Recipes with feta cheese. Homemade feta cheese: a piece of sunny Greece in your kitchen

Feta cheese is a great addition to various salads (eg Greek or Italian). It also melts great. Feta can be eaten fresh, immediately after cooking, or you can prepare a brine and keep it there for a spicier taste and longer shelf life.

Ingredients

8 l.

whole cow, goat or sheep milk

not UHT

1/8 tsp

dry mesophilic-thermophilic farm sourdough

1/2 tsp

liquid rennet (veal)

dissolve in 50ml water temperature 30-35ºС
or rennet in another form, at the dosage indicated on the package
use animal rennet for this recipe

1 ½ tsp (8 ml)

calcium chloride, solution 10%

dissolve in 50 ml of water at room temperature

or be guided by the dosage indicated by the manufacturer of the drug on the package

the maximum dose of application is 2 g of dry calcium per 10 liters of milk

Salting brine (25%)

1 kg.

medium sea salt

not iodized

3 l.

boiled water

1 tbsp

calcium chloride 33%

1 tsp

white vinegar

Storage brine (8%)

200

medium sea salt

not iodized

2.5 l.

boiled water

After cooking you will receive: 1.2 kg feta cheese

Equipment

10 l.

pot

enameled or stainless steel

15 l.

pot

for a water bath

food thermometer

long knife

for cutting a clot

skimmer

wooden or plastic

2 pcs. for 700

cheese mold

perforated, suitable for ricotta basket

for 3 l.

storage container with lid

you can use normal three-liter jar

cheese cloth

gauze or muslin

Sterilize all equipment before making cheese. You can wash it and pour boiling water over it

Feta cheese preparation schedule (from start to finish)

First day:

• 2.5 hours to prepare cheese grain
• 12-15 hours (evening, night and morning) for pressing

Second day:

• 6-12 hours to increase acidity
• 8 hours (night) for salting cheese in a salt bath

Subsequent days:

• 1-3 days for drying
• 3 weeks - 12 months to mature in salt brine

Feta Cheese Step by Step Recipe

1. Slowly heat the milk in a water bath to 34°C, stirring constantly. In the process of heating, add calcium chloride diluted in water, mix.
2. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the sourdough powder over the surface of the milk, let it absorb the moisture for 3 minutes. Then mix, trying to distribute the powder throughout the volume of milk.
3. Cover and leave the milk for 60 minutes.
4. Pour in the enzyme dissolved in water, mix it well throughout the entire volume of milk.
5. Cover the pot with a lid and leave for 45 minutes to curdle the milk.
   [optional] To accurately determine the required clotting time and obtain a clot of the desired consistency and calculate the clotting time using the formula K = F * M (multiplier = 3, F is the flocculation time in minutes). After the calculation, cover the pan with a lid and leave the clot alone for the remaining number of minutes.
6. Swipe. If the clot is not dense enough, leave for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Cut the clot into cubes with a side of 1.5 cm.
8. Slowly stir the curd over the next 20-30 minutes. During this time, it should decrease in size and release more serum. Try to keep the temperature at 34°C.
9. Leave the cheese grain for 5 minutes so that it settles to the bottom of the pan. After that, remove most of the whey (so that it only slightly covers the top layer of the curd)
10. With a large slotted spoon, transfer the cheese grain to the molds. Forms need to be sterilized, and it is not necessary to line them with gauze.
11. Leave the cheese in the molds for 12-15 hours (evening, night and next morning) to self-press at room temperature. If you want a denser feta, place a light weight (2-3 kg) on ​​the molds. Turn the cheese in the mold every 2 hours (of course, not at night).
12. Cut the cheese mass into pieces weighing 200-400g and leave for another 6-12 hours at room temperature (20-24º C) (the higher the temperature, the less time you need to withstand at this stage).
13. Prepare a saturated brine solution: dissolve salt in hot water, add vinegar and calcium chloride in the indicated proportions. When the salt dissolves, cool the brine by placing it in the refrigerator and cooling to 10-12 °C.
14. Place the feta pieces in the brine for 8 hours. Place the brine container in a cool place with a temperature of 10-12 °C.
15. Take the feta pieces out of the brine and lay them out on a drainage mat for 1-3 days to dry at 10-12ºC. Cover the top with gauze to prevent contamination. Turn the pieces of cheese 2-3 times a day so that it dries evenly.
16. Prepare a brine for storing cheese (the proportions are indicated above).
17. Place the dried pieces of Feta in a three-liter jar, fill them with chilled brine, close the lid.
18. Feta in brine matures in a conventional refrigerator at a temperature of 7-12 ° C from 3 weeks (the taste of the cheese will be soft, slightly salty) to a year (rich, very salty taste). In the original, instead of brine for Feta, sea salt water is used.
19. [optional] When Feta has reached the desired degree of maturity in brine, it can be cut into small cubes and packaged in jars filled with olive oil with various additives to taste: for example, capers, olives, hot peppers, etc.

