With fall fast approaching, I seem to be busier than ever but still have some time to make some great Feta cheese! Now I use Maybelle’s (my milk cow) fresh milk! So if you buy store bought milk you will age it a bit differently…
First off you will need a gallon of fresh milk– I just place mine in a big pot — You will need to have a Feta starter of which I get mine from Cultures for Health. Next you will heat your milk to 86°F or pretty close…. I’m sure mine is at 90°F, add one packet of starter and mix well but not aggressively. Cover and allow your milk to “ripen” for 1 hour.
Add 1/2 tsp of rennet (from Cultures for Health) diluted in 1/4 cup of cool water to your milk and stir in an up and down motion not round and round! Allow your milk to stay at 85°F for another hour and you will notice curds and whey. Cut your curd into 1/2 inch cubes and allow to set… I usually leave it about 10 minutes while I make the brine and get a jar ready…
Next you gently stir you curds for 15-20 minutes helping more of the “whey” release.
Take a colander lined with cheesecloth and pour your mixture in — separating the curds and whey… Of which my pigs LOVE the whey, or you can make whey cheese… It’s up to you but the whey is great for chickens, pigs, dogs…. I don’t waste anything!!
Now take your curds and hang them for about 6 hours to continue the draining process.
Once time has elapsed take your curds out of the cloth and cut in to 1 inch cubes. I cut mine kind of rough and not exacting.
Now here’s where the difference is — if you use store bought milk, sprinkle your cubes with salt and place in a covered bowl for 4-5 days in your fridge…. If you have fresh milk, combine 1/3 cup of salt with 1/2 gallon of water and place your cheese in the brine to age for 30 days in the refrigerator.
And voila! Fresh Feta cheese for salads!!!
Look for more posts on cheese making as fall sets in! And I hope all my cowgirls out there find something inside of them to be and feel great today!