Ok the recipe that I use is from the book by Neil and Carole Willman called "Home Cheesemaking".
The recipe amount is for 10 ltr of milk, and add to this starter, lipase and rennet at 32 degrees c. Allow to set 60-90 mins.
Cut curd into 1cm cubes and let stand.
Stir very gently, just to turn it over every hour until 2 hours from cutting. ph 6.1 - 6.3
Drain off whey and pour curds into hoops on a cheesecloth lined draining tray.
Invert hoops in 1/2 hour, then again in 1/2 hour, then every 2 hours for the rest of the day.
Leave draining over night.
Next morning cover with a brine solution 12-15%, with container being only a little bit bigger than the cheese to avoid over salting. Cheese ph 4.6
Store in fridge.
I am unsure what quantites of starter to give you as I use a cultured started which I prepare the night before. I also use liquid rennet and not tablets.
So of the prepared Type A starter is 200ml, 1.6ml rennet, and 1/4 tsp lipase.
I use baskets, so I just turn the cheese in the baskets, and this amount makes six baskets.
Tracey
Thanks Tea
Few questions:
- How do you measure your pH (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=89.0), paper strips, chemical drops like swimming pool kit, electronic meter?
- What do you measure the pH on, just curds or curds and whey?
- I assume if your pH measured at two points above is not yet low enough you just give it more time for culture to produce more lactic acid before proceeding to next step?
- Do you use commercial cheese making hoops or have you improvised with some sort of retail product and where did you buy them?
- How and from what do you make your starter or are you self propagating it?
- As I have no access to fresh goat's milk, can I use store bought and do you have any recommendation on it?
- Lastly, any thoughts replacing goat's milk in your recipe with much easier to get and cheaper here cow's milk?
Sorry for all the questions . . .
Ok lots of questions. I will do my best.
In regards to measuring ph, I have to confess that I don't test for that yet. When initially setting up, I couldn't afford the only ph monitor that I could find, so I wing it. I do have ph papers for my soaps, but I have never used them on my cheese. Didn't think that they would be accurate enough to bother with. A ph tester in still on my "wish list".
The cheese baskets are commercial, and can be seen here, www.cheeselinks.com.au
I have a number of different baskets that I use for the different cheeses.
I use freeze dried or Direct Vat Set (DVS) cultures. There are different cultures for the different cheese, which are prepared the night before.
For the moment all my supplies have been purchased through this web site, while I decided how serious I am going to get before expending larger amounts of more exquipement.
The only difference, apart from the quality, taste and creamy-ness of real fresh milk verses store bought is that you need to pasteurise fresh milk first before making cheese. UHT can be substituted for recipes that don't require a high cream level in the milk, such as cheddars and cottage cheese.
For this feta recipe I have used both fresh and store bought milk, and I always prefer using fresh, but that could be just me. I have also used fresh goats, which set up beautifully, just as well as the fresh cows milks. I am in the process of stocking up on UHT goats milk, (it's expensive here also), and making some feta to see what the difference is, (taste and curd) to the fresh goats milk.
Hope that makes sense.
Tracey
Tea
Thanks, yep helps, now I understand better, cheers!
This is the quantity that 10ltr of milk gives me of feta cheese, and each block is approx 1lb in weight.
Excuse the "pox" marks in four of the blocks, my 17mth old just couldn't resist seeing how hard the cheese was.
The square baskets is the traditional one for feta, but as i only have 4 of them, I also use the round ones too.
Tracey
Evening Tea
Well your Feta Cheees look wonderful, I am very envious :). OK so I need to try making Feta again. I've ordered some supplies from DairyConnection.com here in US mainly for trying to make Camembert but I added some Lipase powder which should give it some flavour versus my original cow's milk original batch.
Fully understand your 17 mo, in some ways sadly our two daughters are 14 & almost 17, so different phase.
I ordered open ended Camembert molds, assume they could also work in your recipe above, just need to mats on each end when turn the curds.
Thanks for the nice pictures . . . I may want to add some dried oregano if you have any ideas . . . on that.
I can't see why you couldn't add herbs, I have thought of adding garlic just for something different, but keep forgetting to do it.
What I do like doing is marinating the feta in herbs, olive oil, chilli's, garlic pepper etc. Just gently heat the oil, add the extras and the cheese, and let sit. You can add the feta whole, or cut into cubes for a stronger flavour.
