# Myzithra Recipe



## Twillingate Farm (Oct 26, 2007)

Hi folks... Today while grocery shopping we noticed a cheese that neither I nor my wife had ever seen there before. It was called Myzithra and hails from the island of Crete. According to everything I can find on the cheese, it is made from goat milk and feta cheese whey.

Since I make feta cheese every other day, the thought of using the whey for something besides feeding the chickens and pigs fascinates me. There is however one big problem... I can't find an authentic recipe which uses feta whey.

Does anyone here have a recipe for Myzithra? :help


----------



## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

It's exactly the same as whey ricotta, but you drain it and press into a wheel, then salt or brine. Feta whey vs regular whey is the same thing. You add milk to increase the yield. Myzithra is just ricotta salata but the milk is different. If you need more than that, I can try to dig up some exact steps.


----------



## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

We have some in the fridge- other than the saltiness, it doesn't remind me of feta at all! I can tell that it is a ricotta salata type, as it has a grainy texture. My wedge (imported from Greece) looks like it was pressed in a basket.

I make a lot of feta- so if you get any more steps, I'd appreciate it!


----------



## Twillingate Farm (Oct 26, 2007)

Yes Pav... specifics would be much appreciated!

Thanks


----------



## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

Trying, such a crazy week.

Look up a whey ricotta recipe like the one Fankhauser or Fiasco uses, and make the ricotta. Add enough milk to the whey before heating it to equal ~15% of the whey. Usually a couple cups per gallon.

Drain the ricotta and press under 20-30 lbs. Press right away so it can bond while still hot/warm. Let that sit for 3-6 hours until drained and the cheese holds its shape. Then take the cheese out and put in a 20% brine for 3-4 hours per lb cheese. Smaller wheels than 2 lbs need less time. Take out of brine, and let age. It's your basic ricotta salata.


----------



## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

One thing I need to add is to use a sweet whey. If you make ricotta from sour whey, you'll get all these curds that sink to the bottom and will be like sand grains. I had a ricotta salata like that once that someone made. I felt like I had eaten a packet of those dessicator things you find in food to keep it dry. A moderately sour whey works OK, but do not add much vinegar to that if at all.


----------



## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

> I felt like I had eaten a packet of those dessicator things you find in food to keep it dry.


Thanks, Pav! Especially for the laugh!!


----------



## Twillingate Farm (Oct 26, 2007)

linuxboy said:


> Trying, such a crazy week.
> 
> Look up a whey ricotta recipe like the one Fankhauser or Fiasco uses, and make the ricotta. Add enough milk to the whey before heating it to equal ~15% of the whey. Usually a couple cups per gallon.
> 
> Drain the ricotta and press under 20-30 lbs. Press right away so it can bond while still hot/warm. Let that sit for 3-6 hours until drained and the cheese holds its shape. Then take the cheese out and put in a 20% brine for 3-4 hours per lb cheese. Smaller wheels than 2 lbs need less time. Take out of brine, and let age. It's your basic ricotta salata.


Thank you very much, I'll give it a try!


----------



## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

I have another one I got from a Greek friend. It's in my notes at home; I'll post it tonight.


----------



## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

Here are the other two variants I have:

Take 4 quarts whey fresh from making feta. This is the whey right after draining feta, should have a pH of around 6.1. To that add 2 quarts of goat's milk, a teaspoon of salt, and the juice from one lemon. Bring everything up to a temp of 88-90F. Cover the pot and let it sit until coagulated, which takes 12-24 hours. After the milk is curdled, put it in a muslin cloth and let everything drain for 4-24 hours, depending on how firm you want the cheese. This is meant as a fresh or grating cheese.

That's a farmhouse type recipe for mizythra. It won't get you the same stuff as you get in the store. And here's a commercial myzithra recipe I have:

Take 7 quarts milk and 3 quarts whey and bring to a slow boil. Boil for 15 minutes so the whey proteins denature. Turn off stove and cool to 100F. Add 1/2 tsp single strength calf rennet. Stir gently and keep stirring until the milk coagulates. The point of stirring is to get the small curds right away, it shouldn't take cutting. After the milk sets and the curds separate (about 30 minutes), take the curd and put into a muslin cloth and drain in a mold until it reaches the right moisture level. Press lightly in the mold with 10-20 lbs. Traditionally, not salted.

Apparently, this is like "farmer's cheese" so there are many variations. I also have notes for a myzithra that's made with sour whey and where the cheese is left to sour over several days. So it's not consistent. Hope this helps.


----------



## Twillingate Farm (Oct 26, 2007)

Thank you Pav!


----------

