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feta cheese

Homemade 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 pasteurized; 2% or 3.25%
  • 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. Pour your milk into a large pot and add the calcium chloride. Gently heat to 29–31°C (85–88°F).
  2. Once at temperature, stir in your plain yogurt until fully dissolved. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes to allow the milk to culture.
  3. Stir in your diluted rennet with 5–10 gentle strokes — no more than necessary. Cover and let sit undisturbed for 45–90 minutes until you get a clean break. A clean break means the curd separates cleanly and firmly when you cut into it. If it's not there yet, give it another 30 minutes.
  4. Cut the curd into 1-inch cubes, then slice through diagonally to create smaller pieces. Cover and let rest undisturbed for 5–10 minutes to firm up slightly.
  5. Turn the heat to very low and gently stir the curds, bringing the temperature back up to 31°C (88°F) if needed. Once at temp, turn off the heat and stir gently for another 5–10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes — the curds will sink to the bottom with clear whey on top.
  6. Line a colander with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the curds into the cheesecloth lined colander. Once most of the curds are transferred, pour the remaining whey through a small sieve into a half gallon jar until it is about ⅔ full.
  7. To the whey jar add salt, white vinegar, and calcium chloride. Cover and shake gently to dissolve. This is your brine, store in the fridge until needed.
  8. Transfer the curds into your cheese mold using the cheesecloth to help guide them in. Place the mold on a trivet inside a baking dish to catch any drips. Press down lightly with the follower and fold the cheesecloth over the top. Press and rest for 1 hour.
  9. After 1 hour unwrap, flip the cheese, and place it back in the mold. Press and rest for another hour. Unwrap and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt on one side, rubbing it in gently. Flip and salt the other side with another tablespoon. Fold the cheesecloth back over, cover, and let rest overnight — 16–24 hours.
  10. Remove the cheese from the mold and cheesecloth and slice into 8 equal triangles. Place the pieces into your prepared brine and let cure for at least 2 hours before eating — overnight is even better.
  11. Crumble over everything and enjoy. You made feta.