This product is made from sheep and goat milk in the form of a large chunk, hence the name “fetax” (literally translated as chunk). The product was first produced in Greece, but over time the recipe spread throughout the world, and now our cheesemakers prepare feta cheese at home. It turns out to be semi-solid in consistency, but tender and soft in taste, with a slight lactic sourness; both you and your loved ones will be delighted with this product.

The decision to make fetax cheese at home is made by everyone based on their own reasons: for some it is expensive to buy store-bought products, for others they consider them unhealthy, and for others they are simply interested in trying their hand at cheese making.

Making cheese is not an easy task, requiring special skills, but with feta everything is a little different. It is done simply, so the first “tests” in the preparation of cheeses should fall on the production of this particular Greek product. Then you will understand the basics of cheese making in general and will not be disappointed in your abilities and the result of the effort expended.

How to make feta cheese at home: recipe with fresh milk

Ingredients

• — 2 l + -
• - 1 tsp. + -
• Sourdough – 1 package + -

Making feta cheese at home

The first recipe for making skillfully tender Greek cheese will be classic, i.e. We will cook it with homemade cow's milk.

Of course, in Greece it is made on the basis of another type of milk, or rather, a mixture of both - goat and sheep. But since it is difficult to get such a product in its natural form here, we will replace it with cow’s milk. The taste will be very similar to the original.

This recipe is simple and understandable at every culinary stage, but in order to completely protect you from mistakes, let’s look at preparing fetax cheese step by step.

• Boil fresh milk until foam appears, then cool it to room temperature.
• Pour a cooled ladle of milk into a clean glass and pour 1 package of dry starter into it. It can be bought without problems at any pharmacy.
• Stir the starter mixture in a glass of milk with a spoon, then pour the resulting mixture into the main mixture.
• We send the fermented milk into a warm place for 7-9 hours so that living bacteria can do their job - turn the milk into cheese mass.

The smaller the containers in which milk is fermented, the faster the process of breakdown of the dairy product into whey and curd occurs. Therefore, we recommend pouring the prepared mixture into small glass jars, then covering them with lids and placing them in a warm place.

• When you see that the whey has separated, cover the bottom of the colander with a clean waffle towel or regular gauze, slightly wrapping the pieces of gauze/towel over its edges.
• Place the lined colander in the pan, then pour the first can of fermented milk into it. Thanks to the towel/gauze, the whey will “go” down, and the curd will remain at the bottom of the colander. We do the same with all other containers - strain them one by one through a lined colander.
• We gather the edges of the fabric in the middle and tie them into a knot - we get a kind of bag, which we hang by the ends on a crossbar, nail or tap so that the remaining whey slowly drains out. On average, this process will take about 30 minutes.

• As soon as the remaining whey has drained, return the bag with the curdled mass to a colander, and place it, in turn, in a clean bowl and press down the bag with a pressure (a 1-1.5-liter jar filled with water) for 1-2 hours.
• After the specified time, drain the whey from the bowl and stir it with salt.
• Pour boiled water over the salted whey mixture, stir everything thoroughly, and drop a bag of Greek cheese into the resulting mixture.
• Leave the future feta cheese in this brine for 1-2 hours. During this time, the fetaxa will be saturated with salt and acquire a pleasant, lightly salted taste.

Important: it is almost impossible to over-salt cheese when “lying” in brine. During the time that the feta sits in the brine liquid, the cheese will absorb as much salt as it needs - and not a gram more.

After the specified period of time, we take the homemade feta cheese out of the brine and carefully cut it into beautiful portioned slices.

What to serve fetax cheese with

Thanks to its refined taste, semi-hard cheese is combined with many ingredients, and most importantly, they are all accessible and simple. So absolutely any housewife can create an exquisite aristocratic table. To do this, you just need to prepare feta cheese at home, and then it’s up to you.

Homemade feta cheese is served with a variety of products, but its taste is ideally complemented by such components as:

• chopped fresh herbs (spinach, parsley, dill, etc.);
• vegetables (cucumbers, olives, onions, bell peppers);
• toasts, or as we used to call them - croutons;
• seafood, meat (such as chicken or turkey), fish;
• sweet grapes

Most often, fetaxa is cut (in cubes) into a Greek salad; it is thanks to it that feta cheese has become so popular in our country.

