Cheese is one of the best culinary creations that has changed the way people eat their food. The best part about cheese is that it comes in a lot of different varieties, all of which serve a specific purpose and add a different texture to the food. As per a lot of archaeological excavations, the world's oldest cheese is believed to have been made during 1200 BCE. This simply means that people at least 3200 years ago were also enjoying cheesy dishes just like modern human beings. Initially, cheese was a lot salty and sour as compared to the varieties that we have now.
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In Greece, people started consuming the oldest varieties of cheese, such as feta and cottage cheese, which led to the creation of other cheese varieties in the following years. Feta cheese has been consumed by human beings for hundreds of years now. However, the practice of making feta cheese at home, even today, is not as common. In this article, one will find some helpful tips and tricks that can help them make fresh and delicious feta cheese at home.
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* Quality Of Milk
Most varieties of cheese come from either goat or sheep milk. Feta cheese falls into the same category and can be made with either of the milks. However, while making feta cheese at home, one has to be extra careful about the quality of the milk that they have chosen. It is important to remember that the milk of the goat is generally a bit thicker in texture. It also has a more dense and creamy consistency. But because of this dense consistency, making curd out of this milk can be a bit tricky. Sheep milk, on the other hand, is buttery but not very thick, which makes it easier for a person to make curds from it. A person should preferably use either the milk of a goat or sheep. However, if none of these is available, then one can also use cow milk.
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* Using A Culture
It is impossible to make feta cheese without using a culture that provides the right amount of flavour as well as an acidic profile. A culture is extremely important to kickstart the process. Very often, the curd solution becomes quite slimy, which means that it starts slipping through the container. Two important aspects to keep in mind while checking the texture of the feta solution are to see if the acidity of the cheese is higher than regular or if the brine solution that has been added doesn't have the appropriate calcium levels. It can be fixed by either adding some white vinegar or calcium chloride.
* Brine
The major function of the brine solution is to give moisture and softness to the feta cheese. People who want their feta cheese to be extremely dry and hard can skip on adding the brine solution. It is important to remember that adding brine solution is now considered a traditional approach, and a lot of people do not consider it a quintessential part of making feta cheese at home. If a person wants to make extra dry feta cheese, then they can simply try tossing the feta cheese blocks with some salt. Salt is very effective in absorbing the extra moisture out of the dish.
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* Salting
A very important aspect of making a perfectly well-flavoured feta cheese is to add the right amount of salt. Salt not only helps in imparting a good flavour to the cheese but is also important for preservative functions. Generally, for feta cheese, people like to add the non-iodised version of salt. It is also called the cheese salt or the kosher salt in the normal language. The curd of the feta cheese is mixed with this variety of salt and is allowed to rest for at least a couple of hours. This helps in developing the flavours and textures properly before the curd is finally transferred into the container.
* Ageing
Now, no matter what quality of ingredients one has decided to add to the curd for feta cheese, the amount of time that it takes for ageing and the ageing conditions play a very important role. One has to always choose a very dark and relatively cooler environment than room temperature for storing the container that has feta cheese curd. It will typically take at least 4 to 6 weeks for feta cheese to develop properly. A person should leave the container undisturbed and not try to check it again and again. Also, one must make sure that the place chosen is hygienic so that there is no mould formation of any kind.