Homemade feta
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Goat milk feta three ways: dry-salted, aged in brine, or cubed and marinated in herbs and olive oil.
Ingredients
Dry Salted Feta
- 1 gallon goat milk
- 1/4 tsp mesophilic culture
- 1/2 tsp liquid rennet mixed into 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water
- Kosher salt
Brined Feta
- 1 gallon goat milk
- 1/4 tsp mesophilic culture
- 1/2 tsp liquid rennet mixed into 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water
- Non-iodized sea salt or kosher salt for rubbing
- 10% brine: 6 1/2 ounces salt to 1/2 gallon water
Marinated Feta
- Finished feta (from either recipe above)
- Fresh or dried herbs garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.
- Olive oil
Equipment
- stockpot
- chef’s knife
- fine sieve
Directions
Dry Salted Feta
- Warm the milk to 70F in a large stainless pot.
- Add the culture, warm to 86F, stir, cover, and let ripen for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Stir in the rennet mixture and leave for 1 hour.
- Use a long knife to cut the curd into 1-inch cubes. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Stir the curds for 15 minutes while keeping them at 86F.
- Spoon into cheesecloth and drain for 6 to 8 hours.
- Cut into slices about 1 inch thick, set them on a flat dish, and salt every side with kosher salt.
- Cover with a paper towel and leave at room temperature for 24 hours, turning 2 or 3 times and, each time, salting each side again and pouring off the liquid.
- Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days.
Brined Feta
- Warm the milk to 70F in a large stainless pot.
- Add the culture, warm to 90F, and stir.
- Stir in the rennet mixture, cover, and leave for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Cut the curd into pieces about the size of a hazelnut.
- Stir slowly for 15 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes or until the curds settle.
- Draw off whey until the curds show.
- Scoop the curds into baskets, filling and topping off as needed.
- Turn the cheeses over 6 times during 24 hours.
- Rub with salt and rest for another 24 hours.
- Put into the 10% brine.
- Brine at 50 to 55F for one month (pasteurized milk) or two months (raw milk).
Marinated Feta
- Break or cut the feta into small pieces.
- Layer the cheese and herbs in a jar.
- Pour olive oil over to cover completely.
Notes
Dry-salted feta: eat within 2 weeks, or freeze. Marinated: cheese fully submerged in oil stays fresh for several weeks to several months. Safety: garlic and fresh herbs in oil carry a botulism risk; keep marinated feta refrigerated and use it promptly. Raw milk (mentioned for brined feta) carries a risk of harmful bacteria. Keep to the stated cheesemaking temperatures; use a thermometer.