In addition to the salad, cheese can be eaten alone, with only spices (basil, mint, Herbes de Provence mixture, oregano and any other spices to taste are suitable) and fine red wine. This idea of ​​serving delicate Greek fetax cheese is perfect for festive feasts, social receptions and just friendly get-togethers with true gourmet friends.

Baking lovers can add their favorite cheese to the pie filling - it turns out incredibly tasty and piquant. In a word, how and with what to serve your favorite homemade milk product in the Greek style is up to you to decide; the most important thing is to prepare it correctly, and then nothing can spoil its divine taste.

As mentioned above, making fetax at home with your own hands is quite simple, but you can’t do it without knowing a proven recipe and practical tips.

There are several important points in preparing a Greek product that you should know before you begin the cheesemaking process itself.

1. We use only fresh and homemade milk. This is an important condition, without which good quality cheese cannot be made. Store-bought milk, no matter how much dry starter is poured into it, will not sour properly.
2. One packet of starter is enough to thicken 1-3 liters of homemade milk.
3. If you made a mistake in the technology and the feta turned out to be too salty, soak it in regular milk or mineral water for literally 3-4 minutes, right before serving.
4. It is necessary to store ready-made homemade fetax cheese only in brine, then its shelf life will be endless.

The calorie content of Greek feta cheese is 290 kcal per 100 g of dairy product.

You are unlikely to gain many extra pounds from eating such deliciousness, especially if you eat only a couple of pieces, but such a number of calories is unacceptable for a diet.

If you are losing weight or strictly calculating your daily calorie intake, then you should prepare feta cheese not with full-fat cow's milk, but with natural yogurt. Then the calorie content will decrease significantly - from 290 kcal to 57 kcal per 100 g of product. This cooking technology will be discussed in the next recipe.

Feta cheese: recipe made from yogurt

This recipe can be safely called dietary. Cheese obtained using this technology is excellent for diets and fasting days. If you fill the holiday table mainly with dishes made from such cheese, you won’t cause much damage to your figure, but you will definitely remain full and satisfied.

Ingredients

• Yogurt (natural) from goat milk – 1 kg;
• Sea salt – 1 tsp;
• Chili pepper – 2 pcs.;
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp;
• Cumin, fennel - to taste;
• Lemon – 1 pc.;
• Mint – 3 sprigs.

How to make feta cheese at home from yogurt

1. Grind ½ lemon zest using a grater, mix the grated mass with olive oil, natural yogurt and sea salt.
2. We cover the colander with gauze folded in several layers, then transfer the prepared food mixture into it.
3. Place a colander over the bowl and put everything in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
4. After 2 days, all the whey will drain, and from the resulting curd-lemon mass we will be able to make unique balls of medium diameter.
5. Fry the cumin and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan until their aroma is fully revealed. Then add chopped chili pepper to a hot container (remove the seeds from it first) and lightly fry it over medium heat.
6. Cut half the peel from the lemon and carefully tear off the mint leaves.
7. Place homemade cheese balls in a saucepan, pour olive oil into them, add the whole peel (with ½ lemon), as well as fried peppers, fennel and cumin seeds.
8. Cover all this with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for 2 days.

This completes the simple preparation - you can enjoy the aromatic and piquant dietary feta cheese. Cut it, according to tradition, into beautiful small slices and eat it along with raw vegetables and herbs.

As you can see, making feta cheese at home is incredibly easy. Even a novice housewife can master this technology. If you manage to prepare such a product for the first time, then everything will go “like clockwork” and preparing Greek fetax cheese will become your favorite pastime.

Happy cheese making!

Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses, whose origins go back far into history. Feta is considered one of the oldest cheeses in the world!

The earliest mention of this cheese took place in the Byzantine Empire. Feta is closely associated with Crete, located in modern Greece. An Italian traveler in the city of Candia, in his letters dated 1494, specifically mentions the processes of aging cheese in cellars.

The word “feta” has an interesting history. Translated from the Italian word fetta means slice. This may be due to the fact that when serving the cheese was cut into thin slices. Fetta, in turn, is of Latin origin from offa (meaning bite or piece). The word first appeared in Greek in the 17th century. According to myth, Cyclops Polyfimos was the first to prepare it. In the Delphi Museum (6th century BC), artifacts also refer to the feta cheese production process.

