Heres the downer about fresh cheese: It has a shelf life.
Thatis why feta is fantastic.
Its in it for the long haul, through salads, stuffed olives, and pilafs.
it’s possible for you to eat it on its own, without garnering any weird looks.
Bake it, and its a main course.
Making feta is fairly involved, but a great way to familiarize yourself with cheese molds.
While you’re able to make feta with any milk, its traditionally made with sheeps milk.
(To find your own sheeps milk, check out local farms and ask around.
Facebook is spectacular for this.)
Keep your spray bottle of vinegar and clean towels nearby.
Were looking for a sterile environment.
Once it hits 86F, remove the pot from the heat and turn the heat off.
Check the temperature, and check that its still within a few degrees of 86F.
Once it is, put the lid back on and let the milk ripen for a full hour.
Bring the milk to a still, then cover it again for a full hour.
Cut the curd
Sheeps milk is wonderful when it sets; its like a firm tofu.
Check for a clean break.
If you have a clean break, proceed.
If you do not, put the lid back on and wait another ten minutes and re-test.
when you obtain that clean break, it’s crucial that you cut the curds into 12-inch cubes.
Now it’s crucial that you make angled cuts, to cut those columns into smaller curds.
Holding the knife at a 45-degree angle, start cutting the curds across again.
Now rotate the pot 90 degrees and do it again.
If you did, just cut them as you find them with your cheese knife.
Then cover the pot and let the curds heal for five minutes.
Gently stir the curds for the next 25 minutes.
Repeat this motion over and over.
This process will help the whey separate, and will break up the curds a bit more.
By the end of 25 minutes, theyll be much smaller.
Let the curds settle for another five minutes before draining.
While you wont use it in this recipe, sheeps milk whey is great for making ricotta.
It may take longer for the whey to fully drain out, but youre looking for a porridge-like consistency.
Into the mold
Its time to set up your molds.
Set your cutting board next to your sink, with the corner hanging over the basin.
Lay a piece of cheesecloth across both molds, so the extra hangs off the sides of the baskets.
Place a matchbook or something similar under the side of the cutting board thats farthest from the sink.
It should raise that side just enough so the whey drains into the sink.
The whey should already be draining out of the molds and into the sink.
Youre going to use the baskets as followers.
Take your bottles, fill them with water, and ensure the outside of the bottles are sanitized.
Place them in the baskets.
Youre using the bottles as light weights; youre looking for a few pounds of pressure.
Flip em
Let those sit for two hours to drain, then its time to flip.
This feels more intimidating than it deserves.
These cheeses will be fragile, but solid.
Remove the bottles from the basket followers.
Gently pull the cheese out using the cheesecloth as a sling.
Give them a little nudge with your hand to get them in there good.
The salt comes from a brine.
Carefully remove the cheeses from their molds, and gently place them in the brine.
Cover the Tupperware and place it someplace safe, on a table away from pets or curious friends.
At the end of day four, its finally time to be re-united with your feta.
