In 5 steps to homemade Bulgarian brine cheese Sirene

Fresh, brine-ripened cheese from the Balkans and the Mediterranean is a real specialty. With our Bacillus Bulgaricus Bulgarian brine cheese Siren starter cultures for cheese making at home, you can make your own Bulgarian brine cheese of the Sirene variety in just 5 steps and with little effort. Siren brine cheese is also known as "Bulgarian Feta", although Bulgarians see it a bit differently, because their cheese is of course a uniquely tasty regional specialty. In Bulgaria, cheese ripened in brine is often grilled, eaten in salads such as the Schopska salad, or baked together with meat and vegetables.

Its reputation as the Bulgarian version of the Greek feta cheese has the Bulgarian brine cheese Siren not for nothing. Since you decide with which milk you prepare the cheese, it always tastes a little different and can also be preserved in herbs for a strong taste of thyme, oregano or a good mixture, for example, the Bulgarian Chubritza. The basic tone of the cheese is salty and strong. The longer the cheese matures in the brine, the saltier it becomes. You can eat it plain on bread, in mixed salads or grilled, combine it with olives, add it as a side dish to meat or fish or simply make your own recipes with it. The whole process, from starting the culture to enjoying the cheese, takes about 1 week.

- 4 liters of milk* using the 700g set as an example
- 1 package of the brine cheese siren starter culture
- 1/4 teaspoon of rennet dissolved in 60 ml of water
- 1/4 teaspoon of calcium chloride dissolved in 60 ml of water
- 1 cheesecloth or muslin cloth
- 1 sieve
- cheese molds in the desired sizes
- sea salt, rock salt or kosher salt
- 1 cooking thermometer if at hand
- pot, bowl, knife, ladle and stirring spoon

* Siren brine cheese can only be made from animal milk. It doesn't matter if cow's milk, sheep's milk, goat's milk, buffalo milk or fancy types of milk are used as whole milk, UHT milk or skim milk. We recommend whole milk for the best taste. In Bulgaria, brine cheese Sirene is popularly made with sheep's milk.

Step 1: Heat the 4 quarts of milk in a large clean pot to around 74 to 78°C. You can check the temperature with the boiling thermometer. The milk should neither boil nor boil. If the temperature is above 74°C, bacteria in the milk will die. You can then replace them later with the starter cultures Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, which multiplies out of competition. Let the milk cool down to 34°C.

Step 2: Now add the whole package of Bacillus Bulgaricus Bulgarian brine cheese Siren starter cultures to the milk. The more bacteria are settled, the better the cheese will be in the end. So for 4 liters of milk you need the whole bag. A few drops that remain in it are not bad. Please do not rinse the bag after use to add any leftovers. The culture will now be absorbed into the liquid. Allow 5 minutes for the culture to hydrate. Now choose a clean stirring device, preferably stainless steel or silicone instead of wood, to stir. Stir not only in circles but roughly in eights, also from top to bottom. The mass must be mixed properly. Repeat the movement for 5 minutes. Now add the calcium chloride and stir for another 3 minutes, then add the rennet dissolved in water, also stirring for 3 to 5 minutes. Leave the container covered at room temperature for an hour. The mixture should not be allowed to cool at this point, but ideally should be left on the stove top turned off. After an hour you will find a solid mass in the pot. Only when you can already see very clear lines of separation between the cheese mass and the (non-drinkable) whey is the mass ready to be separated. If the liquid is still milky at the edges and you cannot push the mass away from the rim of the pot with the stirrer, the cheese still needs some time. Check every 15 minutes how far the culture has developed.

Step 3: The product in the intermediate step is a curd that can already be cut as a solid mass. Now you need a not too sharp knife and a good eye. Cut the mass into boxes of about 2 x 2 centimeters. The pattern does not have to be perfect, it only serves to drain the whey from the curd. The faster it dries out, the faster the finished cheese will be. Once the curd has been cut, it needs to rest for 10 minutes, then stir gently. Every approximately 3 minutes for another 20 minutes the mass should be stirred. The individual fractions ideally remain separated and become increasingly solid.

Step 4: Your cheese is now taking shape and should be separated from the whey. Line your sieve, ideally a larger sieve that can hold the entire mass, with the cheesecloth or muslin cloth. In order for the brine cheese siren to keep and not acquire an aftertaste, the cloth should be new or washed without detergent. A cheesecloth that is used exclusively for cheese is perfect. Be sure to catch the whey, you'll need it later. Gradually pour the liquid through the strainer. Let the mixture dry for 30 minutes, then shake it into the cloth so you can tie it in knots at the ends. With two tight knots, you will be able to thread the heavy cloth onto the stirring spoon and hang it in the pot from the beginning. The mass in the cloth should not touch the bottom. This will catch any remaining whey as it dries. Speaking of whey... The whey already collected must now be salted to become a brine. We recommend 1 teaspoon of salt per 220 ml of brine. Stir the whey, transfer it to a container and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The cheese also needs to steep for one night, but at room temperature in the bag.

Step 5: In the morning, when you look at the curd mass, it always seems more like a fresh cheese. Open the bag and place the curd on a clean cutting board. Divide it into several slices or cuboids smaller than your package in which you want the cheese to steep in the brine. Put the pieces in the wrappers or containers, cover them with the prepared brine, and let them sit for up to 5 days. You don't feel like brine, but would rather have a salty sliceable cheese? Then you have to store the cut pieces at room temperature and salt them once a day from both sides. They may be left in the open air or in a lightly covered container. Pour away any draining liquid. If you decide to do this step, you can still brine the cheese later or skip the step to make the brine. Salt and turn the cheese for at least 5 days until it is ready to eat.

As with any good recipe, you can vary this preparation the second or third time and add herbs, spiciness and many other ingredients. Garlic, for example, gives the cheese its own unique flavor, previously pickled peppercorns make it particularly strong. After 5 days of maceration in the brine in the refrigerator or at room temperature in salt, the cheese is ready to eat and ripe. If you want to let it ripen, you should store the brine cheese Siren in the refrigerator afterwards. As long as the brine smells only salty or slightly yeasty, the cheese is fine. Spoiled brine cheese shows clear mold or the brine around it is very cloudy and smells sour. We wish you good luck experimenting with the Bacillus Bulgaricus Bulgarian brine cheese Siren starter cultures set for your real Bulgarian brine cheese Siren!