Marinated Feta Goat Cheese

Feta is a salty Greek cheese made from sheep or goat milk. It does not require pressing or aging in a cheese cave but it develops a lot of flavor. I like it marinated in extra-virgin olive oil with a garlic clove and a sprig of rosemary and basil. This can be kept unrefrigerated as long as the cheese remains covered with olive oil. This marinate recipe comes from Hoegger Supply Company Cheese and Soap Maker’s catalog which reprinted it from “Goats Produce Too” by Mary Jane Toth.

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 2 pounds (will vary depending on milk)

Prep Time: Making the cheese: about 2 1/2 hours not counting draining and brining times. It will take about 1/2 hour to do the marinating procedure.  

Ingredients

Cheese:
1 gallon whole goat milk
1/8 teaspoon DVI mesophilic culture
1/8 teaspoon lipase powder dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon double-strength liquid rennet mixed with 1/4 cup cool water.
Non-iodized salt

Brine solution:
1/2 cup salt to 1/2 gallon water.

Marinade:
Extra-virgin olive oil
garlic cloves
herbs of your choice (I use basil and rosemary)
Jars (I use half pint)

Directions

Making the cheese:
Warm goat milk to 86 degrees F. I do it directly over the heat. Add the culture and stir well. Add the dissolved lipase powder, stir well, cover, and let ripen for about one hour.

Add the liquid rennet mixed with water and stir into milk for 30 seconds to a minute. Allow the milk to coagulate for 30 to 40 minutes or until you get a clean break. Cut the curds into 1-inch cubes and let rest for 10 minutes.

Stir the curds gently for 20 minutes, keeping the temperature at 86 degrees. I set my pot in a sink of warm water. This process toughens the curds and releases the whey.

Pour the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander (I use Plyban) then tie up the curds and let drain 12 hours. Turn the curds once while draining to keep the cheese well shaped for cutting in the next step. After draining, the cheese should be very firm. Slice into 2 inch chunks. Lay the chunks in a covered container and rub the curds with non-iodized salt. Drain off excess liquid occasionally and re-salt. Keep at room temperature for 2 days.

Prepare the brine by dissolving the salt in boiling water and the allow the brine to cool to room temperature. Place the cheese in the brine solution for 1 to 4 weeks and put in the refrigerator. Be sure the cheese is covered with brine. You can leave the cheese in the brine and it will keep at least a year in the fridge. Once the feta has been brined for at least a month, it is ready for the marinade. It is also ready to eat at this stage.

Marinade directions:
Cut the cheese into 1-inch cubes. Place cubed cheese in jars with lids. Add the garlic and your favorite sprigs of herbs. Completely cover the cheese with olive oil leaving about a 1/2 inch headspace. The cheese will age in the marinade and does not need to be refrigerated. It is best to wait a few weeks before using to let the cheese develop more flavor. Crumble on salads or use any way you would use Feta.

Categories: Dairy, Goat Cheeses, Homemade Cheese

Submitted by: twiggitygoats on October 8, 2011