The 9-step process
Follow these steps and you'll make perfect feta every time. No experience needed, everything is in your kit.
Preparing milk
Raw milk: gradually heat to 74-78 degrees and maintain for 5 minutes. Then cool to 37-39 degrees. Pasteurized milk: gradually heat to 37-39 degrees.
Add calcium chloride
Do you use pasteurized milk? Then add calcium chloride now. This restores the calcium content lost during pasteurization and ensures a firmer curd.
Add starter culture
Sprinkle the starter culture evenly over the milk surface. Let hydrate for 5 minutes before stirring. Then stir gently for 5 minutes using an up-and-down motion.
Ferment
Cover the jar and let it rest for 2 hours. The bacteria will now become active. Do you want a more intense, sour flavor? Then let it ferment for 3 to 4 hours.
Add rennet
Heat the milk to 37–39°C, add the rennet, and turn off the heat. Let it rest for 1 hour.
Check curd
Gently press against the edge with a knife or spoon. Is the separation sharp and clear? Then the curd is ready. Still blurry? Let it rest for another 15 minutes and test again.
Chop and stir
Cut the curd into 1 cm cubes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then, gently stir the curd for 20 minutes and wait again for the curd and whey to separate. Scoop out enough whey from the pot for the brine.
Draining, shaping, and salting
Line the mold with cheesecloth and spoon in the curds. No pressing needed. Let rest overnight at room temperature. Then cut into pieces and generously salt all sides. Let stand for 24 hours.
Curing and maturing
Place the feta in a glass jar and pour brine over it until it is completely submerged. Recipe: 80 grams of salt per liter of water. Using whey instead of water provides a richer flavor. Edible after just a few days, but 3 to 4 weeks provides the best taste.