What is special about soft cheese?
Traditionally, feta cheese is made from sheep's milk, but now production also uses cow's and goat's milk. The composition includes lactic acid starter and calcium chloride.
The final stage of preparation is soaking the product in a saline solution. Brynza is a cheese with a short ripening period (from 5 to 15 days). Its salinity depends on the duration of soaking.
Compared to other cheeses, feta cheese has a more delicate consistency, which is why there are strict requirements for maintaining a high level of moisture in it.
Do you know that…
Drying of the cheese leads to damage to its taste.
Cooking feta cheese
Brine cheeses are made from sheep's or cow's milk, and often from a mixture of both.
Photo of feta cheese
Homemade cheese is made from sheep's and cow's milk.
Coagulation temperature is 28-31°T, duration is 35-45 minutes.
The curd is laid out on a waste table with sides, covered with a damp serpyanka, and cut after 10, 15 and 40 minutes.
The cheese mass, wrapped in serpyanka, is pressed in two stages - first at 5 N per 1 kg of mass, and then at 10-15 N per 1 kg of mass.
The pressed mass - a layer of feta cheese - is cut into bars with sides 10-15 cm and a height of up to 10 cm and a weight of 0.5-1.7 kg.
Salting cheese
According to technology, cheese is salted for 24 hours in brine and 24 hours with dry salt.
The mass after 48 hours of salting is taken as the initial mass when calculating its further changes.
Do you always follow the correct storage of food/medicines and their product proximity?
Yes, of course, this is very important so as not to spend money on your health later.
49.12%
Not really, because there won’t be anything like going to the toilet.
26.32%
I look at it by appearance and if I use anything after heat treatment.
24.56%
Votes: 171
At the end of salting, the cheese is placed in barrels along with brine with a concentration of 20-22%.
The weight of cheese in a barrel along with brine is from 50 to 100 kg, storage temperature is 10-12 ° C.
Cheese made from raw milk must be in brine for at least a month, and from pasteurized milk - 2 weeks.
After 29-30 days of storage, the brine in the barrels is replaced by filling the cheese with 17-18% brine.
| On a note. When making feta cheese at home, the salting and aging time is usually reduced and the produced cheese is consumed within half an hour to a day. |
| Read the article about making Camembert cheese |
Maturation
The process of ripening cheese is unique.
In particular, milk sugar is preserved in it for a long time, which should be explained by its large specific surface area and the ability to quickly salt the cheese mass that has not been processed to the grain stage.
There is no deep breakdown of protein in cheese, despite the fact that up to 40% or more passes into soluble form.
Of the 33.4% soluble protein, casein nitrogen accounts for 27.7%, and peptone, albumen and amino acid nitrogen accounts for only 5.7%.
Obviously, under the influence of salt, peptization of the protein occurs and its transition to a soluble (according to Kjeldahl) form.
The degree of maturity, according to Shilovich, even in 100-day-old cheese is at the level of 25-30°, which also confirms the suppression of microbacteriological and enzymatic processes in cheese.
Change in the mass of cheese
During storage, the weight of the cheese changes significantly.
When stored for up to 30 days, it decreases significantly, then stabilizes, after 120 days it increases, and by 180 days of storage it stabilizes again.
Concentrated brine and syneresis of the cheese mass contribute to a decrease in moisture content and mass until the relative leveling of the salt concentration in the brine, as well as in the aqueous phase of the cheese (14-18%), which corresponds to stabilization of the mass by 30 days of age.
| Read the article on how to make Roquefort cheese |
After the attenuation of diffusion processes, the hydration properties of the protein begin to manifest themselves more strongly, as a result of which the mass and moisture content in feta cheese increases.
Upon reaching a certain swelling limit, the mass of the cheese stabilizes again.
How to store in the refrigerator: container, timing
According to GOST, it is recommended to store cheese at a temperature of 0 to 6 °C.
- The shelf life in brine is up to 75 days.
- Without it, the time period is reduced to 30 days.
As a rule, after purchasing a product, a person thinks about how to store cheese in the refrigerator. The main condition is to ensure the tightness of the container. Therefore, the best option is a container with a tight-fitting lid.
We recommend reading: How long to store different types of cheese in the refrigerator. Can it be frozen?
It is important to keep the product in the “original” liquid. This will allow the soft cheese not to lose its taste and beneficial properties for as long as possible.
Like all brine cheeses, feta cheese does not have a rind that would protect it from environmental influences. This should be taken into account when storing it.
It is recommended to keep cheese in the middle part of the refrigerator. When storing at home, the terms are special, and they depend on the packaging:
- Factory packaging. Before opening, the product can be stored for the entire period indicated on the label, after opening - up to 5 days.
