Make Cheese at Home: Feta Recipe

By KeyIngredient

Ingredients

• Brine:
• 2 gallons goat’s or cow’s milk
• 1/4 teaspoon mesophilic DVI MA culture
• 1/4 teaspoon kid/lamb lipase powder
• 1 teaspoon liquid rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup nonchlorinated water
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup kosher salt per 1/2 gallon of water (boiled and cooled to room temperature)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from motherearthliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a double boiler, warm goat’s milk to 86 degrees or cow’s milk to 88 degrees. Remove from heat. Add culture and lipase. Stir well and let ripen, covered, for 1 hour.

2. Add the rennet dissolved in water and stir briskly for 15 seconds. Cover and let set 30 to 40 minutes, or until you can slice through the curd with a long knife and see distinct separation. (This is called a “clean break.”)

3. After a clean break is achieved, cut the curd into 1/2-inch strips. Then turn the pot 90 degrees and cut across in 1/2-inch slices in the other direction, making a checkerboard pattern. Now hold the knife at a 45-degree angle and retrace your cuts. Turn the pot a quarter turn and retrace the cuts. Turn it again and cut. And then one final turn and cut. By the last turn, you probably won’t be able to see the original cuts, but do the best you can. Don’t worry about cutting the curd perfectly. Let the curds rest—10 minutes for goat’s milk, 5 minutes for cow’s.

4. After the rest period, stir curd gently and cut any pieces you missed. Hold goat’s-milk curd at 86 degrees, or cow’s-milk curd at 88 degrees, for 45 minutes; keeping the pot covered will maintain the temperature. If the temperature falls, place the pot in a sink of 86-degree water to raise the temperature. Stir occasionally to prevent curds from sticking together. This process helps toughen the curd and release the whey.

5. Line the colander with a large piece of butter muslin and put it over a large pot. If the cheesecloth is dampened, it will stick slightly and be held in place. Carefully pour the curd into the colander. Tie the corners of the butter muslin together and hang the bag to drain.

6. After 3 to 4 hours, take cheese down and move it to a new piece of butter muslin, flipping it over. This turning will even up the cheese into a nice form. Continue draining for 24 hours.