Posted in Home Dairy

This is a recipe that was given to me by a friend (thank you Cheryl!). It looked so easy to make that I thought it was to much to believe. So of course I had to make it!

It turned out great!! I took pictures of the process so that if it did turn out I could show you just how easy cheese making can be!!  I buy my cheese cultures and my cheese salt from Leeners http://leeners.com/  This is a great company to do business with. 

Here is the recipe:

Super Easy Feta Cheese

1 gallon goats milk (any milk would work, I used raw goats milk)
¼ c cultured buttermilk- this must be real cultured buttermilk or 1/8 t. Mesophilic A culture (I use direct set cultures that I buy from Leeners and that is what the pictures show)
¼ c water
20 drops vegetable rennet

Also:
Salt (cheese salt works best)
herbs, dried or fresh, your choice (dill, basil, oregano, chives, thyme)
Olive oil


Start with 1 gallon of milk

Heat the milk to 70 degrees (about room temp. I am not sure you have to do that, but felt room temp would be better than cold milk).

Add the buttermilk or Mesophilic A culture and stir.

Into the ¼ cup of water add 20 drops of vegetable rennet and stir. Add this to the milk and stir.

Let this sit for 2 hours. After 2 hours, stir slowly and carefully to break up the curds.

Drain this for 8 to 10 hours (overnight is handy). Below you will see pics of how I do this.  I use an old pillow case (works better than cheesecloth) that I have washed and bleached and shoestrings that have been washed and bleached to hang my cheese.

Here it is after 8 hours. You can see the bag of cheese is much smaller and there is much more whey in the bowl

Here is what was in the bag:

cut the cheese into chunks.

Layer pieces of cheese, salt and herbs in a quart jar.

View from the top:

Cover with olive oil making sure no cheese is above the level of the oil.

Turn jar several times a day. This is ready to eat in 3 days.