• About
  • Contact Me

Little Green Cheese

Cheese making at home with Gavin Webber the Cheeseman

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Cheese eBook
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Cheese Making Kits
  • Courses
  • Support Me!
  • Live!
You are here: Home / Recipes / Low Salt Feta

Low Salt Feta

23/08/2014 By Gavin Webber 2 Comments

Ever thought that the Feta you make is just too salty. Does your doctor keep telling you that you need to cut back on salty foods?

Well this version of a Low Salt Feta by John Erdman sounds like it would fit the bill if you want a lighter, less saltier tasting Feta.

Feta in brine made with whey

John has graciously allowed me to reproduce his email in which he shares his technique.

Hi Gavin

I listened today to your podcast about rennet and lipase. When I made my first feta. I shared Deb’s experience that it was way too salty. I needed to reduce the amount of salt. I’m between a rock and a hard place. Cheese biology needs salt and my doctor tells me to be careful with my salt intake.

As soon as the fresh cheese comes in contact with the brine salt molecules immediately begin migrate into the cheese. Soaking it more increases the amount of salt in it. This makes sense because brining is a diffusion process and salt content in the cheese will continue to climb until it’s in equilibrium with the salt in the brine.

I read somewhere salting feta in saturated brine needs only 2-3 hours per inch of cheese thickness to get the salt content high enough. That means, if the smallest dimension is 2”, the fresh cheese needs to be soaked for 2-3 hrs because it’s exposed to brine on both sides and salt is diffusing in from both sides.

That’s the info I started with. I now have the experience of 10 batches of this cheese. Here’s how I salt and age my feta now. After I remove the cheese from the mold after its last pressing, I let it dry for a few hours on a bamboo mat at room temperature. I then use a chef’s knife to cut the block into 25-35 mm slabs which are then submerged in saturated brine for about 6 hours in the fridge. I use a plastic container with a snap on lid. I either turn the slabs over a couple of times or weight them down to keep them submerged and always in contact with full strength brine.

Upon removal from the brine the outside surface is hardened enough that the pieces hold their shape well. Dry it on a bamboo mat for a few hours. Put a folded paper towel in the plastic container, put the dried brined slabs in loosely, and cover them with another paper towel .  Pour vinegar over the towels until they are dripping wet. The vinegar will help keep molds from blooming and will add a little acidity to the finished cheese..

I have used different types of vinegar but it doesn’t make any difference to my taste buds.. The package is returned to fridge for aging for at least five to six days. I keep the unused cheese in the same container until it’s gone. The brine is filtered and saved for later use.

Friends who have sampled cheeses all over the world and family who have never tasted homemade feta rave about this cheese. I tend to make mine smoother and less crumbly that what’s available here locally.

Thanks for all your help. You’ve been my guide throughout my cheese making adventures.

John Erdman
Augusta Maine, USA.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your technique with all the curd nerds out there.

If you want to use John’s technique, follow my Feta recipe and video tutorial, or check out the eBook “Keep Calm & Make Cheese” that I made for you all.  Instead of storing it in a fully saturated brine, follow John’s suggestion instead.

Next time I make Feta, I am going to give this variation a try.  It sounds like it may turn out like a milder Danish Feta, rather than a strong Greek Feta.

If anyone else has a recipe that they would love to share, please send it through via email.

Until next time curd nerds…

Will this article help someone you know? If so help them out by sharing now!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Recipes, Workshops Tagged With: Feta, Technique

← LGC 030 – Recipe Tips LGC 031 – What Non Curd Nerds Think About Little Green Cheese →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber is passionate about home cheese making. He loves to make cheese in his spare time and shares the techniques, videos, podcasts, and recipes with his fellow curd nerds!

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. Greenie Canberra says

    18/10/2017 at 13:51

    Hi guys – Is the brine John uses 100% saturated? If so, is it only the fact of less time in the brine that makes it less salty? Thanks so much for all these great recipes Gavin!

    Reply
  2. Mary Ker says

    28/05/2015 at 19:47

    Can uou use a salt substitute for the brine?

    Reply

Leave a comment for the Cheese Maker! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us via Social

FacebooktwitterpinterestrssyoutubeinstagramFacebooktwitterpinterestrssyoutubeinstagram

Cheese Making Kits

Cheeseman.tv Merchandise

Cheeseman.tv Merchandise
Cool Cheesy T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more
0:00
54:12
  • LGC097 - Interview with Tutu Saad Artisan Cheesemaker Bangladesh
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Archives

Tags

Aging Blue Brine Caerphilly Camembert Cheese Cave Cheese Press Colby Cream Cheese Curd Cutter Curds Drunken Cow eBook Emmentaler Equipment Farmhouse Cheddar Feta Gavin Halloumi Jarlsberg Kits Monterey Jack Mould Ripened Cheese Moulds Mozzarella Parmesan Parmigiano Reggiano Podcast Queso Fresco Raw Milk Rennet Ricotta Romano Romano Pepato Salt Sanitisation Starter Cultures Stilton Storage Technique Tzafatit Video Tutorial Waxing Whey Ricotta Workshops

Subscribe to Cheese Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS

Subscribe to Cheeseman.TV

Podcast Reviews

  • Love it. Keep it up!
    February 12, 2022 by Corknip from Denmark

    Excellent podcast. Started the home making adventure last month and have been catching up on all the past episodes and YouTube videos. it is a gold mine of shared knowledge. Thank you!

  • So funny!!!!
    June 15, 2020 by purple quaqamale from United States

    Little green cheese is so funny

  • Great podcasts
    June 14, 2020 by Chrissy Curd Nurd from Australia

    I’ve just started cheese making at home,Gavin ‘s podcasts are so informative. I also watch his you tube tutorials. Thanks for your great work!!

  • An excellent guide to artisan cheese!
    January 14, 2020 by N.K.13 from Australia

    I recently became aware of Gavin’s lovely YouTube channel and podcast and it’s been incredible. His competence and comprehensive explanations leave you craving more. Much like a good cheese! Cheers Gavin!

  • Perfect for Cheesemakers of all levels!
    December 3, 2018 by Viki Leeasa from Thailand

    I love that this podcast does not just have helpful tips and tricks on cheese making, but also stories and news from the cheese world, as well as nice little anecdotes from the host. A big fan from Thailand!

  • If you think you want to make cheese, listen to this!
    November 30, 2018 by paulsaw from United States

    Gavin Webber’s Little Green Cheese is By Far the best podcast I have ever heard! A truly informative and quality production!

  • Great program
    October 9, 2018 by p37dg9q14 from United States

    Very informative and enjoyable podcast. I started at episode 1 and currently listening to 25. I’ll be giving cheesemaking a go in the next week. Mike J from Oceanside CA

  • Great podcast
    September 13, 2018 by nicole_elias from Australia

    I have a long commute to and from work and have worked my way through the back catalogue of these podcasts. Enjoyed every one of them and hope for many more to come. Thanks Gavin! Keep up the great work. Cheers, Nicole

  • Excellent!
    September 3, 2018 by emeldridge from United States

    Looking to take up cheesemaking sometime soon and this channel has provided all the information necessary to get started!

  • Great Resource!
    August 28, 2018 by olivestones from United States

    I have been learning to make cheese for the past year. Gavin's podcast and video series has been a tremendous resource for me. His love for the cheese-making craft is evident in the amount of research he will perform in order to answer a listener's cheese question. All thumbs up for the amount of time and energy he puts into his quality podcast! ...And he cracks me up with his attempts at pronunciation!

Little Green Workshops

Copyright © 2023 · Gavin Webber