NW Ferments Feta, Direct-Set, Cheese Culture Starter

Feta Cheese Culture – A tangy, soft cheese traditionally made with goat’s milk!

Home cheese making has recently exploded in popularity. It not only allows you to control the quality of the ingredients used, it’s also a great way to express your creativity. Starting with a softer cheese and an easy recipe is the best way to go for a newcomer. Cheese starter cultures are used to ripen the milk and start the fermentation process of cheese making. They also help determine the flavor, texture, and type of cheese you’re making. It can be as easy or as complicated as you’d like- there’s a cheese recipe for every level!

• Each box contains 4 individual packets
• Cultures at room temperature.
• Store in freezer

NW Ferments provides quality starter cultures for home production. Our goal is to enable people to improve their own health while saving them money. By making our own healthy foods, we help ourselves as well as our planet. While we are from the Pacific NW, we know that we have many kindred spirits worldwide.

For troubleshooting questions please reach out to NW Ferments at info@nwferments.com or by phone at 844-558-2752.

Ingredients

lactic bacteria (does not include rennet, purchase separately). Made in a facility that also processes wheat, soy and dairy products.

Directions

You will need: stainless steel pot with lid, non-aluminum spoon, thermometer, colander, bowl, long knife, butter muslin, tight-weave dish towel, or yogurt bag, large jar for storing cheese, cow, goat or sheep milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT), 1 packet Feta starter culture (store remaining packets in freezer for future use), spring water (free of chlorine & fluoride), rennet (liquid or tablets), non-iodized salt, calcium chloride (optional, aids in coagulation), lipase powder (optional, for additional flavor).

 Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 to 1 gallon milk very slowly on low heat to 86° F. Remove from heat.
2. Sprinkle one packet of Feta starter into milk and let sit 3-5 minutes, then mix thoroughly. Allow to sit undisturbed for 1 hour at room temperature (72-77° F).
3. Dilute 1/2 tsp. liquid rennet or 1/2 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup cool water. Mix this into the milk using an up-and-down motion rather than a stirring motion. Don’t over mix.
4. Place the lid on the pot and allow to culture in a warm spot, 72-77° F., for 30 to 40 minutes, or until set.
5. Once the Feta has set (it will move as a solid mass and cracks will begin to form), cut the curd into 1/2” cubes, using a long knife. Stir the curds gently a few times over the next 20 minutes.6) Place the colander in a bowl & line it with butter muslin, cheesecloth or a dish towel. Spoon the cheese curds into the colander, gather up the corners of the cloth, and tie them together to make a bag (a yogurt bag can also be used).
6. Hang the Feta-filled bag over a bowl to drain the whey for 4 hours up to overnight, until no more drains off (the whey can be reserved for other uses).
7. After draining, place the Feta curds in the jar. Cover curds with a brine of 2 tbsp. salt per quart of water. Screw lid on tight & store in refrigerator for about 5 days (30 days if using raw milk).

Now it’s time to Get Fermented!