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Unbrined feta
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 2:57PM Mmmm, there's not many things that put a smile on my face quicker than a bite of our fresh feta. As a soft cheese, it takes longer to make than most others... but the time spent is well worth it. And it requires minimal equipment which is a bonus for those who want to dabble in cheese without big expenditures.
Gather a double boiler, 3 gallons of raw milk, 1/2 tsp of mesophilic starter, a floating dairy thermometer, 1/4 teaspoon of lipase powder and 1/2 tsp of double strength rennet. You'll need a slotted spoon for turning curds, and a knife for cutting them, plus two draining bags.
Sterilize everything to be used in the process and heat your milk in the double boiler to 86 degrees. Add mesophilic starter, stir gently, and let sit covered for 1 hour. Next sprinkle lipase over the surface, and also add the rennet which has been diluted in 1/4 cup of cool water. Stir gently, and let sit covered for 45 minutes.
With the temperature still at 86 degrees, cut curds into 1 inch cubes and let sit 5 minutes. Stir gently for about 20 minutes and now drain the curds, splitting them between the two bags. Hang to drain for 4-8 hours or longer. Remove feta from bags and sprinkle kosher salt over the surface. As the salt soaks in, more whey will be released and your feta is ready to eat. Voila!
And the standing disclaimer... Remember, raw milk products are highly perishable. They require careful handling and should be kept in the coldest part of your refrigerator to be consumed in a short period of time.
Reader Comments (2)
I'm so glad to have found your website! We are Air Force in the process of buying a home in Palmer & while it's not off grid (yet!) I sure hope to make it that way. Gotta convince dh first!
Anyhow, I lived in Crete, Greece for 3 years & absolutely LOVE Feta cheese...the stuff made correctly. Out of sheep & goat milk, NOT cow. THANK you so much for the recipe. I hope to have a few Nigerian Dwarfs next year so I can try it out myself!
I'll be following your blog religiously from now on!
Take care & God bless!
How exciting! I'm looking forward to meeting you when you get here. Safe travels!