This recipe makes two small wheels, about 10 ounces each when complete. The cheese is stored, refrigerated in a brine solution. It is necessary to make the brine ahead of time, using several cups of whey collected from making any other mild cheese. Follow our brine instruction recipe for making a 1.074 Specific Gravity solution.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 gallons Whole Cow’s Milk

1/4 tsp. MT1, or Aroma B Culture

1/2 tsp. Calcium Chloride solution in 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp. liquid Rennet in 1/4 cup water

Salt for Brine

Cold Water for Brine

Additional Whey for Brine (2 cups of so)

 

Equipment

Kettle with Water Bath

Optional but recommended: Sous Vide Immersion Heater/Circulator provides an ideal heat source.  Click for discussion.

Perforated Ladle

Curd cutting Knife

Slotted Spoon

Dial Top Thermometer

Plastic Pan fitted with Drain Tray to hold Basket Molds

2 Hard Cheese Basket Molds

4 quart Plastic Brining Box with Lid (or stainless or glass bowls)

 

Basic Knowledge Review (optional)

Brining Instructions

Cleaning & Sanitizing 101

The Universal Guide to Cheesemaking

Tips - Cheesemaking Do's and Don'ts

 

Method

1. Gently warm milk to 86° F. using a kettle in a water bath.
2. Add the MT1, or Aroma B powdered Culture, stir. Allow the milk to ripen for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You may cover the pan during this rest, but maintain the temperature at 86°F.
3. Add the calcium chloride, stir.
4. Add the rennet. Stir gently for one minute. Cover and let set for 30 to 45 minutes at 86° F.
5. When curd shows a clean break, cut into 1/2” cubes.
6. Let the curd rest for 5 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, stir gently for 20 minutes at the same 86°F. (For a firmer curd, heat to 90°F. before stirring.)
8. Settle the curd a few minutes and then drain off as much of the floating whey as possible.
9. Ladle the curd into two basket molds over a drain pan. Every couple hours drain off whey and move one basket mold on top of the other to lightly press the cheese.
10. After a few hours, flip the cheese in its mold, for 6-8 hours total.
11. Remove the firm cheese to float in the brine (see Brine Instructions below). Keep in brine 2 days or longer. You can store the cheese in this brine and rinse if too salty.

Brine Solution for Feta Cheese

Collect 2 cups of whey, from making any mild cheese. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours to ripen.

Prepare a light to medium brine. You can heat a cup or two of the water in which you dissolve the salt and then cool this with the additional whey and water. When this is cool, add the drained Feta cheese, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the cheese in the brine and continue to cover and refrigerate.

(If no whey is at hand, alternatively, add 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar to acidify the brine. This is not as flavorful or as smooth as using Whey.)

Refer to our Brining Instructions for ratio of salt to water and methods for home testing brine strength and acidity

 

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