Many of you have seen a previous post I wrote about making Feta cheese, but because I made Feta again last week, I thought I would publish this post for those of you who may not have seen my other one.
Making Feta Cheese is EASY. It is a bit time-consuming, because you have to stick around to cut the curd several times and wait a couple hours in between, but you can do other stuff during that time. However, it's not like putting a batch of clothes in the washing machine and leaving the house. You do have to be there to take care of your Feta cheese.
It's also nice to do this project, starting in the morning, on a very warm day. The milk has to be brought to 80 degrees F. and then kept warm, but you don't want to keep it on the stove. It works to set it outdoors (covered) on a warm day OR, if you're making it in the winter, to set it beside the fire (but not in or on it).
Feta is one of those cheeses that is very cost effective to make. Mozzarella, on the other hand, is not. It costs just as much to make Mozzarella as it does to purchase it. So, unless you want to make it for the experience of making it, or for the fact that you know it's extremely fresh, it's hardly worth it, in my opinion.
Feta has some up-front costs, but those are a few simple tools and some ingredients that will keep in your freezer for a long, long time and allow you to make many batches of Feta. Then, the only other thing you need is a gallon of whole milk (not ultra-pasturized).
To skip the rest of this narrative and get right to the making of Feta cheese, click on this link from a past post, describing how to make Feta cheese. There's also a video there, 'How to Make Feta Cheese With Keila,' which is most helpful. Watch it a few times, get your supplies, and then Make Feta Cheese!
After gently scooping up the curd and placing it in the cheesecloth-lined colander
Letting it drip into a pan.
Cheese hanging overnight in cheesecloth,
letting excess whey drip into a pan below
THE most rewarding part
Cutting the cheese (so to speak)
I cut it into six fairly equal parts, press each into a small sherbet dish, place inside another container, cover it, and place in the freezer. When I need some Feta cheese, I take out one sherbet dish, place it in a ziploc baggie, set it on its side in the refrigerator, and a few hours later it has thawed and
the any excess whey has drained out into the baggie. Snip the corner off the baggie, pour out the whey, and use the dry, crumbly Feta cheese! It's delicious!
Ingredient supplies were purchased at Leeners.com
You won't be sorry, and you'll never again pay those extortionist prices for Feta cheese.
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