Everyone enjoys different levels of salt and Feta is a cheese that has a saltier taste associated with it due to the aging method and the usual preservation method.

In fact if you ever get the chance to eat a traditional Feta from Greece or Cyprus, it’s likely the cheese will be much more salty than any other Feta you’ve eaten.

But, after the hard work you put into your Feta, it can be disappointing when you end up with a batch of cheese that is inedible because of too much salt.

Is Your Feta Cheese Salty? Why Is Feta Cheese So Salty?

Perhaps your brine is more saturated with salt than you intended for it to be (check here for Brine mixing ratios if you’re unsure), or perhaps your Feta has taken up more of the salt due to it’s particular structure from the making process?

All cheese makes end up slightly different, no matter how closely you follow your normal recipe and the salt uptake can vary from batch to batch.

Either way, by the time you want to eat your cheese, it’s ended up far too salty to really enjoy it and you might be wondering if this batch is only good for the bin.

Don’t be tempted to throw it out.

Reduce The Salt Content Of Your Feta Cheese

• Rinse the amount of Feta you want to use under water and then allow to drain
• Put your Feta into a container that is big enough for the cheese plus another 25% room for liquid
• Add fresh milk until it covers the cheese and put the lid on
• Leave for 1-2 days – the milk will draw out some of the salt from the Feta over this period
• Check the salt levels and if when you test the Feta it is still too salty, pour out the milk and then refill, leaving it for another 1-2 days before testing again.

Another way you can use Feta that is too salty is to use it in dishes or recipes where the other ingredients can balance the salt. For example, salty Feta in a crisp fresh salad can knock down the overwhelming salt taste and provide a nice contrast of flavors.

Adding salty Feta to Filos or other starch dishes and adding no additional salt can again balance the salt taste with the other flavors.

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You’ve followed the instructions and put it in a salty brine. A few days later, it starts to soften, go slimy and ‘melt’ in the solution.

Why does your Feta brine solution make your Feta melt?

When your Feta melts in it’s brine during storage, it is often due to either the brine having a lower calcium level, which causes the calcium to leech out of the cheese and change the structure.

Or the pH level of the cheese is too high which means you basically don’t have enough acidity and again, calcium leeches and the cheese goes slimy and melts.

How Do You Prevent Your Feta From Melting?

• Use your whey, with the salt added, instead of water to make your brine. Your whey should have the correct pH and calcium balance for your cheese.
• Add a little Calcium Chloride (CaCI2) to your brine to balance the calcium levels.
• Add vinegar or citric acid to your brine, but not too much!
• Age your cheese at room temperature for at least 3 days after dry salting so that the surface of the cheese toughens and the acidity is high enough to withstand the brine.

If you really can’t get your brine balance right and your Feta melts every time don’t get too stressed about it. Simply change your storage method and keep it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a mason jar instead.

I sometimes do this for a change anyway and add a mixture of Garlic and Rosemary, which is lovely! I then reuse the oil for salads or cooking afterwards.

This is also a good storage method for those who don’t like their Feta too salty since there is obviously no extra salt take up from the Olive Oil.

Feta Cheese In Brine How Long Does It Last?

How long does feta cheese last in brine is a common question that we receive. As long as the feta stays submerged in the brine it should have a shelf life of 6 months. But, with how delicious it is I doubt it will last anywhere near that long.

Brine Solution For Feta

A brine solution for feta can be found on our post Using Saturated Brine Solution In Cheese Making

Do you have any questions or comments about Home Cheese Making? Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum. We would love to hear from you!

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