Feta

[Gail]

I have been making feta cheese using either the Katie Thear recipe or the Fankhauser recipe but every time it is just far too salty!

The texture is right and I have made the brine with 1 pint of whey to 5 tblspoons of salt.

Where am I going wrong? Should I brine it for just a few days and then try putting it in oil?

I hope someone can help.

Gail x

[Spuddy]

Maybe your tablespoons are larger than than 15ml (the accepted volume for 1tbsp). Try using less.

[jenny_haddow]

Hi Gail

Looking through different Feta recipes I notice quite a disparity in the saline solution for the brine. I think Fankhauser comes in quite high at 12.5%, the lowest I've seen is 7%. One quotes the equivalent of 2 tblsp to a pint of whey, which sounds more reasonable.

So maybe a combination of cutting the salt and reducing the brining time is the answer.

Hope this helps

Jen

[BlueCheese]

its very possable that its your cheese, if it is not "dense" and instead a bit spongy, then it will absorb the salt ( I had that). next time take measurments of the cheese and see if it swells. maybe press it longer/harder and let it machoor a bit before putting in the brine, salt the outer layer, or dip it on the brine, and let it settle for a couple of days. Just a thought

[Gail]

I have been experimenting over the past few days and think I have found a recipe I like.

I pressed the curds lightly for 3 hours in a lined collander then turned them into a fresh muslin and re-pressed for another couple of hours.

I then turned the curds out and cut into largish 2"ish chunks and salted them and put them on cheese mats to drain for 24 hours.

I turned them and resalted if they felt wet and left for another 8 hours.

I made up the brine with 10 level dessertspoons per litre of whey.

I washed the salt off the curds and then put them in the jars with the cooled brine.

The curds were very dry and had a nice salty taste but not too salty so that it takes the skin off your mouth.

They are in the fridge now and I will let you know how they are in a couple of weeks.

I think the recipe with 5 heaped tablespoons per pint is far too strong.

It's all trial and error and matter of personal taste isnt it?

Thanks for your replies.

Gail