Feta Cheese Making Recipe
General
Feta is also spelt φέτα or Fetta and is a brine preserved white cheese originating from the Aegean Sea. There are many styles of Feta, this quick recipe uses cow's milk (not the original sheep's and goat's milk) and makes a sharp salty Feta.
The Feta Cheese information page has more information and links.
Ingredients - Metric
- 3 liters whole or partly skimmed Cow's Milk.
- Optional: Calcium Chloride if using store bought pasteurized milk, amount as per manufacturer's directions or your experience.
- Mesophilic Starter Culture, homemade or manufactured, amount as per manufacture's/package directions or your experience, if using manufactured DVI then normally ~0.2 grams for 3 liters milk.
- Optional: Lipase, if using cow's or sheep's milk, type of your choice, amount, normally ~0.20 grams for 3 liter milk, stronger/weaker taste use more/less.
- Rennet, amount as per manufacture's/package directions or your experience, use little extra if using pasteurized milk and no Calcium Chloride.
- Salt for dry salting or brining.
Ingredients - American
- 1 US gallon whole or partly skimmed Cow's Milk.
- Optional: Calcium Chloride if using store bought pasteurized milk, amount as per manufacturer's directions or your experience.
- Mesophilic Starter Culture, homemade or manufactured, amount as per manufacture's/package directions or your experience, if using manufactured DVI then normally ~0.01 ounces for 1 US gallon milk.
- Optional: Lipase, if using cow's or sheep's milk, type of your choice, amount, normally ~0.01 ounce for 1 US gallon milk, stronger/weaker taste use more/less.
- Rennet, amount as per manufacture's/package directions or your experience, use little extra if using pasteurized milk and no Calcium Chloride.
- Salt for dry salting or brining.
Directions
- Pour milk into stockpot (vat) in double boiler on stove or directly on lowest heater element.
- Heat milk slowly to 32°C/90°F, stir slowly so doesn't catch or have cold areas. Maintain temperature through whole process in stockpot. ie turn heat off and on.
- Optionally add and whisk in Calcium Chloride.
- Add and whisk in Mesophilic Starter Culture.
- Optionally add and whisk in Lipase.
- Cover and set aside ~ 60 minutes for milk to ripen.
- Whisk in diluted rennet.
- Cover and set aside for curd to form.
- After ~60 minutes, check for Clean Curd Break, if not obtained, cover and check again after another ~15-30 minutes.
- When Clean Curd Break obtained, Cut Curd into 1 cm/0.5 inch cubes.
- Let cut curds sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to heal.
- Gently cook curds holding 32°C/90°F for ~10-45 minutes, stir occasionally to ensure they don't knit together. Less time and stir less if like soft Feta, longer and stor more often if like harder-crumblier Feta,
- Either a) ladle into baskets or hoops on mats on draining board at room temperature, drain and discard whey, turn cheese several times, and let drain overnight, or b) ladle the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander in sink allowing whey to be discarded, tie corners of cloth into knot and hang for 4 hours over sink or stockpot to discard or catch and then discard draining whey.
- Cut Feta into ~3 cm/1 inch cubes.
- Either a) sprinkle with salt (6% by weight) or b) place in 12-15% brine solution, and then place ripen at 15C/48F for 4-5 days.
- Place in cold household refrigerator, consume within 1 week if dry salted, up to 1 year if brined (if lasts that long).
Options
- Add fresh herbs (i.e. coriander, basil, or rosemary) and garlic into the whey with the last stir of the curd, then pour the curd and whey into the mould so that all the flavours and herbs find their way into the cheese.
- Can replace NaCl salt in brine with 1/2 KCl salt for less salty tasting, but still long preservation Feta.
Tricks & Traps
- If your Feta is too salty, rinse in fresh water or milk for a while before serving. Note, high % brine is required to preserve the cheese.
- 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 be low; if too crumbly, salt sooner.