- Enameled dishes. The shelf life will reach 14 days if you pack the cheese in foil and place it in a tightly sealed enamel container.
- Plastic container. Plastic dishes are not the best option for storage. In such containers the product remains edible for no more than 3 days.
Tip of the day
You should not use cling film, as it suffocates the cheese and loses its taste properties.
Conditions and periods for storing cheese at room temperature
Bryndza can be stored at a temperature of +24°C, but not for long, the following conditions must be observed:
- In original sealed packaging, the shelf life will be up to 24 hours.
- If the package has already been opened, it is recommended to store no more than 6 hours.
- In salt brine, in a glass jar, the shelf life of cheese increases to 2 days.
How do you know if the cheese has gone bad?
- If storage conditions are not met, the cheese quickly changes its color and becomes covered with yellowish spots.
- When cut, it sticks to the knife and crumbles, and may become moldy.
- The smell of the cheese becomes unpleasant and resembles the smell of spoiled milk.
Remember that if you find at least one of these signs, the spoiled product must be disposed of (throw away). You shouldn’t skimp on your health and endanger your loved ones.
Can it be frozen? How to do it right
If it is not possible to consume the cheese before the expiration date, then a way to preserve the cheese for a long time will come in handy.
You can put the product in the freezer. First you need to pack it in cling film, a vacuum freezer bag or foil.
The shelf life in the freezer is up to 8 months. But freezing cheese is an extreme measure, since in the process it loses some of its beneficial properties and taste and begins to crumble. It can only be used for preparing, for example, salad.
Based on the above, the answer to the question of whether feta cheese can be frozen is ambiguous. You will have to decide based on the situation.
Just 100 g of feta cheese could provide the body's daily need for calcium, if not for the high salt content, which does not allow the product to be eaten in such quantities
Tips and recommendations for proper storage of cheese
There are several ways to store cheese so that it does not lose its beneficial qualities, microelements and vitamins.
Storing cheese in brine manufacturer
If the product is going to be stored for a long time, then you should not remove it from the brine in which it was purchased. Manufacturers supply cheese in a special brine - brine, which protects against pathogenic microorganisms and drying.
Storing feta cheese without brine in the refrigerator
The cheese can be stored well in a plastic, closed container for up to 3 days. For long-term storage - up to 2 weeks . – before placing the cheese in the refrigerator, wrap it in foil and place it in an enamel container that closes tightly. You should not wrap the cheese in cling film - it will suffocate in it.
Storing cheese in brine
Store the cheese filled with brine in a glass jar in the refrigerator. If the cheese is completely covered with liquid, it can be stored for more than 2 weeks . The brine is prepared at home by dissolving a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. To improve the taste, you can add a little red pepper, cumin, dill, and mustard seeds.
When making cheese in large quantities at home, it is better to preserve the product in brine, which will not oversalt the cheese and is soft: bring to a boil a solution consisting of 4 liters of water, 2 tbsp. salt and 1 tbsp. Sahara. After cooling, pour the cheese, cut into pieces and placed in a jar, close tightly with a lid and place in a cool place - a basement or cellar. The product is stored for six months with a systematic change of brine every month. Storage temperature 5-10°C .
The brine can be replaced with whey that remains after cheese making: dissolve 400 g of salt in 2 liters of water.
Storing cheese in the freezer
In order to freeze cheese, you should cut it into slices . Wrap each of them in foil, parchment or a clean cloth, place in a plastic bag, tie tightly (vacuum bags or bags with an airtight zipper work well) and place in the freezer. The date must be written on the package.
The second way is to cut the cheese into pieces, place it on a plate or tray with parchment paper, cover with film and place in the freezer for 2 hours . Place the frozen cheese in a container and put it in the chamber until the required time.
How to store in brine. Simple recipe
It is recommended to purchase cheese in the “original” whey solution. But if this is not possible, then to maintain the taste and increase the shelf life of the product, you need to independently prepare the brine for the cheese.
- Raw brine. To prepare, you need to dissolve salt in boiled water at the rate of 1-2 tsp. for 1 glass of liquid. You will need enough water to completely cover the cheese in the container.
- Brine with herbs. Mix the dried ingredients in a saucer: cumin, red pepper, dill, parsley, garlic. Add the resulting mixture to the salt solution, which was prepared using the above method. To taste, you can include vegetable oil and mustard seeds.
It is better to keep cheese in a salt solution in a glass container. The expiration date will be:
- in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or more;
- without refrigeration for 48 hours (in a dark, cool place).
Note to the hostess
Before serving, cheese that has been stored in brine should be immersed in water or milk for 5 minutes. This will help remove excess salt from the product.