Yum
Tracey
Thanks, I also have a medium large jar of herbed olives in olive oil, that is half gone, but which shoudl work well for about 1 lb of feta.
Silly question if you have a minute, why would I warm the oil and seasonings and thn add oil, to bring out flavours? If I use my 1/2 jar of herbed olives could'd I just cube the feta after brining and when dry put in the jar and then poor the oil and olives back over top?
BTW, perfect fit on your feta cheese in their brining box :).
PS: Few neighbors around here setting off fireworks tonight even though still 6 days until US 4th of July National Holiday.
I ofter use the left over oils from olives and sun dried tomatoes for a brushing over turkish bread before grilling, so I think that would be perfect for the feta as well.
The heating just helps activate the flavours and warms the cheese a little just for a better absorbsion. Not hot, just warm.
The container is actually a tupperware slice container that I had just purchased. When I went looking for a container to brine them I, everything else was too large and afforded too much space around them, thus resulting in a very salty cheese. Couldn't believe just how perfect this was for the size cheese that I ended up with.
Quote from: Tea on June 29, 2008, 02:08:15 AM
I can't see why you couldn't add herbs, I have thought of adding garlic just for something different, but keep forgetting to do it.
What I do like doing is marinating the feta in herbs, olive oil, chilli's, garlic pepper etc. Just gently heat the oil, add the extras and the cheese, and let sit. You can add the feta whole, or cut into cubes for a stronger flavour.
Yum
Tracey
That sounds really good. ;)
I think I have finally perfected a "creamy" fetta. Cut this lot a couple of days ago, and was surprised at what I found.
I am thinking that the fresh milk, which helped form large curds, and minimal stirring, so as not to shatter the curds has created a "milky soft" fetta.
Not sure if the photo's will show up the texture properly but here goes.
Well congrats and looks great . . . sadly with fresh milk which I don't have . . .
I'm sorry Cheese Head, I don't mean to keep flaunting the milk issue. It's just that I have been trying probably for the last 4-5 batches to achieve this, and it have just dawned on me that the milk and curd issue are probably what make the difference for this.
Was so excited that I finally got it.
No, no sorry, very happy that you got the softer feta you wanted. FYI, just came back from friends house for afternoon dinner where they had a block of feta cheese with green and red very finely diced peppers in it, didn't take a picture as didn't bring my camera.
Ok finally got to make another batch of fetta. This time I added some herbs and garlic. I added them about 15 minutes before I laddled the curds into the baskets, making sure that I drained all of the whey back through the baskets to catch all the herbs.
First pic shows the curds cut and turned over for the first time.
The next pic is the curds freshly in the baskets.
First pic and the first turn and half hour makr.
Second pic next turn half an hour later. It always amazes me how much whey is drained in just this period.
Third is how I drain in a cake tray and cheesecloth.
Fourth is the next morning in the brine.
That's it folks, nice and easy.
This batch is a real winner. Everyone loves the herbs and garlic through it, and are actually eating it out of the storage container.
great job Tea. i really like those baskets you are using
reg
Looks great Tea, pictures worth 1000 words, I need to make some more Feta, but already have so much other cheese stacked up!
Thanks Reg, they are ideal for making the fetta. I also use them to make the halloumi too.
I agree Cheese Head, but fetta is something that we always are using, so this ended up being a first priority, and not what I really wanted to make. Now hopefully this weekend I get to make what I want, but I can't decided which one first. ;D
Tea, good point, but in 10 days my family and I are going on holiday for 2 weeks and already lots of hard cheeses and 5 Camemberts in the cave! Quick question, what herbs did you use?
Basil and rosemary, and I had them on hand. Could have chopped the basil a bit more, but oh well, live and learn.
I gave up smoking 5 years ago and my new taste buds got absolutely addicted to Feta, Fresh Coriander leaves, Light fresh chilli and the best simple/light olive oil.
To die for :-)
Shame it cost me more than a few pounds lol
Ahh but when the pounds have gone on so lovingly, it hard to get cranky at them. ;)
hi tea
when you drain your curd in the baskets do you press it at all or just let it sit?
brent
Brent these "press" under their own weight. Just keep turning them during the day, then leave over night. Very easy.