Feta is the most famous fresh cheese in the world. It was prepared by Balkan shepherds who grazed their goats and sheep on the arid foothills of the Carpathians. Traditionally, feta was made from sheep and goat milk and stored in brine. Gradually, feta became widespread in Greece and the Mediterranean islands, where it was already made from cow's milk.

Feta cheese is made from sheep's or goat's milk, has a white or cream color, a pleasant cottage cheese smell and a loose crumbly structure. Cheese goes well with vegetables and herbs, which is successfully used in the preparation of Greek salad or any salad with fresh vegetables and herbs. Feta has a fairly dense texture. And although this cheese can be easily broken into pieces with your fingers, it cannot be spread on bread or cut into a thin slice. In Russia, the analogue of Feta is brynza.

Equipment

Ingredients

• 5 liters of milk
• 1/4 tsp lipase (0.25 g) dissolved in 20 ml of water (dissolve in advance and let stand for 20 minutes)
• 1/16 tsp mesophilic starter MM 101 or MM 100, also
• 1/4 tsp calcium chloride solution (dissolve in 50 ml of cold water)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp liquid rennet (dissolve in 50 ml of cold water). If you are using lipase take 1/2 tsp. rennet, if you do not add lipase, 1/4 tsp will be enough. rennet.

Recipe

1. Pour milk into a saucepan, bring to a temperature of 33C. Add lipase and mesophilic starter, mix well and leave for 60 minutes.

2. If the milk is cold, heat the milk to 32C, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, add calcium chloride and rennet previously dissolved in water and mix well for 30 seconds.

3. Cover the pan with a lid or towel and leave for 40 minutes.

4. Check for clot formation. A clean separation of the clot from the serum should be achieved. If it hasn't already, leave it for a few more minutes.

5. Cut the curd into 1.5 cm cubes. Mix slowly for 20 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes for the clot to settle.

6. With a large slotted spoon, transfer the entire clot to a cheese dish or a colander with small holes.

7. Leave the feta in the form overnight at a temperature of 20-22C.

8. Take out the cheese, cut into large pieces and put in 10% brine for 8-10 hours.

9. After that better cheese take it out and put it in a food container, otherwise it will become soft and mushy. To prevent this, add calcium chloride to the brine.

10% brine: Dissolve 100 g of salt (ordinary table salt, you can not take sea or iodized salt) in 1 liter of warm water. Cool down. The brine can be used several times. The solution is quite strong, you can make the brine less salty by adding 50-60 g of salt per liter of water.

Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses, the origin of which goes far back in history. Feta is considered one of the oldest cheeses in the world!

The earliest mention of this cheese took place in the Byzantine Empire. Feta is closely related to Crete, located in present-day Greece. An Italian traveler in the city of Candia, in his letters dated 1494, specifically mentions the processes of aging cheese in cellars.