Conditions and periods for storing cheese in the refrigerator
Young cheese, without brine, remains good for 2-7 days. The temperature in the refrigerator should be from +1° to +5°C.
Due to its delicate consistency cheese cannot be stored longer, as it is quickly damaged by bacteria, which can lead to poisoning. For better preservation, it is best to place the cheese in a glass container. In a plastic container, plastic bag or cling film, feta cheese quickly loses its taste. Of course, it is best to try to buy cheese in small quantities for quick consumption, but this is not always possible.
What do people in rural areas do when they want to preserve as much young cheese as possible? Let's find out!
Tips for choosing in a store
The higher the quality of the cheese, the longer it is stored, so you need to know the rules for choosing a product:
- High-quality cheese has a white milky color, elastic and soft consistency, slightly brittle, but does not break up into lumps.
- When cut, its porosity is visible: many small holes of irregular shape.
- The packaging should not be swollen or deformed.
- The presence of sticky crumbs in the product is unacceptable.
- A crumbly consistency and dry areas indicate that the shelf life is coming to an end, which means that the beneficial properties of the cheese are minimal.
- It is recommended to buy cheese with the whey in which it was matured. Such goods are protected from premature damage.
- The price of a product that is too low should alert you. There is a high probability that low-quality raw materials were used.
You can get more detailed information about choosing cheese from the video:
How can you tell if the cheese has gone bad?
If feta cheese is purchased in a regular store, then you need to pay attention to the expiration date. However, if the product is prepared at home, you need to carefully check it before purchasing. In particular, pay attention to the following:
- The color is white and even;
- The product is moist, soft and elastic at the same time;
- If you cut off a small piece of cheese, it does not crumble, does not stick to the knife, and on the cut you can see “eyes” and pores of various shapes;
- The cheese has a sour milk aroma and salty taste.
A spoiled product crumbles heavily, sticks to the knife, has dry areas or yellow and gray spots, cracks, a bitter taste and an unpleasant odor. This type of cheese should not be eaten to avoid serious poisoning.
Making cheese at home using a classic recipe
If you cannot take homemade milk, you can replace it with store-bought milk, but be sure to use one with a high percentage of fat content.
Keep homemade milk in the refrigerator for 12 hours before preparing. It must be settled. Heat it to a temperature of 35-38 degrees in a pan of suitable size. Dilute the starter in a tablespoon of boiled, cooled water and add to the milk.
Mix everything, cover the pan with a towel and leave for 20 minutes according to the recipe. During this time, the milk will set and become jelly-like in appearance. This jelly must be cut into small pieces with a knife and again left for 5-10 minutes.
Now take another pan and place a sieve on top of it. Cover the sieve with a clean piece of gauze.
Pour the contents of the first pan into a sieve.
Leave to drain for a while. There is no need to stir with a spoon.
The better the milk, the longer the draining process will take and vice versa. As soon as you notice that the cheese at home has stopped dripping, cover it with the free end of the gauze and transfer it to the other side. Leave for a few more minutes.
After this, place the cheese under a press weighing 2-2.5 kg for 3 hours. You can use a regular jar filled with water. After this time, you will receive a finished piece of cheese, weighing about 300-400 grams, depending on the quality of the milk.
The final touch remains. Now the cheese needs to be kept in brine. According to the recipe, add salt to the whey obtained during the draining of the cheese. At the rate of 1 tablespoon with salt per 0.5 liter of whey. Dip the resulting piece of cheese into the salted whey and place it in the refrigerator.
After 2-3 hours, try the cheese, if it is salty enough, it means it is ready. If not, leave it in the brine for some more time. Before eating, sprinkle the cheese with aromatic herbs.
It should be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in damp gauze. The shelf life of this cheese recipe at home is no more than 4 days, because it does not contain preservatives.
Pour the contents of the first pan into a sieve.
How is feta cheese made?
To begin with, I suggest finding out what cheese is made from. This cheese can be made from sheep, goat and cow's milk. The product is soaked in a special brine for a long time (up to 2 months). Because of this, the cheese becomes salty and easily digestible.
Cheese cheese is rich in protein and calcium.
The storage features of cheese are directly related to its production. Therefore, it is very important to buy a quality product.
What to look for when purchasing:
- Color . A fresh product should be milky or white in color.
- Structure . Dense, homogeneous consistency. When slicing, it should not crumble too much and stick to the knife.
A high-quality product has a light color, a uniform structure and does not crumble
- Brine . It is better to buy cheese in brine, as it will last much longer (the photo shows an example of packaging the product in brine).
The liquid prevents the product from weathering and drying out.
- Price . Too low a cost may be due to the use of low-quality raw materials.
Ask the seller to cut a piece for testing if the cheese is sold by weight. There should be a pronounced salty-milky taste.
