Best brine solution for cow milk feta?

[amiriliano]

So what is the consensus on the best % brine for storing feta?

Thanks in advance!

[H-K-J]

I used a whey based brine, worked great.

[17super]

I have been using a whey brine with 8% salt, it has been working well. If I remember correctly 8-10% is what Caldwell recommends.

[amiriliano]

Any recipes for whey brine?

Also, what about water based brine? Thanks!

[H-K-J]

1 gallon of whey 1 cup pickling salt is what I used, I only used half of it for a 3 gallon batch of feta.

[17super]

I saved the whey from making a 2 gallon batch of feta using raw cows milk. Used 8 cups whey and 1 cup pickling salt.

[amiriliano]

Wondering why the recommendations are so variable on different websites. 16% to prevent contamination, but apparently too salty. 4% tastes better but must eat quickly.

[H-K-J]

The feta I have in the brine has been there for a little over six week's and every piece we eat taste better than the last MMMMMMmmmmmmm

[cowboycheese]

I too use whey myself and tend toward the "pickling strength" brine - close to 18% so I can age it safely. The night before we need some, I put a chunk in whole milk to soak overnight and suck out some of the salt. It comes out tasting great. I'm not sure how long you can age it at a certain brine % and keep it safe but I've kept some as long as 6 months before it disappeared into a salad or in a pesto. I'm sure the commercial industry has figured out that in order to keep it on the shelf as long as possible.

[Chicken man]

Hiya.
I use 10% salt and that will last about 3-4 months!
I also use wheybecause the Ph level will be similar to the cheese
You can use water brine , but you need to add an acid to reduce the Ph to that similar to your cheese!
Cheers