Varieties of Greek feta cheese can be found in many Balkan countries, as well as in the Mediterranean region.

In fact, Feta accounts for 70% of the consumption share of Greek cheeses. The cheese is protected by EU legislation, and only those cheeses produced in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, Peloponnese and Lesbos can officially be called "Feta". Similar cheeses produced in other places, such as the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea, outside the EU, are often called "white cheese".

To create traditional feta, 30% goat's milk is mixed with sheep's milk from pasture-raised animals in specific regions of origin. Firmness, texture and flavor vary from region to region, but in general cheese from Macedonia and Thrace is softer and creamier, less salty with fewer holes. Feta made in Thessaly and Central Greece has a stronger flavor.

In general, Feta is a curd cheese with a salty and tangy taste. It is distinguished by its graininess. Hardness can vary from soft to semi-hard. After ripening for 2 months, Feta is sold in square blocks immersed in brine. The cheese can be used as a table topper, added to pizza, or added to a Greek salad. Goes great with olive oil, red pepper and nuts. If necessary, it can be washed with water to get rid of excess salt.

Cooking process

You will need:

• 10 liters of milk;
• ¼ tsp;
• thermometer;
• drainage mat;

Our recipe uses cow's milk, but can be substituted with goat's or sheep's milk for a more traditional taste.

Milk preparation

Before starting the cheese making process, pasteurize the milk. This is the only way you can be sure that your milk is safe. Don't know what pasteurization is yet? This article describes this procedure in detail.
Now you can go directly to the recipe.

Heat the milk to 34°C.
After reaching the desired temperature, add pre-activated starter (¼ tsp). Read about the process of activating the starter. Leave the milk for 40-60 minutes.

Curdling (coagulation) of milk

After 40-60 minutes, rennet should be added to the milk. To do this, dilute ½ tsp. rennet in ¼ cup of water at room temperature and pour the resulting solution into the milk.
Stir the milk thoroughly (for about 2-3 minutes). Within 10 minutes the milk will begin to thicken. However, the entire coagulation process takes about 40 minutes from the moment the rennet is added. After coagulation is completed, it is necessary to check the readiness and correctness of the resulting clot. You can see the clean compartment.

Working with curds, filling molds and forming cheese heads

1. Cut the formed curd into cubes with a side of 1.5 - 2 cm.
2. Then knead the cheese grain for 20 minutes, maintaining approximately the original temperature (it’s okay if it drops a few degrees). The hardness of your finished cheese depends on the kneading time. After kneading, allow the grain to settle to the bottom for 10 minutes.
3. Before filling out forms, they must be disinfected. To do this, wash the molds well and pour boiling water over them.
4. Remove the whey to the level of the cheese grain, and then transfer the mixture to the mold.
5. Leave the mixture in the mold overnight (8-10 hours) at a temperature of 20-22°C. During the first two hours, the cheese head should be turned over as often as possible. This cheese requires a small weight (about 1 kg), since Feta cheese is well pressed even under its own weight. During this time, the starter will continue to increase in acidity. By morning, the cheese should be quite hard, in addition, a sour smell should appear (pH = 4.7-4.8).
6. Now the resulting mass can be cut into smaller pieces to ensure even salting.

Salting out

To prepare the brine you will need:

• 1 liter of boiled water;
• 200 grams of table salt.

Boil water, add salt, stir well until the salt dissolves, strain through and cool the resulting brine.

Place the cheese cubes in the brine for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, remove the cubes from the brine and place them on a drainage mat. Leave for 2-3 days, maintaining the temperature at 10-13° C. The cheese can be covered. The blocks must be turned several times a day, which will help ensure even drying of the surface of the cheese.

Storing Feta cheese in brine

The brine for storing Feta cheese is an 8% brine. The brine should completely cover the cheese during storage. Ripening temperature - 10-13° C. Duration - 30 days. Subsequently, Feta cheese should be stored in a container filled with brine at a temperature of 5-7 ° C until the time of use.

If you find the cheese too salty when you eat it, simply soak it in milk for several hours.

Classic Feta cheese is a popular fermented milk product whose homeland is considered to be Greece. Its composition necessarily includes sheep or goat milk, and its consistency is slightly crumbly, semi-solid and has a soft, delicate taste with light notes of lactic sourness. Now this type of cheese is produced in almost all European countries, mainly from cow's milk, and is also called Fetaxa or Fetaki.