- Size . It is better to buy this product in small portions.
Types of brines and specifics of their preparation
Before we look at the recipe for brine for cheese at home, let’s figure out what types of brine there are.
There are 2 types of brine used in cheese making:
- Unsaturated. Allows you to obtain products with an indirectly expressed salty taste. Also widely used for storing certain types of cheese.
- Saturated. Designed for varieties with a pronounced salty taste. Used for quick salting of the product.
How to prepare brine for homemade cheese?
Saturated
Saturated brine for pickling cheese is prepared according to the following recipe:
- Boil the required amount of water.
- Add non-iodized salt to the liquid at the rate of 1 part salt to 4 parts water.
- Stir the salt until completely dissolved.
- Cool the solution to 15-16°C. Some of the salt should precipitate, which is a sign of the saturation of the brine.
- Now you need to add 5% white vinegar to the saline solution, which is required to achieve a pH of 5. 1.33 ml of vinegar per 1 liter of brine will be sufficient.
- Next we add 0.4% calcium chloride, which will reduce ion exchange. A liter of brine requires 4 ml of 30% CaCl
Advice! When preparing a brine solution, it is advisable to use distilled or purified water. It should not contain any foreign impurities. The taste of the future product depends on its quality.
Unsaturated
To prepare rich brine for salting cheese, you must adhere to the following algorithm:
- Pour the required amount of water into the salt tank. The liquid should not be hot: 20-25°C.
- Add salt, vinegar and calcium chloride. For every liter of water add 1.33 ml of white vinegar, 4 ml of 30% calcium chloride solution and 200 g of salt.
- After the salt is completely dissolved in water, the volume of the brine will be slightly larger than the original.
The brine is ready for use.
The salt concentration is regulated by the percentage of its salinity. % brine
Alternative recipe
As an alternative, we offer another option on how to prepare brine for salting and storing cheeses.
Ingredients you will need:
- 200 mg salt;
- 100 mg sugar;
- 1.5 liters of distilled water.
Let's start cooking:
- Pour the required amount of water into the container and add the bulk components there.
- Mix all the contents thoroughly and place the container on the stove.
- Bring the solution to a boil and immediately turn off the heat.
- Let the liquid cool to a temperature of 20-25°C.
The saline solution is ready for use. They can not only be used to pickle cheese, but also be used for storing it.
Important! The longer a dairy product is in brine, the more saturated in salt it will be, so it is not recommended to overexpose the cheese in a saline solution. But if the product ends up being too salty, then it can be removed from excess salt by soaking it in regular boiled water.
If the cheese is purchased in a vacuum container
At home, the use of brine is also provided.
- The cheese is transferred to a plastic container or glass jar.
- Fill with brine.
- Cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator, where it is stored for 2-3 weeks.
If there is no brine, then the cheese is tightly wrapped in foil or film. In this form it can be stored for no more than a week.
Pickled cheese is sometimes a little too salty. Therefore, before use, it can be soaked for several hours in chilled boiled water.
Brine in cheese making: why is it needed?
Some types of cheese require ripening using brine solutions. Such cheeses are called, accordingly, pickled cheeses. These include the following varieties:
The brine solution in which the fermented milk products in question are ripened is, as a rule, also used for their storage. This solution is also called brine. It is especially good to use the exact brine in which the product was matured. It is considered the most suitable for microflora.
Read on to learn how to properly prepare brine for pickling and storing cheese.
How to prepare cheese brine?
If homemade cheese is already ready, but you don’t have brine on hand, you can use the following recipe to make it.
For the brine you will need the following ingredients:
The finished cheese must be cut into pieces about 10-15 cm thick. To prepare the brine for the cheese, dissolve the salt in boiled water. Then leave the salted solution until it cools to room temperature. Then pour brine over the chopped pieces of cheese and salt them for 1-2 days. After the allotted time, the resulting homemade product can be consumed.
Enzymes for homemade feta cheese
For feta cheese, it is permissible to use the following brands of microbial enzymes:
- MEITO MICROBIAL RENNET is the most popular enzyme extracted from edible mushroom;
- Fungal chymosin, obtained during the fermentation of molds;
- SUPAREN is isolated from ascomycete parasitic fungi;
- MILASE – raw materials from modified mushrooms;
- MAXILACT is obtained by fermentation from milk mushrooms;
- CHY-MAX – from the mold fungus Aspergillus;
- CHYMOGEN FROMASE – from a mold fungus of the genus Mukor Miehei;
- MAXIREN is the result of fermentation of dairy yeast.
When choosing microbacterial starters, you should pay attention to the mesophilic group, since these are the additives that are used in the production of brine and soft cheeses at low cheese-making temperatures (not higher than 40°C)
