Author Topic: slimy feta  (Read 2208 times)

Pavla

  • Guest
slimy feta
« on: May 03, 2015, 03:44:56 PM »
hi just made my first feta and it tasted good, but it got soft and slimy on top when in brine. I have no idea why?
Pavla

Stinky

  • Guest
Re: slimy feta
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2015, 03:58:04 PM »
The cheese has more calcium than the brine, and so some leeched out onto the surface. To prevent this, add calcium chloride to your brine to balance it.

Kern

  • Guest
Re: slimy feta
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2015, 08:38:02 PM »
The cheese has more calcium than the brine, and so some leeched out onto the surface. To prevent this, add calcium chloride to your brine to balance it.
Stinky is right on.  Caldwell calls for about 1% calcium chloride.  I found my feta disintegrating in this with an 8% salt solution with a pH of 4.8 (vinegar addition).  I upped the CaCl to 3% and have not had a problem.  Rinse the slime off, pat dry, dry age in the cheese cave a couple of days and then put it in a freshly made solution.  Be sure to add some vinegar to get the pH to about 4.8 (around 1 tsp per quart but check it with a meter as you sneak up on it.)   :)

Pavla

  • Guest
Re: slimy feta
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2015, 05:08:52 PM »
Thank you