The calorie content of the product is quite high for fermented milk products - approximately 260-270 kcal per 100 g, so it is not dietary, as it seems at first glance.

If you want to try your hand at the art of cheese making, then homemade feta cheese is an ideal option for a beginner cheesemaker, because the process of preparing it is one of the simplest. Let's look at various recipes for feta cheese step by step with photos and learn how to make it at home yourself.

Lazy Feta

This instruction is very simple and contains only 2 ingredients. Sourdough is not used here. The output is approximately 420-450 g of finished product.

You will need:

• Homemade milk – 2.5 l;
• Salt – 2 incomplete teaspoons.

Cooking plan:

1. Place fresh milk in a warm place for 6-10 hours. During this time it should sour a little, but remain liquid. Make sure that it does not turn into curdled milk, otherwise nothing will work;
2. Pour it into a saucepan and place it in a cold oven. Set the temperature level to 180 degrees and heat the contents for an hour. Periodically opening the oven door, you need to make sure that the milk does not boil. If this happens, then you should slightly reduce the temperature;
3. During this hour, a curd clot should form on the surface. It must be transferred to a colander, previously covered with a piece of gauze folded 4 times;
4. We tilt the colander itself and leave it in this state for 20 minutes to allow the whey to drain;
5. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the top of the future cheese, then carefully transfer it, salty side down, into a plastic container lined with cling film and trim the edges with a plastic spatula;
6. Again, add the remaining salt to the top of the mixture and install a special piston for cheese. It is better not to place the product under a load. If whey forms on top, it should be removed;
7. After cooling, place the product in the refrigerator for 12 hours. After this, feta cheese at home will be ready. It should have a light salty taste. You can store it in a mold where it has cooled, or in brine, which is made from one liter of whey and three tablespoons of salt.

Such delicious homemade cheese will turn out no worse than store-bought cheese, and its production will cost much less.

Feta with sourdough

This recipe is a little more complicated than the previous one - it uses sourdough. From the specified amount of ingredients, 300 g of fresh fermented milk product is obtained.

You will need:

• Homemade milk – 3.5 l;
• Calcium chloride and rennet starter – a quarter teaspoon each;
• Salt – 5 large spoons;
• Boiled cold water – 200 ml.

Step-by-step preparation of feta cheese:

1. Fill an enamel saucepan with milk and heat it to 86 degrees. To accurately measure the temperature, it is better to use a special cooking thermometer;
2. Next, add rennet starter and calcium chloride (each of these ingredients must be dissolved in 100 ml of boiled cool water). Chloride gives the finished product the necessary degree of hardness, but you can do without it;
3. Mix the milk thoroughly, cover the pan with a lid and put it in a warm place for about an hour. This time is enough to form a curdled clot, which then needs to be cut into small cubes with a knife and left to lie in the whey for about another 10 minutes;
4. Next, we heat the container with the resulting mass over a small flame to a temperature level of 90 degrees. While heating, gently stir the curd cubes;
5. Line a colander with gauze folded in three layers and strain the contents from the previous step;
6. We collect the remaining curd on the gauze cloth into a knot, tie it and hang it in a cool place over some container so that the whey drains out (do not pour it out later). This action will take about 8 hours;
7. The finished cheese should be slightly dense and keep its shape. We cut it into slices about 2 cm thick, add salt to them and put them in the refrigerator for about 7 hours. If you don’t like too salty foods, you can skip this step or reduce the amount of salt;
8. The final touch is cutting the product into small cubes, which then need to be placed in a regular glass jar and filled with brine, which is made by mixing two glasses of whey and three large spoons of salt. This extends the shelf life of the feta to three weeks.

Feta with sour cream and pepsin

Another option for making popular cheese at home.

You need:

• Boiled water – 250 ml;
• Goat milk – 2 l;
• Pepsin – 1 g;
• Homemade sour cream – 200 g.

Prepare as follows:

1. Divide the milk into two equal parts of 1 liter each. We heat the first half on a small flame to a temperature of 38 degrees (for accurate measurements we use a special thermometer), and combine the second half with sour cream;
2. Dissolve pepsin in boiled water and pour into the milk-sour cream mixture;
3. In an enamel pan, combine both parts of the milk and put it in a warm place for 6 hours;
4. After this time, drain the whey, wrap the cheese in gauze and place it under pressure for another 12 hours. The product must be squeezed out well so that there is no excess whey;
5. The finished fermented milk product is best stored in brine, which consists of a teaspoon of calcium chloride and 100 g of salt dissolved in a liter of water.

