# Feta cheese marinated in olive oil



## web-collage (Mar 16, 2011)

From raw goat milk, feta starter, lipase, and rennet I have made some half gallon batches of feta cheese. After two weeks of salt water brining in the refrigerator, I cut into smaller 1/2" cubes layered with rosemary, chili flakes, bay leaves, and peppercorns, covered with olive oil. It tastes wonderful. But I'm wondering: (1) should it be in the refrigerator or cupboard? (2) How long will it last? (3) What uses other than salads?


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## merstar (Mar 17, 2011)

I would keep it refrigerated. Use it in pasta dishes, bruschetta or crostini, rice or couscous dishes, omelettes; add to roasted potatoes, stuffed tomatoes or mushrooms, stuffed chicken breasts, roasted asparagus... 

Here's some info from David Lebovitz:
"...Some say that if the cheese is completely covered with the oil, you can let it sit around at room temperature. But if I’m not going to eat mine within 24 hours, I do stick it in the refrigerator where I like to consume it within two weeks..."
Marinated Feta Recipe | David Lebovitz


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## jennyema (Mar 17, 2011)

web-collage said:


> From raw goat milk, feta starter, lipase, and rennet I have made some half gallon batches of feta cheese. After two weeks of salt water brining in the refrigerator, I cut into smaller 1/2" cubes layered with rosemary, chili flakes, bay leaves, and peppercorns, covered with olive oil. It tastes wonderful. But I'm wondering: (1) should it be in the refrigerator or cupboard? (2) How long will it last? (3) What uses other than salads?


 
Was the rosemary fresh or dried?


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## FrankZ (Mar 17, 2011)

And where did you get the raw goat milk.


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## Mudtimud (Mar 17, 2011)

Can you post the recipe? I'd love to make my own feta cheese! buying a jar from the supermarket is soo expensive.


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## 4meandthem (Mar 17, 2011)

Chance of botulism if you used fresh rosemary and bay, I would do some research.30-35 percent of botulism cases end in death.
The oils in the store with herbs have acids or additives in them to prevent bacterial growth.


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## web-collage (Mar 18, 2011)

Raw goat milk from my own goat. I know where she came from, what she eats, and how the milk was handled. Herbs fresh from my own cuttings. Clean organic olive oil. At 7000' not much botulism growing here. Method used by Greek farmers and other goat milkers for centuries. The oil acts as a preservative, cheese cubes deeply submerged after being brined in sea salt for two weeks. I layered whole peppercorns, red pepper flakes, sprigs of Rosemary, fresh Bay leaves and cumin seeds with cubes of Feta, covering with olive oil as I filled sterilized glass canning jars. Perhaps a tsp of each herb per pint jar. 

David Lebovitz has a good recipe but buys all his ingredients so refrigeration may be best. Most chemicals used in food processing are to extend shelf life.


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## FrankZ (Mar 18, 2011)

Oh.. well.. I was hoping to get some for us as well.  

Though I am not raising goats...


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## web-collage (Mar 18, 2011)

*Feta without your own goats*

You could probably buy good feta, cut into cubes, layer with herbs and cover with olive oil and refrigerate to end up with something like those expensive jars available in ethnic cheese section of markets. Probably less expensive and tastier too. Goat people here say the longer it marinates in oil the tastier it gets. I've already finished one of my 10 pints in salad, an omlette, with whole grain bread and a glass of wine.


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## 4meandthem (Mar 18, 2011)

web-collage said:


> Raw goat milk from my own goat. I know where she came from, what she eats, and how the milk was handled. Herbs fresh from my own cuttings. Clean organic olive oil. At 7000' not much botulism growing here. Method used by Greek farmers and other goat milkers for centuries. The oil acts as a preservative, cheese cubes deeply submerged after being brined in sea salt for two weeks. I layered whole peppercorns, red pepper flakes, sprigs of Rosemary, fresh Bay leaves and cumin seeds with cubes of Feta, covering with olive oil as I filled sterilized glass canning jars. Perhaps a tsp of each herb per pint jar.
> 
> David Lebovitz has a good recipe but buys all his ingredients so refrigeration may be best. Most chemicals used in food processing are to extend shelf life.


 
Your high altitude is actually a better breeding ground for botulism.
I am not disputing what you are doing but please read this.It is from Colorado State University.

Botulism

This too.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Avoid-the-Potential-Dangers-of-Homemade-Herbal-Oils&id=3424087


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## FrankZ (Mar 18, 2011)

We kinda wanted the goat milk to make the feta.


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## jennyema (Mar 18, 2011)

I'd be concerned about botulism too.

Which is why I asked about fresh herbs.  If they were dried it would be less risky.

So I'd suggest that you absolutely keep in fridge and use within 2 weeks.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 22, 2011)

web-collage said:


> From raw goat milk, feta starter, lipase, and rennet I have made some half gallon batches of feta cheese. After two weeks of salt water brining in the refrigerator, I cut into smaller 1/2" cubes layered with rosemary, chili flakes, bay leaves, and peppercorns, covered with olive oil. It tastes wonderful. But I'm wondering: (1) should it be in the refrigerator or cupboard? (2) How long will it last? (3) What uses other than salads?


