St. Martin's Feta

Simple cheese crumbly in texture similar to feta made with common kitchen ingredients. Salt is very important here you are likely going to need at least a tablespoon to start with. Do not be afraid to taste test before you transfer this to the cheesecloth. The first time we tried this recipe we added chopped fresh chives, thyme, and basil.  We had it crumbled on our salad and it was fantastic.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of whole milk
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp vinegar
• salt
• other seasonings (optional)

Equipment:

• large saucepan
• wooden (non-reactive) spoon
• Cheesecloth
• Colander

Method:

1. Over medium heat, bring the milk to a rolling boil while stirring continually to prevent scalding the milk. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. DON'T LET THE MILK BURN AND DON'T BRING IT TO A BOIL TOO QUICKLY. It should take a while (20 - 40 minutes).
2. After the milk has boiled for a couple of minutes (without burning it), turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and vinegar slowly. Leave the pot on the burner during this process. While adding the "curdlers" (juice and vinegar), start to rake your spoon through the mixture until you start to see the curds separate from the whey.
3. Add salt and other seasonings to taste, if desired.
4. Let the mixture sit until cool and the curds have separated completely from the whey. Line the colander with the cheesecloth, and pour in your mixture to remove all the liquid. Tie up the cheesecloth at the corners, and hang it up to dry for a couple of hours.
5. After the cheese is dried, you can mold it into a shape of just eat it as is. Make sure to keep it covered, in the refrigerator and to properly clean and sanitize all of your pans, utensils, cloths, etc.

You can use the whey as a brine for the cheese once it is dried and firm.