Feta baked in foil

You can make many original and delicious dishes with feta. The most popular of them is the world-famous one. We also suggest you prepare a light, quick snack based on the most delicate cheese.

Grocery list:

• Feta – 200 g;
• Olive oil – 4 tablespoons;
• One dried red pepper (hot);
• Ripe large tomato;
• Garlic – 4 cloves;
• Zest from half a lemon;
• Oregano, dried or fresh.

Cooking instructions:

1. Set the oven to warm up to a temperature of 190 degrees;
2. Cut the feta into 4 slices and thoroughly soak it with a paper napkin to remove excess moisture;
3. Place each piece on a small piece of foil to make it convenient to wrap later;
4. Cut the tomato into slices and place one on each cheese slice;
5. Finely chop the garlic, red pepper and oregano, then sprinkle each piece on top. We also add lemon zest;
6. Pour olive oil over the dish, wrap it well in foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. At this point, feta cheese baked in the oven is ready. When serving, it can be supplemented with white bread toasted in the oven, or eaten as an independent dish.

Video: Homemade Feta cheese with kefir

Salad with Feta cheese is an ideal dish for a nutritious breakfast, a full lunch, a light dinner, or as a savory addition to the main course - you can eat salads with Feta cheese on any occasion, which is convenient, and also extremely healthy and very tasty!

When choosing Feta cheese, be sure to read the label! The composition of real Feta cheese includes sheep's milk, possibly a small (up to 30%) content of goat's milk.

How to make salad with feta cheese - 15 varieties

Greek salad with feta cheese

The recipe for the famous Greek salad with Feta cheese will decorate the culinary collection of any housewife.

Ingredients:

• Tomato 3 pcs.
• Fresh cucumber 1 pc.
• Sweet bell pepper 3 pcs.
• Sweet onion 1 pc.
• Garlic 1 clove
• Feta cheese 200 gr.
• Olives to taste
• Olive oil 50 ml.

Preparation:

1. Wash the cucumber, tomato and bell pepper thoroughly and dry.
2. Peel the cucumber.
3. Cut vegetables into medium-sized cubes.
4. Chop the garlic with a knife.
5. Cut the onion into rings.
6. Cut the cheese separately into large cubes.
7. Add whole olives to the salad.
8. Lightly salt and stir all vegetables, season with olive oil.
9. Place olives and Feta cheese cut into small, neat cubes on top.

Spring recipe for a very healthy vitamin salad.

Ingredients:

• Beetroot 2 pcs.
• Feta cheese 200 gr.
• Arugula salad
• Oregano 2-3 leaves
• Thyme 2-3 sprigs
• Rocket salad 100 gr.
• Walnut 50 gr.
• Garlic 1 clove
• Soy sauce 4-5 tbsp. spoons
• Dill 2-3 sprigs
• Lemon juice 1-2 tbsp. spoons
• Olive oil 100 ml.

Preparation:

1. Bake the beets in the oven for 30 minutes. Peel and cut into thin slices.
2. Cut the cheese into large pieces. Marinate the cheese in oil with oregano and thyme.
3. Wash and dry the salad.
4. Prepare the sauce.
5. To do this, chop the walnuts.
6. Finely chop the garlic.
7. In a frying pan, fry the nuts and garlic in olive oil. Add soy sauce there and heat for 5 minutes.
8. Add finely chopped dill and the juice of half a lemon to the hot sauce.
9. Place salad ingredients on a plate. Pour the sauce over the salad.

A traditional salad with the addition of Chinese cabbage suddenly takes on a very piquant taste, but still remains light and satisfying.

Ingredients:

• Beijing cabbage 1 head
• Tomato 2 pcs.
• Feta cheese 100 gr.
• Olives to taste
• Oregano, salt to taste
• Olive oil 50 ml.
• Lemon juice 2 tbsp. spoons

Preparation:

Chop the head of cabbage into thin strips, add salt, lightly mash and leave for 15 minutes.

Cut the thoroughly washed tomatoes into cubes.

To ensure that tomatoes keep their shape well, choose fruits that are not overripe.

