and lipase poweder. Since we substituted goat's milk, we were already getting some "goaty" flavour. So with that in
mind, we didn't use any lipase powder in the second batch. In addition, we increased the rennet by 25% to try and
improve the yield. The result was that the yeild improved to 12-14% but it was a very mild tasting cheese. It had a
nice flavour but it wasn't quite what were looking for. Not enought goat flavour I suppose. So our quest for the
Canadian version of John's cheese continued.
For the third batch we stuck with the amount of rennet we used in the second batch and added a bit of rennet. Also,
kind of accidentally, we aged the feta in the refrigerator for an extra couple of months. This cheese had a really nice
flavour. Strong but not too strong. Not too salty. We didn't adjust the salt from the first batch. Perhaps the strong
flavour from the first batch also made it seem extra salty. Using the same amount of salt with less lipase powder
resulted the the flavour we were looking for. The only problem was the texture. It didn't have the cohesion you
would expect from a feta. When you crumbled it, it fell apart into many tiny feta granules.
Right around the time the third batch had been in the fridge for three months, my father visited. He said it was good,
which if you knew him, it quite the complement. So a Greek person vouched for our feta... not bad. He said we
should be aging the cheese for at least 3 months. John ages his feta without refrigeration and he uses his
unpasteurized goat's milk. I suppose there are some bacterial cultures growing in his cheese that help develop the
complexities of the favour. Aging our cheese for longer probably results in a more developed flavour as well.
So now we have a nice tasting cheese but perhaps the texture could be more firm. For the next batch, we may try
hanging the feta to drain the whey a bit longer. Any other suggestions are welcomed.
the ingredients
the gear
curds after cutting
draining the curds
hanging the cheese to drain
a fresh ball of cheese
OK, the milk is flownin', you've finally saved up some extra milk and now you'd like to try making a "hard cheese" but you can't
because, alas, you don't have a cheese press. Not to fear, there are some "hard cheeses" that you can make without using a
press. Feta is one of those cheeses. When I talk about "hard cheese" I don't mean "hard to make," I mean a usually pressed and
aged cheese. I consider a "soft cheese" an unpressed high moisture fresh cheese. But, of course there are always exceptions to
any rule. Some soft cheeses can be molded, and are pressed using their own weight. Feta is kind of in between a soft and hard
cheese. It is hung in cheesecloth and pressed using it's own weight like a soft cheese, but it is aged like a hard cheese.
Feta is a salty Greek cheese, usually made with either goat or sheep's milk. It is wonderful crumbled on salads and can also be
used in cooking. Actually, it's not bad on crackers either. Unlike most cheeses, it is ripened in brine. Feta develops quite a
strong flavor and if you like "hardy" cheeses, you must give it a try.
Feta
Everyone loves my Fias Co Farm Feta Cheese.
The following are detailed instructions on how I make my homemade Feta.
Ingredients:


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

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2-3 gallons goat milk (or cow milk) - (I use a little over 3 gallons of raw, unpasteurized goat milk)
1/4 tsp. mesophilic DVI Culture "MM" or "MA"* -OR- 4 oz. mesophilic culture (from a mother culture) - (I use "MM"
DVI)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Kid or Kid/Lamb Lipase powder (this is not vegetarian- you can omit if you wish, but the cheese will not have as much flavor) - (I use
Kid/Lamb Lipase because I like a strong flavor)
1 tsp. Liquid rennet dissolved in 1/2 C. water - (NOTE: I use 1/2 tsp. double strength vegetable rennet)
Kosher salt
Brine: 1/2 C. salt (Kosher, of course) per 1/2 gallon of water (boiled and cooled to below room temp.)
*The DVI cultures I use are purchased from The Dairy Connection.
Of course you should sterilize all your equipment before you begin.
In a "double boiler" pot set up, warm the milk to 86° (88° for cow milk)
(In the summer when my kitchen is hot, I can bypass using the double
boiler to keep the milk at the correct temperature). Add the culture and
lipase. You should be able to substitute live cultured buttermilk if you
wish, though I have never tried this recipe using buttermilk. You
definitely want to use the lipase in this cheese. Lipase is the enzyme
that gives Feta that great Feta flavor.
Stir well and let ripen, covered, for one hour.
A little more than three gallons of milk ready to start it's
transformation to delicious Feta Cheese
Keeping the milk at 86° (88° for cow milk). Add the rennet and stir briskly
for 15 seconds. I then kind of "stop" the milk from moving with my ladle.
Cover and let set about 30-40 minutes, or until you get a "clean break".
After the rennet has been added and the milk has set for 30
minutes, stick the knife in at an angle to get ready to test for a
"clean break"
You can check for a clean break by sticking your knife, or thermometer,
into the curd at an angle. Pull straight up out of the curd; if the curd
breaks cleanly around the knife and whey runs into the crack that is
made; you have a "clean break." Once you see this for the first time,
you will know just what I mean.
Pull the knife straight up and the curd breaks cleanly around it.
Cut the curd into 1/2" pieces.
Cutting the curds can be the most confusing part, but just don't worry so
much. Use a long knife held vertically and cut 1/2" slices in the
curds. Then turn the pot 90° and cut across in 1/2" slices the other
direction, making a kind of checkerboard pattern. Now hold the knife at
a sideways 45° angle and retrace your cuts. Turn the pot 1/4 turn and
retrace the cuts. Turn it again and cut and then one final turn and
cut. By the last turn you probably won't be able to see the original cuts,
but just do the best you can. If you don't think you cut the curd perfectly,
don't worry.
<Video of curd cutting coming soon.>
Do not stir yet.
Cutting the curd
Let the curds rest for 10 minutes (5 minutes for cow milk).
