Cheese is a popular appetizer that is used both independently and for preparing all kinds of salads. And to be sure of the quality of the product, I propose to cook feta cheese at home.
Recipe content:
- Ingredients
- Step by step cooking
- Video recipe
Cheese - brine cheese. Today we'll talk about how to make it at home, not only tasty, but also a natural product without chemicals. To prepare it, you will need a minimum of products: cow's milk, sour cream and citric acid. Although there are many recipes for feta cheese. It is also made from goat, buffalo or sheep milk, and sometimes from a mixture of milk varieties. In addition, the product can be diversified by adding any favorite spices, dill, bell pepper, etc.
You can use this cheese in a variety of ways. Sandwiches, canapes are made from it, added to salads and snacks. But it should be noted that it is not heated, because at high temperatures, it does not melt or dissolve like a purchased product, but simply disintegrates into pieces. Therefore, homemade feta cheese is not suitable for cooking soups.
Industrial feta cheese is usually stored in the brine in which it is sold. If there is no such brine, then the cheese is tightly wrapped in foil or film, and stored in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be stored in brine for up to 2-3 weeks.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 260 kcal.
- Servings - 150 g
- Cooking time - 1 hour
Ingredients:
- Milk - 1 l
- Sour cream - 3 tablespoons
- Citric acid - 1 tablespoon
- Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
How to cook cheese at home
1. Pour milk into a cooking pot, add sour cream and salt.
2. Stir and heat food to 50 degrees.
3. Add citric acid and stir. Turn the heat to low and continue to hold the food on the stove, stirring constantly, bringing the milk to a boil. Citric acid can be replaced with 1 tbsp. table vinegar 9%. The sourdough must be used in exactly the same proportion as indicated in the recipe, because too much of it will make the cheese "rubber".
4. After 3-5 minutes the milk will boil. Turn off the stove and continue stirring the mass. The milk will begin to curd and curdle, and a transparent whey with a green tint will form at the sides of the pan.
5. Place the sieve on a saucepan, cover with cheesecloth and lay out the curdled part of the dairy product. At this point, you can add any additives to taste and mix well.
6. Wrap the mass with gauze and squeeze out the serum well. Place a weight on the cheesecake, such as a can of water, and leave it under the press for an hour. The longer the feta cheese stays under the load, the denser the cheese will be. But, in my opinion, an hour is enough so that the feta cheese is not very dry.
7. After about an hour, the cheese can be unwrapped. You will have a pressed cheese cake. Rinse it under running water to smooth the edges.
8. The cheese is ready and you can use it. You can also increase its ripening up to two weeks. Then make a brine: salted boiled water (200 g of salt for 1 liter of water) or the remaining whey, and store the cheese in it. This method is still suitable if a lot of cheese has been made.
See also a video recipe on how to cook homemade feta cheese.
