How To Make Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a tangy, crumbly cheese that originates from Greece and is often used in salads, pastries, and various Mediterranean dishes. It is traditionally made from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk, but you can also make it with cow’s milk at home. The process involves curdling the milk, draining the whey, and aging the cheese in a brine solution to develop its distinct flavor. Here is how to make feta cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 liters (1 gallon) whole milk (sheep, goat, or cow)
• ¼ teaspoon liquid rennet or ½ tablet of rennet, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
• ½ teaspoon cheese culture (mesophilic starter) or ½ cup plain yogurt with live cultures
• 1 tablespoon salt (for cheese curds)
• 4 cups water + ¼ cup salt (for brine)

Instructions

1. Heating the Milk

Pour the milk into a large pot and heat it slowly over low to medium heat until it reaches 32°C (90°F). Stir occasionally to prevent it from scalding.

2. Adding the Culture and Rennet

Remove the pot from heat and gently stir in the cheese culture or yogurt. Let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the bacteria to activate. Then, add the dissolved rennet and stir with an up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds. Cover the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 1 to 2 hours until the milk has thickened and a solid curd has formed.

3. Cutting the Curd

Once the curd has set, use a long knife to cut it into small cubes (about 1-2 cm). Let the cut curds rest for 5 minutes, then gently stir them while slowly heating to 38°C (100°F). Continue stirring occasionally for 20 minutes to help the curds release more whey.

4. Draining the Whey

Pour the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander and allow the whey to drain for a few hours. Tie the cheesecloth into a bundle and hang it over a bowl for another 6-12 hours to remove excess moisture.

5. Salting and Aging

Unwrap the cheese and cut it into smaller blocks. Sprinkle salt over the pieces and let them air-dry in the fridge for a day. Then, prepare a brine by dissolving ¼ cup salt in 4 cups of water. Place the cheese blocks in the brine and let them age in the fridge for 5-7 days before eating. The longer it ages, the stronger the flavor.

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