By: Nathan Miller, Southern Maid Dairy at Circle M Farms, LA, LLC
Strong Traditional Feta We separate our pasteurized milk into small manageable batches (3gals at a time)
• Cool/warm pasteurizer milk to 86 degrees F.
• Add 1/4 tsp of culture and 1/4 tsp Lipase powder to 1/2 cup of cool distilled water.
• Pour that mixture into the milk and stir (upwards) 5-10 times and let sit for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, mix 1 Tablespoon of rennet into 1/2 cup of cool distilled water and stir 5-10 times (upwards). Let sit for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour cut the curd into cubes, approx 1x1x1”. Let sit for 10 mins
• Drain as much whey as possible and transfer curds into the drain bag.
• After 12 hours cut cheese into 1-2” thick slabs and salt each side. You can go directly into brine here or, we actually allow the slabs to drain an additional 24 hours on a draining mat (flipping and salting again at 12 hours).
• After draining, place slabs into salt brine and refrigerate.
Marinated Feta
There are numerous things you can add to feta and subsequently marinate.
Cut your slabs of feta into 1” cubes and them place in a sealable container.
Add Greek and Italian seasonings, chipotle, etc. Fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, dill, parsley, Herbs de Provence, the kitchen sink. Anything and/or everything to taste.
We use regular olive oil (high quality) as the virgin and extra virgin are a bit bitter. Again, personal taste or availability.
Pour olive oil or any mixture (sunflower etc) completely over and submerge the cheese. It will last for several weeks (unrefrigerated) as long as the cheese is under oil.
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