The word "feta" has an interesting origin story. Translated from the Italian word fetta means a slice. Perhaps this is due to the fact that when serving, the cheese was cut into thin slices. Fetta, in turn, is of Latin origin from ofa (meaning bite or bite). The word first appeared in Greek in the 17th century. According to myth, Cyclops Polyfimos was the first to cook it. In the Delphi Museum (6th century BC), artifacts also refer to the process of making feta cheese.

Varieties of Greek feta cheese can be found in many Balkan countries, as well as in the Mediterranean region.

In fact, Feta accounts for 70% of the consumption of Greek cheeses. The cheese is protected by EU legislation and only those cheeses produced in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, Peloponnese and Lesbos can officially be called "Feta". Similar cheeses produced elsewhere, such as in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea, outside the EU, are often referred to as "white cheese".

To create traditional feta, 30% goat's milk is mixed with sheep's milk from animals grazing on pastures in specific regions of origin. Firmness, texture and taste differ from region to region, but in general the cheese from Macedonia and Thrace is softer and creamier, less salty with fewer holes. Feta, made in Thessaly and Central Greece, has a stronger flavor.

In general, Feta is a curd cheese, with a salty and spicy taste. It is distinguished by its graininess. Hardness can vary from soft to semi-hard. After maturing for 2 months, Feta is sold in square blocks immersed in brine. Cheese can be used as a cut on the table, an addition to pizza or added to a Greek salad. Pairs well with olive oil, red pepper and nuts. If necessary, it can be rinsed with water to get rid of excess salt.

Cooking process

You will need:

• 10 liters of milk;
• ¼ tsp;
• thermometer;
• drainage mat ;

Our recipe uses cow's milk, but it can be substituted with goat's or sheep's milk for a more traditional taste.

Milk preparation

Pasteurize the milk before starting the cheese making process. This is the only way you can be sure that your milk is safe. Still don't know what pasteurization is? The article describes this procedure in detail.
Now you can go directly to the recipe.

Heat milk to 34°C.
After reaching the desired temperature, add the pre-activated starter culture (¼ tsp). Read about the starter activation process. Leave the milk for 40-60 minutes.

Coagulation (coagulation) of milk

After 40-60 minutes, rennet should be added to the milk. To do this, dilute ½ tsp. rennet in ¼ cup room temperature water and pour the resulting solution into the milk.
Stir the milk thoroughly (about 2-3 minutes). Within 10 minutes, the milk will begin to thicken. However, the entire coagulation process takes about 40 minutes from the moment the rennet is added. After the clotting is completed, it is necessary to check the readiness and correctness of the resulting clot. You can see the clean department.

Working with curd, filling molds and shaping cheese heads

1. Cut the formed clot into cubes with a side of 1.5 - 2 cm.
2. Then knead the cheese grain for 20 minutes, maintaining approximately the original temperature (it's not scary if it drops a few degrees). The firmness of your finished cheese depends on the kneading time. After kneading, let the grain settle to the bottom for 10 minutes.
3. Before filling out the forms, they must be disinfected. To do this, wash the molds well and pour over with boiling water.
4. Remove the whey to the level of the curd, and then transfer the mass to the mould.
5. Leave the mass in the mold overnight (8-10 hours) at a temperature of 20-22°C. During the first two hours, the cheese head should be turned over as often as possible. This cheese requires a small weight (about 1 kg), since Feta cheese is well pressed under its own weight. During this time, the starter will continue to increase acidity. By morning, the cheese should be quite firm, in addition, a sour smell should appear (pH = 4.7-4.8).
6. Now the resulting mass can be cut into smaller pieces to ensure their uniform salting.

Salting

To prepare the brine you will need:

• 1 liter of boiled water;
• 200 grams of table salt.

Boil water, add salt, stir well until the salt dissolves, strain through and cool the resulting brine.