Cut feta cheese into cubes.

Add diced cheese, tomatoes, halves of olives to the cabbage.

Sprinkle the ingredients with lemon juice, season with olive oil and add oregano.

Mix everything thoroughly.

An amazingly tasty, attractive-looking and, most importantly, healthy vegetable salad with feta, potatoes and tomatoes will win over your family.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes 2 pcs.
• Tomato 1 pc.
• Bell peppers of different colors 3 pcs.
• Onion 1 pc.
• Cucumber 1 pc.
• Olives 50 gr.
• Feta cheese 100g.
• Olive oil 50 ml.

Preparation:

1. Wash the potatoes, cut into cubes. Boil until tender in salted water.
2. Peel and chop the onion.
3. Wash bell peppers and remove membranes and seeds. Cut beautifully into triangles or squares.
4. Cut the tomato and cucumber into cubes.
5. Stir vegetables, add oil and olives.
6. Cut the Feta cheese and place it on the finished dish.
7. Salt and pepper the salad.

A juicy summer salad, you will be pleasantly surprised at how well and interestingly the ingredients are combined in it. Fresh mint leaves successfully complement the taste palette.

Ingredients:

• Melon to taste
• Feta cheese to taste
• Ground pepper to taste
• Fresh mint to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel the melon pulp.
2. Scoop out the seeds from the core of the melon.
3. Cut the pulp into large cubes.
4. Cut Feta cheese into cubes.
5. The cheese and melon pieces should be approximately the same size.
6. Mix Feta cheese with melon pulp, add fresh mint leaves, cut into thin strips.
7. Season the salad with ground pepper to taste.
8. Mix carefully.

Chickpeas are an amazing food rich in plant protein. Thanks to its beneficial properties and beautiful appearance, it is considered the most fashionable product of the 21st century.

Salad ingredients:

• Chickpeas 100 gr.
• Pumpkin 200 gr.
• Onion 1 pc.
• Spinach 100 gr.
• Garlic 5 cloves
• Sugar 1 teaspoon
• Salt pepper
• Cilantro 50 gr.
• Mint 50 gr.
• Green onions 50 gr.

Dressing ingredients:

• Mustard 1 teaspoon
• Salt pepper
• Olive oil 2 tbsp.
• Vinegar 1 teaspoon
• White wine 1 tbsp. spoon

Preparation:

1. Soak chickpeas overnight and boil without adding salt.
2. Cut the peeled pumpkin into small cubes.
3. Peel the onion and cut into slices.
4. Place pumpkin, onion and garlic on a baking sheet. Salt, pepper and sugar.
5. Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 220 degrees.
6. Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients.
7. Immediately pour half of the dressing over the peas.
8. Grind the feta.
9. Coarsely chop the green onions, cilantro and mint.
10. Place on a dish in layers: spinach leaves, peas, vegetables, cheese and herbs.
11. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Salad with chicken and feta cheese is quick and easy to prepare, and has a spicy taste that many will enjoy.

Ingredients:

• Chicken fillet -200 gr.
• Feta cheese 100 gr.
• Cucumber 1 pc.
• Tomato 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil 100 ml.

Preparation:

1. Chicken fillet, boiled in salted water, cut into cubes.
2. Feta cheese and cucumber cut into cubes
3. Cut the tomato into slices
4. Mix all ingredients carefully and add salt.
5. Before serving, season the salad with vegetable oil.
6. If desired, add lemon juice to taste.

Preparing this salad will take you no more than 5 minutes, and the energy boost and feeling of satiety will remain for the whole day.

Ingredients:

• Iceberg salad 300 gr.
• Cucumber 2 pcs.
• Tomato 1 pc.
• Celery stalk 2 pcs.
• Feta cheese 100 gr.
• Vegetable oil 50 ml.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut the salad into large cubes.
2. Cut the celery stalk, tomato, cucumber and cheese into small cubes.
3. Add vegetable oil.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Feta cheese and avocado salad is a truly original recipe! A storehouse of vitamins and taste sensations.

Salad ingredients:

• Mix of lettuce green leaves 150 gr.
• Avocado 2 pcs.
• Onion 1 pc.
• Cherry tomatoes 225 gr.
• Feta cheese or feta cheese 200 gr.

