CHEESE MAKING TIPS
My feta has been resting in the mould for over four hours but still is not separated from the whey. Should I flip it?
Short answer, no.
Longer answer, home cheese making doesn’t follow rules and the four hours rest before flipping is only a guide. Wait until the cheese has reduced by at least a quarter in the mould before flipping.
What is the use by date on my cheese?
If you can manage not to eat all the cheese in one sitting you have more strength than we do. That said this is fresh cheese and should be consumed before the use by date on the milk used.
When preserving the cheese in oil you extend the life of the cheese but we recommend eating within two weeks of preserving.
What do I do with the whey?
It is typical for you to end up with about one litre of whey for every two litres milk used to make cheese. Think of whey as a useful milk or water alternative in cooking. When a recipe calls for milk we substitute half of the required milk with whey. Also add it to stocks and soups and use in a dairy-based smoothie. Whey can be kept in the fridge or frozen for later use.
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Note. The whey will have a slight cheesy smell to it which will be enhanced when cooking.
Is it safe to leave my curds and whey at room temperature overnight?
Yes, as long, as you use pasturised (but not homogenized) milk and have added culture to the milk before leaving it.
The pasturisation process eliminates potentially harmful bacteria from milk that could lead to food poisoning. The adding of culture turns the milk’s lactose into lactic acid. This is effectively acidifying or souring the milk. Acidifying the milk makes it harder for spoilage and pathogenic criteria to thrive as they need the lactose. Spoilage bacteria, the ones that create mould, also do better the more watery a product is. Therefore, by separating the curds from the whey, you are reducing the moisture content (the whey) from the cheese and, making it harder for spoilage bacteria to breed.