Place the cheese cubes in the brine for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, remove the cubes from the brine and place them on a drainage mat. Leave for 2-3 days, keeping the temperature at 10-13°C. Cheese can be covered. The blocks should be turned over several times a day to help dry the surface of the cheese evenly.

Storing Feta Cheese in Brine

Feta cheese storage brine is 8% brine. The brine should completely cover the cheese during storage. Ripening temperature - 10-13 ° C. Term - 30 days. Subsequently, Feta cheese should be stored in a brine-filled room at a temperature of 5-7 ° C until the moment of use.

If the cheese seems too salty when you eat it, just soak it in milk for a few hours.

The site has recipes with feta with photos for every taste. Feta is the most popular cheese in Greece and known far beyond its borders. Feta is made from sheep's milk. For diets, feta dishes are not suitable, because. cheese contains up to 50% fat. Recipes for cooking with feta cheese take into account the characteristics of the cheese, which are important to preserve in the finished dish. The word feta itself translates as "piece", which is not surprising, because. cook it just the same big piece. Outwardly, feta resembles young pressed cottage cheese, but the taste of the cheese is more expressive, salty, with a delicate milky sourness.

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The most famous fresh cheese variety in the world. It is widely used in salads and for making sauces.

Since ancient times, Balkan shepherds have been preparing feta, looking after their herds of goats and sheep in the foothills of the Carpathians.
Cow's milk, as a raw material, began to be used later - this is a Mediterranean tradition. And feta fit so organically into Greek cuisine that we know it as an example of the culinary art of Hellas.

Has been certified by AOC (French Appellation d'origine controlee) since 2002.

Ingredients

• 5 l milk
• 1/16 tsp mesophilic starter culture 1
• 1.25 ml liquid rennet
• 0.5 ml solution 2 10% calcium chloride

1 0.16 g Danisco Choozit MA 11 or 1/4 tsp. (0.56 g) MESO-1 Dilute 2 10 grams of dry calcium chloride in 100 ml of boiled water.
Store the solution in your household refrigerator.
Best before sedimentation.

Equipment

Cooking

1. you pasteurized 3 milk, cool it down to 33°C, add the starter, then mix, and leave for 60 minutes.
2. Take 50 ml of warm water in 2 containers: in one you add a solution of calcium chloride (not granules!), in the second - a coagulant (rennet / vegetarian chymosin), after which, add the mixture to the pan, and mix again.
3. Now, clot must ripen. To do this, close the pan with a lid, and leave for 20-30 minutes at room temperature: after this time, you will see a cheese clot - gel, under a layer of translucent whey. It needs to be checked for a “clean break”: for this, you need to take a knife and make a shallow cut “at an angle”, and lift this part of the clot; if its edges are even, the incision site is filled with serum - this means that it is time to move on to the next step; if this does not happen, wait another 10-15 minutes.
4. Cut the clot into cubes with a party 1.5 cm and stir for 5 minutes. After - leave for 10 minutes so that the grain settles to the bottom of the pan.
5. Pour off most of the whey so that the grain shows through the surface and fill in the forms. Now you can remove the cheese in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
6. The last step: you need to remove the molds and fold the heads into food container which will be filled 10% brine four ; it is in it that feta should aged 5-10 days.

3 It is important to remember that cheese cannot be cooked from store-bought packaged milk - in dairies, pasteurization is carried out at high temperatures, as a result of which protein denaturation occurs, and a clot simply does not form. You can buy raw farm milk and pasteurize it yourself by heating it to 72-75°C, holding for 20 seconds, then cooling as soon as possible. Also, this manipulation can be carried out at t = 65-68 ° C, but it will be a little longer - 20 minutes, it is impossible to speed up the process, because not all pathogenic bacteria will die. 4 To prepare 4 liters of 10% brine, you will need to dissolve 440 grams of salt in boiled water, 4 grams of dry calcium chloride, and add 2.5 ml of 9% vinegar. Russell is ready.