CheeseForum.org ยป Forum

CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Brine Ripened (Aegean Sea) => Topic started by: Cheese Head on January 01, 2009, 08:38:57 PM

Title: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cheese Head on January 01, 2009, 08:38:57 PM
Today I start my second Feta making based loosly on Tea's Feta Recipe (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,190.0.html), my previous Feta records here (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,63.0.html).

MAKING

NOTES
Title: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cheese Head on January 01, 2009, 08:39:09 PM
Second set of pictures . . .
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cheese Head on January 01, 2009, 09:32:37 PM
Tea (the Feta Pro)

OK, so I've said I would try making Feta again for so long and finally, mostly your recipe, except I've just added 1 hour between adding CaCl2, Meso Culture and Lipase and adding rennet as most other recipes have that step. I'm going to use my camembert hoops, my concern is not over brining it (like last time) and then I want to store in olive oil and olives as I have a nice jar that's been hiding in the back of th fridge (1.5 years out of date but should be OK ::)) that I want to use. I remember you posted about that and I searched but I couldn't find that post. I'm thinking ensure I have dry-hard enough feta to be cut up into small 1 cm / 1/2 in cubes, otherwise gaps between feta would be too big.

Any advice appreciated . . .
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cartierusm on January 01, 2009, 10:37:33 PM
Those olives look sooooo good right now, mainly because I was just tasting some Habanero Tabasco and I had a few spoonfuls and it's freakin' hot. Now I'm hungry.
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Tea on January 01, 2009, 10:40:14 PM
I store my fetta in the brine in the big blocks.  That way it can be kept for 6-12mths.  To be marinated in the oil and olive, I then cut into cubes, and immerse in the oil.  I find they can be kept for upto a month this way.

Hope this answers your questions.
I'm not sure I deserve the fetta pro tag either, just that I probably make this more than enything else.

Can't wait to see the final product.  Good luck.
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cheese Head on January 02, 2009, 07:53:00 PM
Yeah me, Feta worked out great, still need to get amount of brining down more accurate. Tasted a couple of cubes, very nice, lipase definitely required for when using cow's milk to make feta. Little too salty on outside edge of cube, not so in middle, should meld with a little time in fridge.

Olives turned out to have 1 cm / 0.5 inch layer of olive oil on top and rest was brine, rather than all oil, should still work out fine.
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Tea on January 03, 2009, 08:50:26 PM
CH, you didn't state how long you had the fetta brining for?  I usually leave the cheese in the brine at least for a few days, before cutting and marinating.  Brine percentage is usually between 12-15%.  I prefer 12%.  If it is too salty when finished, soak the cheese in milk for upto an hour before use.
BTW the fetta looks great.  So pleased that you finally got this cheese made.  So what do you think of the final product.  Is it something that you would make again?
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cheese Head on January 03, 2009, 10:15:22 PM
Thanks Tea, yes I would definately make again!

On salting, soaked the cubes, not blocks for 8 minutes only in saturated brine, not 12% brine. The cubes are small so don't take long to soak up the salt, we tasted straight away and very salty on outside not much in middle of cubes. I just tasted the non-olived cubed ones not in brine in plastic box and they are perfect on salt, but a little moist-creamy (just the way you like them), not crumbly. To get that I assume they need to be dryer which means longer cooking time next batch?
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Tea on January 03, 2009, 11:35:23 PM
No, you can make the curd harder by just stiring more during the two hour stage.  I only stir twice, but if you stir every 1/2 hour or so, this helps to break up the curd a bit more which also means more whey is expelled during this process.
Glad you like the fetta and would make it again.  I find this cheese so versatile and useful in so many dishes.  We just finished off the last lot, so I need to make this again.  The kids requested pumpkin puffs for new years eve.
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Julz on January 07, 2009, 08:31:35 AM
 :P   That looks divine!  The info about the stirring of curds was helpful too. My friend told me my feta was not crumbly enough  and that it wasn't like how they make it when she went to Greece.  I'm glad a Fetta Master likes it softer, too.
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cartierusm on January 08, 2009, 07:45:24 AM
John, you're curds look great, I can't believe how firm they are for store bought milk. Any secrets?
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: Cheese Head on January 08, 2009, 12:01:30 PM
Thanks, yep great curd sets last two cheese makings, previous batch (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,587.0.html) the curd set almost too much as whey already being heavily expelled before I cut the curd. Three possibilities:

Currently I tend to believe #3 is the cause, will reduce CaCl2 to recommended normal amount on next batch, this weekend.
Title: Re: John's Cheese #028 - Feta #2
Post by: DeejayDebi on March 25, 2009, 03:36:47 AM
Oh Giovani that looks absolutely delicious! And with my favorite olives too!

yummmmmm!