After this rest period, stir the curd gently and cut any pieces that you
missed when you first cut the curd (don't worry about being too
perfect). Hold the curd at 86° for 45 minutes (88° for cow milk), carefully
stirring occasionally to prevent the curd from sticking together (I stir
every 10 minutes). This process of "cooking" the curd helps the curd
"toughen up" as well as release it's whey.
Stirring the cut curd after it has sat for 10 minutes
Close up of freshly cut curd.
The first cut curd is very soft and delicate.
Close up of curd after 45 minutes.
It has toughened up a bit and released quite a bit of it's whey.
It is now ready to pour into cheesecloth
Stirring the curd during the "cooking" process so it does not
stick together
Place a big colander over a big pot and line the colander with a large
piece of dampened cheesecloth. I use fine cheesecloth. if you dampen
it, it will stick slightly to the colander, holding it in place.
Carefully pour the curd into the colander.
Tie the corners of the cheesecloth together and hang the bag to
drain. Be sure to save the whey to make some Ricotta later.
After 3-4 hours, take the cheese down and turn the cheese over in the
cheesecloth (top turned to bottom). At this point I actually switch to a
different piece of slightly "courser" (medium weave; a little more open
weave) cheesecloth. You don't have to feel you have to change to a
new cloth if you don't want to.
This turning will "even up" the cheese into a nice form. If you don't turn
it, you will have a rough, "stalagmitish" side to the cheese; it is edible,
just not so attractive.
Feta after hanging for a few hours; ready to turn over in the cheesecloth.
Let your cheese hang and continue draining for about 24 hours, at this point it will start to develop a distinctive odor. Make sure to
warn your family that you are making cheese or they may start looking around for what the heck that smell is. I had some cheese
hanging once and Larry said to me, "Did Purknz (our cat) vomit or something?" "No," I replied, "it's just the cheese." "Oh," he
said, "then that's OK, as long as I know what it is. If it's a cheese, it smells good. If it's not cheese, we have a problem."
The Feta cheese, after hanging for 24 hours,
is ready to cut.
The cheese is smaller than it was when it was first hung to drain.
Yes, this is the same cheese from all the photos above, that has been made using over 3
gallons of milk.
After your cheese has hung for about 24 hours or so, remove it from the cloth and cut it into usable size cubes/blocks (about 2-3
inches). Sprinkle all the sides of the cubes with kosher salt and place them in a sterilized, large, sealable, container. Cover and
let sit at room temperature for 2-3 days to "harden up" the blocks. The blocks will continue to release whey during this time; that is
normal.
Transfer the blocks (and their whey if you wish) to a large sterilized glass container (I like to use a really big, gallon pickle jar). Add
the brine. I have found that if I add the brine too soon, the cheese sometimes starts softening up. If this starts happening to you,
pour off the brine, it will only get worse. The cheese is still good; you may just want to use it in cooking instead of for crumbling.
I found the prefect thing to age my feta blocks in is a
33 Cup Rubbermaid food storage container with lid.
Age for at least 1-4 weeks before use (to develop flavor). I age at least
a month. Your Feta cheese will keep in its brine (refrigerated) for a
very, very long time (up to a year), and will only keep getting better
(stronger). On occasion, you may find some mold forming on top of
the brine. When this happens, just skim it off, the cheese is still
fine. If a piece of the cheese was sticking above the brine, it may
mold. Just remove it and feed it to the dog, the rest of the cheese is
still good.
You should always be aware that it takes a lot of milk to make a little
cheese. I make my cheese in batches determined by how much milk
my big pot will comfortably hold, which is a little over three gallons of
milk, and get about 3 pounds of finished cheese per batch. How much
cheese you get will vary depending on many factors: type of milk used;
fat content of milk; stage of lactation of the animal that produced the
milk; your style of cheesemaking (handling of curds, temperatures
Feta being aged in a gallon pickle jar. I use a plastic sandwich
bag under the lid to make a nice seal and keep the pickly lid smell
from infecting the cheese and visa versa.
during cheesemaking, hang time, etc).
Hopah!!!
Feta Cheese Troubleshooter:
The cheese gets soft in the brine:
Sometimes you may have problems with the cheese softening in the brine.
This is most probably the caused by the fact that you did not hang the curd long enough. The hanging of the curd is developing
the acidity of the cheese. This acidity is what helps the curd "stand up" to the brine and not get soft. If you are uncomfortable
hanging the cheese for such a long period, you may want to try this other method.
After hanging the curds for about 6-8 hours, take it down and cut it into large cubes, salt the cubes lightly (this protects it from
being contaminated by molds) and place them in a clean glass container of some sort. Cover this container and let it sit on the
counter for a couple days. You need to do this outside the fridge, because the acidity will not develop correctly at a low temp. If
you don't get the high acidity, the cheese will soften in the brine. If the cheese still softens, increase the amount of time the cheese
stands before placed in the brine.
Softening could also be caused by the brine pulling calcium out of the cheese. To prevent this, you can add some Calcium
chloride to the brine.
Rubbery cheese:
Usually means the curds were handled too ruff when they were cut or stirred.
"I made the feta and I let it hang as directed in your recipe. Today I cut it to put into jars and it has holes in it."
or
"My cheese it spongy and has little holes in it."
Are the holes irregular shaped or are they perfectly round like little tiny Swiss cheese holes?
The irregular shaped holes are perfectly normal and the cheese is OK to eat.
If you have the tiny, round, "Swiss cheese" holes or the cheese is "spongy", this means the cheese has gotten contaminated at
sometime while you were making it (by some sort of yeast or bacteria). This is not a good thing and you should probably not eat
this cheese. Next time, make doubly sure all your equipment is sanitized.