So, an update on my Feta Cheese.
After the curds hung over night and drained the resulting firm ball of cheese was cut into large chunks (about 2-3 on each side) and placed into a container and salted heavily with kosher salt. I then covered it with a tea towel and let it set at room temp for two days. Several times each day I drained off the excess whey that formed from the salting and resalted the cheese if it looked as if it needed more to keep the sides covered.
After the two days at room temp I moved the cheese to the refrigerator to finish draining and to dry the surface of the cheese. By this point the cheese was very firm to the touch.
After the cheese "felt" right (firm and crumbly) I taste tested a small piece and it was the perfect saltiness. I cut the large chunks into smaller one inch pieces and packed them into mason jars with a bay leaf, dried chili pepper, chopped garlic, oregano, thyme and basil and topped off the jars with olive oil. These can be left at room temp if desired but I chose to refrigerate mine.
The biggest difference with this batch then the failed batch I made last year was that I dry salt cured it this time instead of salt brining. Last years cheese just got soft and dissolved in the brine... the dry salting worked much better for me and I love the result!
Looking forward to using it on pizza, salad and just for snacking!
1 comment:
Great post and pictures! Thanks for sharing...now maybe I'll be brave enough to try someday. The cheese looks fantastic. It looks like it's in quart-sized jars. So, your investment was the 4 liters of milk, the culture, the rennet, and the salt to cure it, then the olive oil to store it. I've tasted feta made from goat's milk before and I prefer its flavor over that from cows milk.
Andria
Clayton, NC
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