Homemade feta cheese recipe is similar to cheese recipe. Brynza can be made from sheep, goat or cow's milk. Some people prefer to make feta cheese from mixed milk (for example, cow and goat milk), so feta cheese at home is tastier. In order for the product not to turn out to be very greasy, it should be made from half-skimmed milk.
The required amount of milk is filtered through several layers of gauze, then pasteurized to 80 degrees and cooled to 30 degrees. After this, ferment is added to the milk. In order for the feta cheese at home to be better, you should use a good sourdough. The easiest way to buy pepsin is in the pharmacy, but it is best to make the yeast yourself. The best leaven is considered to be leaven from the stomach of a young lamb. It is cut out, freed and dried in a draft. Then cut into the shape of noodles. A few slices are filled with 0.5 liters of water and after half a day the fermentation is ready. The clotting time of milk depends on the amount of yeast added.
A normal circumstance is when, after adding the starter culture, milk is curdled after 30 minutes. A clot is considered ready when a curd mass is formed. Then the clot must be placed in a sieve with a dense tissue, cut with a knife into small cubes. All this is wrapped and put under the press for 5 minutes. The weight of the press is approximately equal to the weight of the mass. After 5 minutes, the operation is repeated. The third time the operation is the same, but the mass is already under pressure for an hour.
In the fourth pressing (final), several pieces are cut off from the mass at the edges, which are crushed and stacked in a recess formed in the mass due to the knot. The fabric is folded in the form of an envelope and again placed under the press, but the mass of the press is doubled. After about 2 hours, the serum stops being excreted. We can assume that homemade cheese is ready.
Brynza is cut into pieces of approximately equal weight of 1 kg and dipped in a concentrated solution of water with salt. The brine should be such that the pieces of cheese in it floated. After a day, the pieces of cheese are placed in a bowl and filled with dry salt. Then the pieces of feta cheese can be packed in various containers: jars, pots, etc., each layer is sprinkled with salt and all this is poured with a 20 percent solution of water with salt. The containers should be tightly closed with a lid and stored in a cool place. Brynza at home can also be stored in pieces wrapped in a napkin and sprinkled with salt. However, this storage method is designed for a short period of time.
A good feta cheese at home should be aged in warm water for several minutes before use to remove excess salt from it. Pour boiling water with feta cheese should not be, as it can become quite stiff and not pleasant to taste.
In cases of long-term storage of feta cheese, the brine should be changed every month, reducing its concentration.
Cheese itself is a very tasty and healthy product. It contains useful elements such as protein, calcium, and many others. The process of its preparation is quite simple, so everyone can perform it, even in urban conditions. So to make 1 kg of feta cheese will require about 4-5 liters of goat or sheep’s milk. You can also use cow's milk, but preferably not skimmed, because about 13-14 liters will be required to make 1 kg of feta cheese from skimmed cow's milk.
Everyone can try their abilities to cook homemade cheese. From it you can already cook various dishes: pizza, pasta with feta cheese, sandwiches, pies and much more.