Dressing ingredients:

• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Olive oil 50 ml.
• Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Cut the avocado in half and remove the seeds. Cut into slices and dip in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
2. Peel the onion and chop thinly.
3. Place lettuce leaves in bowl with avocado and onion.
4. Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Mix carefully.
5. Crumble feta cheese and sprinkle on top.
6. Prepare the dressing. To do this, just put all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar with a lid, shake vigorously and season with salt and black pepper.
7. Drizzle dressing over salad, toss and serve immediately.

Salad with fried watermelon and feta is an unusual and interesting dish. Prepare it and please your loved ones.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon 500 gr.
• Feta cheese or feta cheese 200 gr.
• Rocket salad 50 gr.
• Sesame seeds 1 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil 50 gr.
• Lemon juice 1 tbsp. spoon.
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Cut the cheese into small cubes.

Peel the watermelon and cut into large cubes.

Fry in a dry frying pan on both sides.

To ensure that the watermelon has a golden brown crust, dry it first with a paper towel on both sides.

Place arugula, pieces of fried watermelon, and cheese on a plate.

Drizzle oil over the salad, sprinkle with lemon juice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

A very simple, easy to prepare and delicious salad in the Greek style - pasta salad with Feta cheese and a variety of vegetables.

Salad ingredients:

• Pasta 250 gr.
• Corn, canned 0.5 cans
• Black olives without pits 0.5 cans
• Bell pepper 0.5 pcs.
• Cherry tomatoes 15 pcs.
• Feta cheese 50 gr.
• Ground black pepper to taste

Dressing ingredients:

• Garlic 1-2 cloves
• Red wine vinegar 20 ml.
• Olive oil 100 ml.
• Lemon juice 1 tbsp. spoon
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Dry mustard 0.5 teaspoon
• Dry oregano 0.25 teaspoon
• Honey or sugar 0.25 teaspoons
• Dry thyme (or dry dill) to taste
• Ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Boil the pasta. Drain in a colander. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Transfer to bowl with pasta.
3. Remove seeds from pepper and cut into cubes. Transfer to bowl with pasta.
4. Add olives, cut into rings, to the salad.
5. Drain liquid from can of corn. Add corn to remaining ingredients.
6. Cut the cheese into small cubes.
7. Add feta cheese to taste.
8. Pepper and mix gently.
9. Prepare the dressing.
10. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a processor.
11. Season the pasta salad and toss again.

Summer, sun, sea... This salad will fit harmoniously into your summer menu.

Ingredients:

• Peaches 3 pcs.
• Feta cheese 100 gr.
• Arugula 50 gr.
• Honey 1 tbsp. spoon
• Olive oil 50 ml.
• Balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon
• Ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut the peaches into slices.
2. Pour a little olive oil into the pan, add a spoonful of honey and quickly fry the peaches.
3. Crumble feta into a bowl.
4. Add arugula and peaches.
5. Season with olive oil and add a little balsamic vinegar.
6. Pepper to taste.

Salad with beef, cucumber and feta cheese is a healthy salad for those who care about their figure and also try to eat healthy.

Ingredients:

• Feta cheese 100 gr.
• Beef 200 gr.
• Cucumber 3 pcs.
• Sour cream 100 gr.
• Potatoes 3 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Cut the boiled potatoes into cubes.
2. Cut the boiled beef into strips.
3. Cut the fresh cucumber into strips.
4. Mix all ingredients with sour cream and salt.
5. Cut Feta cheese into large pieces.
6. Add to salad.
7. Gently mix the salad with cheese.

Tabbouleh Salad with Feta Cheese and Cous Cous

The taste of Tabbouleh salad is characteristic of southern Mediterranean cuisine, in general, and Greek cuisine in particular. However, Feta cheese is undoubtedly a Greek element that enriches the taste of the dish.

Feta cheese is an excellent addition to various salads (for example, Greek or Italian). It also melts beautifully. Feta can be eaten fresh, immediately after cooking, or you can prepare a brine and keep it there to obtain a more piquant taste and increase shelf life.

