Bacterial Culture for Greek Cheese | Feta Type

Bacterial culture for Greek cheese: make your own feta type at home

Do you miss the taste of a simple Greek salad with a thick slab of white cheese on top? That taste does not come from the milk alone, it comes from fermentation. This freeze dried culture contains both mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria, and they are exactly what gives Greek brined cheese its fresh acidity and firm, crumbly texture. Without a culture the cheese just tastes of milk.

The culture goes a very long way. A small 3 gram sachet is dosed in tiny amounts at a time and covers around 50 litres of milk. Dissolve the powder in a little lukewarm water before stirring it into the milk, so the bacteria spread evenly. The rennet and the brine do the rest of the work.

Features

• Authentic result: Contains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus among others, the strains behind the character of Greek cheeses and yoghurt.
• Easy to use: Freeze dried powder that dissolves readily in lukewarm water before it goes into the milk.
• Stable process: Gives even acidification of the milk, and therefore a predictable result every time.
• Versatile cheese: Eat it fresh in salads, marinate it in oil and herbs, or use it in pies and baked dishes.

How to use

1. Heat 6 litres of milk to 33 degrees.
2. Dissolve about 0.4 g of culture in a little lukewarm water and stir it into the milk.
3. Leave the milk undisturbed for 1 hour so the culture can work.
4. Add calcium chloride and rennet as directed on those packages.
5. When the curd is firm, after about 50 minutes, cut it into cubes.
6. Drain the whey, press the cheese lightly and place it in brine to mature in the fridge.

Dosage guide

Specifications

FAQ Frequently asked questions