Congrats mate, if you age your feta in salt water for 9 to 12 months then cube and dress in olive oil it will keep in the fridge or pantry for a very long time as long as the oil covers the cheese.
Botulism thrives in low salt and low acid conditions, olive oil is a natural antiseptic and contain fatty acids.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 22, 2011)

I absolutely HATE the flavor of goat's milk...however, I love goat cheese. have bought the organic goat's milk to make soft cheese. I followed instructions for making soft cheese (ricotta) only instead of milk I used the goat's milk. 

Once upon another lifetime, I had a friend with goats. Milking a goat is not as easy as you think...but then, neither is milking a sheep (the family I lived with in Germany when I was an exchange student had sheep--one of the ewes had triplets, so we milked the ewe and bottlefed the lambs...sheep, like goats, seem to be able to hold their milk back...). It is tempting to get a "milk" goat, but I would be more inclined to have some wool sheep...however, the DH has decided this is the year we try raising chicks...so I will be tending chickens as part of my daily routine...The DH is  building the chicken coop this weekend. We have to put it where the dogs won't see it--the presence of chickens will probably drive them MAD.


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## web-collage (Mar 22, 2011)

I only like the taste of some goat milk and specialize in goats, feed, and handling that produce the milk I like. I have registered Nubian dairy goats that produce wonderful milk and cheese.


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## web-collage (Mar 22, 2011)

*Reply to Bolas De Fraile*



Bolas De Fraile said:


> Congrats mate, if you age your feta in salt water for 9 to 12 months then cube and dress in olive oil it will keep in the fridge or pantry for a very long time as long as the oil covers the cheese.
> Botulism thrives in low salt and low acid conditions, olive oil is a natural antiseptic and contain fatty acids.


 
Yes, that's what my experts tell me, the salt brine and then olive oil work to make a safe and delicious cheese. These methods have been used for centuries in countries without refrigeration. Another cheese that I make often -fresh Chevre- is kept refrigerated after it sets up and is eaten within a couple of days. But the Feta is wonderful.

Americans seem overly worried about food.


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## web-collage (Mar 22, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> We kinda wanted the goat milk to make the feta.


Reply to Franz Z

First you have to get the goat.


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## taxlady (Mar 22, 2011)

web-collage said:


> I only like the taste of some goat milk and specialize in goats, feed, and handling that produce the milk I like. I have registered Nubian dairy goats that produce wonderful milk and cheese.



I have had wonderful tasting goats milk and awful tasting stuff. The organic stuff I got at the health food store sometimes tasted of mint or garlic. The awful tasting stuff smelled of billy goat. The best goat's milk I ever tasted was on Mallorca.


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## FrankZ (Mar 22, 2011)

web-collage said:


> Reply to Franz Z
> 
> First you have to get the goat.




Oh no.. we aren't keeping chickens or goats.

Oh goodness no.


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## jennyema (Mar 22, 2011)

web-collage said:


> Yes, that's what my experts tell me, the salt brine and then olive oil work to make a safe and delicious cheese. These methods have been used for centuries in countries without refrigeration. Another cheese that I make often -fresh Chevre- is kept refrigerated after it sets up and is eaten within a couple of days. But the Feta is wonderful.
> 
> Americans seem overly worried about food.



It depends on when a fresh ingredient that has come into the ground is introduced.  Botulism thrives in oil.  It's killed by acid or heat.

Easy enough to use dry herbs.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 22, 2011)

taxlady said:


> I have had wonderful tasting goats milk and awful tasting stuff. The organic stuff I got at the health food store sometimes tasted of mint or garlic. The awful tasting stuff smelled of billy goat. The best goat's milk I ever tasted was on Mallorca.


 
Oh that "billy goat" taste (and smell). A friend of mine can't stand the thought of any goat cheese. She grew up on a farm where they raised goats...there is definitely a distinct "odor" to billy goats.

I imagine that milk goats are like wool sheep. The feed makes a huge difference. I prefer milk from Wisconsin over milk from ON (I swear it is the plastic bags and the feed). Organic milk from Vermont is also a favorite of mine. But milk from ON. I once read an article on the importance of the feed and the flavor of the milk. I think most ON dairy farmers feed silage that has a high corn content. WI dairy farmers feed silage with a high sweet clover content...maybe I need to find a Nubian goat farmer who feeds the goats sweet clover ...


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## Kathleen (Mar 22, 2011)

web-collage said:


> Reply to Franz Z
> 
> First you have to get the goat.



There are plenty of places to find goat's milk around here.  If we need raw milk, we can drive an hour north.  

I would like chickens though.


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## web-collage (Mar 22, 2011)

No self respecting goat dairy farmer would run a buck with the milkers. I keep just two dairy goats now and take them to a clean tested herd to breed. I buy enough rich local alfalfa for the year. They also eat a grain mix and some comfrey and nibble on some greens in their pasture. Clean fresh water. Clean barns. Wash udder before and after milking. Seamless stainless steel milk bucket and dairy filter. Sterilized canning jars to hold milk. Chill fast.


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