Post by Tammy on Feb 19, 2009 12:43:02 GMT -5
Mild Feta Cheese
Makes 1 1/2 pounds
Feta cheese is a tangy, crumbly cheese used for most often in Greek cooking. It is traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk which will result in a sharper flavor, but cow's milk will work too.
1 gallon milk (skim milk is fine)
1/4 cup cultured buttermilk (I use clabber)
1/8 tablet rennet (I use liquid rennet in all my cheese) disolved in 1/4 cup cool water.
3-4 Tablesoons coarse salt (you can use table salt, but use less).
1. Warm milk to 86 degrees and stir in cultured buttermilk. Cover and let ripen for one hour.
2. Stir dissolved rennet into milk. Cover and allow to sit one hour to coagulate.
3. Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. Allow to rest five minutes to expel the whey. Then, stir gently every few minutes for 15 minutes, keeping the curds at 86 degrees.
4. Line a colander with butter muslin. Drain the curds. Tie the four corners of the cheesecloth together and hang to drain for 4-6 hours. The curds will form a ball.
5. Slice the ball in half and lay the slabs of cheese in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle all the surfaces with 3-4 T of course salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for 24 hours.
6. After 24 hours, pour off the whey. salt all surfaces and let sit 2 more hours. (I don't re-salt at this point. I just pour off the whey.)
Your Feta is finished!
Place cheese in a covered dish and refrigerate. Use immediately or allow to age for 5-7 days to sharpen the flavor. Use within 2 weeks or freeze.
Taken from Cheese Making at Home
Note: I double the recipe when I am making it.
Makes 1 1/2 pounds
Feta cheese is a tangy, crumbly cheese used for most often in Greek cooking. It is traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk which will result in a sharper flavor, but cow's milk will work too.
1 gallon milk (skim milk is fine)
1/4 cup cultured buttermilk (I use clabber)
1/8 tablet rennet (I use liquid rennet in all my cheese) disolved in 1/4 cup cool water.
3-4 Tablesoons coarse salt (you can use table salt, but use less).
1. Warm milk to 86 degrees and stir in cultured buttermilk. Cover and let ripen for one hour.
2. Stir dissolved rennet into milk. Cover and allow to sit one hour to coagulate.
3. Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. Allow to rest five minutes to expel the whey. Then, stir gently every few minutes for 15 minutes, keeping the curds at 86 degrees.
4. Line a colander with butter muslin. Drain the curds. Tie the four corners of the cheesecloth together and hang to drain for 4-6 hours. The curds will form a ball.
5. Slice the ball in half and lay the slabs of cheese in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle all the surfaces with 3-4 T of course salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for 24 hours.
6. After 24 hours, pour off the whey. salt all surfaces and let sit 2 more hours. (I don't re-salt at this point. I just pour off the whey.)
Your Feta is finished!
Place cheese in a covered dish and refrigerate. Use immediately or allow to age for 5-7 days to sharpen the flavor. Use within 2 weeks or freeze.
Taken from Cheese Making at Home
Note: I double the recipe when I am making it.
