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feta cheese

Feta Cheese

AuthorBronwyn Case
Feta cheese is one of the best beginner-friendly cheeses to make at home—simple, satisfying, and far more affordable than store-bought.
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Prep Time6 hours
Cook Time2 hours
Rest 1 day
Total Time1 day 8 hours

Ingredients  

Feta Cheese Ingredients

  • 1 Gallon Milk
  • 1/4 Cup Yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp Liquid Animal Rennet in 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp Calcium Chloride in 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp Sea Salt

Brine Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb Sea Salt 225g
  • 1 tsp White Vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp Calcium Chloride
  • Whey

Instructions 

  1. Heat and Culture the Milk: Pour your milk into a large pot and gently heat it to 29–31°C (85–88°F). Once at temperature, stir in plain yogurt until fully dissolved. Cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to allow the milk to culture.
  2. Add Calcium Chloride and Rennet: After culturing, stir in your calcium chloride diluted in a small amount of water. Then, stir in your rennet diluted in water with about 5–10 gentle strokes of your spoon—no more than necessary. Cover again and let it sit undisturbed for 45–90 minutes, or until you achieve a clean break (a firm curd that separates cleanly when cut). If it’s not ready, give it another 30 minutes.
  3. Cut and Heal the Curd: Once the curd is ready, cut it into 1-inch cubes, then slice through diagonally to make smaller curd pieces. Cover the pot again and let the curds rest undisturbed for 5–10 minutes to firm up slightly.
  4. Stir and Warm the Curds: Turn the heat on to very low and gently stir the curds. If the temperature isn't already there, bring it back up to 31°C (88°F). Once at temp, turn off the heat and stir gently for another 5–10 minutes, then cover and let the curds rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Prepare the Brine and Drain the Curds: Line a colander with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. At this point, the curds should have sunk to the bottom of the pot with clear whey on top. Slowly pour the whey through the cheesecloth to catch the curds. Once you’ve collected enough whey to fill ⅔ of a half-gallon jar, transfer it to the jar and add salt, white vinegar, and calcium chloride. Seal and shake to dissolve and set the brine aside in the fridge.
  6. Press and Mold the Cheese: Scoop the curds into the cheesecloth-lined colander using a slotted spoon, pressing and squeezing gently to remove excess whey. Let the curds drain for about 10–15 minutes. Prepare your cheese mold by placing it on a trivet inside a glass dish to catch additional whey. Transfer the curds into the mold, press down lightly with the follower, and fold the cheesecloth over the top. Let rest for 1 hour. After 1 hour, unwrap, flip the cheese, and place it back in the mold. Let it sit for another hour.
  7. Salt and Rest: Unwrap the cheese and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt on one side, rubbing it in gently. Flip and salt the other side with another tablespoon. Place the cheese back in the lined mold, fold the cloth over, and let rest at room temperature for 16–24 hours.
  8. Slice and Brine: Remove the cheese from the mold and slice it into 8 equal pieces. Place the pieces into your prepared brine and let them cure for at least 12 hours or overnight.
  9. Enjoy: Crumble and enjoy your homemade feta!