pH Target for Feta? Any Other Tips?

[Lennie]

Very unforgiving stuff, this cheesemaking.  I wonder how much longer I needed to stir the curds before they would have reached the proper pH?

[Tea]

I guess whether the cheese is softer or harder, depends on your preferences.  With mine, the less I stir the curd the softer the resulting cheese is.  Interesting to see that the pH also plays a part in this.  My recipe only gives a pH for the brine, so I am going to have to take some readings and see what I get.

But I prefer a softer cheese as it cuts nicely when adding to salads, and also mashes well when added to other cooking.  As I have said before I also prefer the lower brine % of 12%, and have kept cheese easily for at least six months without any spoilage.

[Lennie]

I'll have to try a lower salt content, I made the 15% brine with CaCl2 an it was quite salty.

[Lennie]

We tried some small chunks tonight.  Lo and behold, it tastes like feta!  Very creamy but still holds together and it has lost the slight rubberiness it displayed before brining.  It is softer than the blocks we usually buy, but not by much.  It has a nice distinctive flavor already, and even the kids agree it tastes like feta.  I'll let it age a little more but it is ready to go on a nice greek salad anytime.

[Tea]

Glad to see that you like the final product.  In the recipe section there is a recipe for pumpkin and fetta puffs, which go down well in my home.