Ingredients

8 l.

whole cow, goat or sheep milk

not UHT

1/8 tsp

dry mesophilic-thermophilic farmer's starter

1/2 tsp.

liquid rennet (veal)

dissolve in 50ml water temperature 30-35ºС
or rennet in another form, in dosage, according to the directions on the package
use animal rennet for this recipe

1 ½ tsp. (8 ml.)

calcium chloride, solution 10%

dissolve in 50ml water at room temperature

or follow the dosage indicated by the manufacturer of the drug on the packaging

maximum application dose - 2 g of dry calcium per 10 liters of milk

Salting brine (25%)

1 kg.

medium sea salt

not iodized

3 l.

boiled water

1 tbsp.

calcium chloride 33%

1 tsp.

white vinegar

Brine for storage (8%)

200 g.

medium sea salt

not iodized

2.5 l.

boiled water

After cooking you will receive: 1.2 kg Feta cheese

Equipment

10 l.

pot

enameled or stainless steel

15 l.

pot

for water bath

food thermometer

long knife

for slicing curds

skimmer

wooden or plastic

2 pcs. for 700 g.

cheese mold

with perforations, suitable for ricotta basket

for 3 l.

storage container with lid

you can use a regular three-liter jar

cheese cloth

gauze or muslin

Sterilize all equipment before making cheese. You can wash it and pour boiling water over it

Feta cheese cooking schedule (from start to finish of cooking)

First day:

• 2.5 hours to prepare cheese grain
• 12-15 hours (evening, night and morning) for pressing

Second day:

• 6-12 hours to increase acidity
• 8 hours (overnight) to salt cheese in a salt bath

Subsequent days:

• 1-3 days for drying
• 3 weeks - 12 months maturing in salt brine

Step-by-step recipe for making Feta cheese

1. Slowly heat the milk in a water bath to 34°C, stirring constantly. While heating, add calcium chloride diluted in water and stir.
2. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the starter powder onto the surface of the milk and let it absorb the moisture for 3 minutes. Then mix, trying to distribute the powder throughout the entire volume of milk.
3. Cover with a lid and leave the milk for 60 minutes.
4. Pour the enzyme dissolved in water and mix it well throughout the entire volume of milk.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and leave for 45 minutes for the milk to curdle.
   [optional] To accurately determine the required clotting time and obtain a clot of the desired consistency and calculate the clotting time using the formula K = F * M (multiplier = 3, F - flocculation time in minutes). After the calculation, cover the pan with a lid and leave the clot alone for the remaining number of minutes.
6. Swipe. If the clot is not dense enough, leave for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Cut the curd into cubes with a side of 1.5 cm.
8. Stir the curds slowly for the next 20-30 minutes. During this time, it should decrease in size and release more serum. Try to keep the temperature at 34°C.
9. Leave the curds to sit for 5 minutes until they settle to the bottom of the pan. After this, remove most of the whey (so that it only slightly covers the top layer of the curd grain)
10. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the cheese grains into the molds. The forms need to be sterilized, but it is not necessary to line them with gauze.
11. Leave the cheese in the molds for 12-15 hours (evening, overnight and the next morning) for self-pressing at room temperature. If you want a denser Feta, place a light weight (2-3 kg) on ​​the molds. Turn the cheese in the mold every 2 hours (not overnight, of course).
12. Cut the cheese mass into pieces weighing 200-400g and leave for another 6-12 hours at room temperature (20-24º C) (the higher the temperature, the less time you need to stand at this stage).
13. Prepare a saturated saline solution: dissolve salt in hot water, add vinegar and calcium chloride in the indicated proportions. When the salt has dissolved, cool the brine by placing it in the refrigerator and cooling it to 10-12 °C.
14. Place Feta pieces in brine for 8 hours. Place the container with the brine in a cool place with a temperature of 10-12 °C.
15. Remove the Feta pieces from the brine and place them on a drainage mat to dry at 10-12ºC for 1-3 days. Cover the top with gauze to prevent contamination. Turn the cheese pieces 2-3 times a day to ensure they dry evenly.
16. Prepare brine for storing cheese (proportions are indicated above).
17. Place the dried pieces of Feta in a three-liter jar, fill them with chilled brine, and close the lid.
18. Feta in brine ripens in a regular refrigerator at a temperature of 7-12 ° C for 3 weeks (the taste of the cheese will be soft, lightly salted) to a year (rich, very salty taste). In the original, instead of brine for Feta, sea salt water is used.
19. [optional] When Feta has reached the desired degree of maturity in brine, it can be cut into small cubes and packaged in jars filled with olive oil with various additives to taste: for example, capers, olives, hot peppers, etc.