Can you melt feta cheese? You are likely to have this question when you want to store it for later use.
Feta is among the best cheese options with healthy fats, and it can fit perfectly well with various cooking techniques.
But, to make it useful in different recipes, you might think of melting it first. Is it a good idea?
Can feta cheese be melted? Unfortunately, feta cheese cannot be melted because of its high moisture level and acidity, but using your microwave might help a little.
The Healthy World of Feta
Really, is there anyone who does not enjoy eating cheese?
A bit of cheese can make even the most uninteresting sandwich or salad taste great.
Quite interestingly, fat has long suffered from a stigma that does not reflect reality.
It is easy to be tempted by quick fixes when your goal is to lose as much weight as possible.
Doing away with all fats in the diet will not help you get in shape any faster, despite what you may have heard.
In fact, including cheese, and feta cheese in particular, in your diet can offer many benefits.
What is Feta Cheese?
Either prepared exclusively from sheep’s milk or using a combination of goat and sheep’s milk, feta is a popular cheese option today.
It is also called Greek brined cheese because it is matured in a brine solution.
In fact, it spends at least a couple of months aging in the brine. But sometimes, it is matured for 12 months to enhance its quality.
Whatever the case, it still provides you with a number of health benefits.
For instance:
- It is a great source of calcium and improves bone health.
- It offers healthy fat and lowers fat absorption to help control weight.
- It contains short-fatty acids and is useful for the digestive system.
Moreover, it is also a great source of many vitamins, making it a healthy choice for those looking to add cheese to their diet.
But, if you are already in love with feta, you may be wondering if it is possible to freeze and melt it.
Tip: Include feta in your diet for better metabolism because it contains a good amount of vitamin B6.
Can You Melt Feta Cheese or Not?
It looks like a pretty simple question to answer, but it is not.
It is quite obvious to assume that all cheese melts. After all, it is easy to find people who simply love melted cheese on sandwiches, pizzas, quesadillas, and so on.
The truth is that feta is one of the few cheese that just won't melt under normal circumstances.
At least, it will not melt nearly as easily as the cheese you use in regular cooking.
Why is It Difficult to Melt Feta Cheese?
Feta is not a meltable cheese. The reason being: feta is extremely moist and has high acidity.
It is possible that you will be astonished to learn that not all cheeses melt. And by “melt,” we mean “change” into the kind of soft, stringy goodness that, when pulled apart, makes a magnificent sandwich.
Not only does feta cheese resist melting, but so do many other varieties.
That is especially true for cheese types, like:
- Indian paneer
- Goat cheese
- Italian ricotta
- Mexica cotija
- Cypriot halloumi
The Issue of Acidity in Cheese
For a cheese with a higher acidity level, softening and even stringiness can occur, but it just would not turn into a puddle of creaminess.
And the same is true for feta.
Because of its high acidity, feta cheese retains its texture and shape when heated.
In fact, the calcium dissolves due to the high acidity, and at the same time, its proteins harden as the water evaporates, creating a more solid cheese.
This method prevents the cheese from melting by removing some of the moisture.
But rest assured, it will ease off a bit for you. It will also retain its shape for the most part, although it may soften slightly.
That being said, feta cheese can be encouraged to melt in a few different ways, but none of them is certain to work.
The Idea of Heating Feta Cheese
We all know and appreciate that stringy, dripping liquid that forms when cheeses like mozzarella, gouda, and cheddar are heated.
However, no amount of heating can cause water-rich feta cheese to melt. But if you still persist with heating, something will happen. Right?
Feta cheese just won’t melt when heated but it will get soft. Upon heating, feta cheese crumbles will melt together into a single, creamy blob.
Frying or even baking would make the cheese to develop a nutty browning on the exterior.
Tip: Use feta in place of cheddar or parmesan because it is lower in calories with only 21g of fat per 100g.
Ways to Melt or Soften Feta Cheese
To ensure your feta cheese becomes soft, you need to find a way that would limit the calcium’s drying effects.
And you can achieve that in many different ways. For instance:
Use Lemon Juice
You can use some lemon juice while melting the cheese and it might work because it adds much-needed moisture.
Use Whole Milk
If you want to melt feta cheese, one typical technique is to use a small amount of whole milk.
All you have to do is use feta crumbles or turn a feta block into small pieces. And then add some milk to it.
In this scenario, a double broiler is preferable, but the microwave can also be used successfully.
Keep in mind that this method will turn feta into more of a sauce than simply melted cheese.
It might not work for everyone but it is still a way to melt it.
Mix with Melting Cheese
As you have already learned, not all cheese varieties respond well to heat, but some cheese will melt readily.
Simply combining the two types would help you get good results. Simply crumble up the feta cheese and mix it with a melting cheese before heating.
Using Microwave to Melt Feta Cheese
Melting cheeses, such as mozzarella and cheddar, are useless when you need to bake a ball of cheese, grill a piece of cheese, or scatter some into a salad.
That is when feta cheese comes into the picture.
Thanks to its ability to hold its viscosity and shape, it works amazingly well in recipes that require baking, frying, or grilling.
Using feta would prevent a burnt, sticky disaster from hitting your grill, stovetop, or oven bottom.
But, aren’t there situations when you truly want to use feta but need a way to melt it? So, how to melt feta cheese?
Well, your microwave may help you handle things better.
Microwaving Soft Cheese
Soft cheeses are more difficult to melt successfully, but feta cheese melts beautifully in the microwave. And it is easy too.
- Just get a microwave-safe dish.
- ·Turn feta into crumbles.
- Put it on the dish with some milk or cornstarch.
- Turn on your microwave at high.
- Leave for at least 30 seconds.
And that is all you have to do!
How Long Does Feta Take to Melt?
The time it takes to melt your cheese in a microwave will vary depending on the amount of cheese and the temperature.
When handling feta, you need to understand that it Is not like your regular melting cheese.
It is extremely good at maintaining its shape when cut. Therefore, it could take longer to melt it in the microwave.
Still, in most cases, you can get the job done in 30 seconds if you keep the heat on medium.
Sometimes, it can take longer, so you have to let it be in the microwave until it begins to crumble.
An Important Consideration
To reduce the melting time and get better results, you may want to add some milk to the cheese before nuking it.
Tip: It makes more sense to melt smaller pieces of feta than using whole blocks. The process will be quicker and more efficient too.
Points to Remember When Melting Feta in the Microwave
Although using the microwave seems like a straightforward method to melt feta, it may not work perfectly unless you remember a few things.
For starters, you should only use crumbled feta and avoid blocks as much as you can.
Because of their smaller surface area, it is much easier to melt feta in the microwave.
Similarly, it is a good idea to bring it to room temperature before you begin heating.
This truly helps with the melting process, but ensure that you do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Tip: When microwaving, begin with medium heat, as it will keep the fat from separating out quickly.
Read Next: Finding the Best Replacement for Velveeta Cheese
Takeaway
Can you melt feta cheese? It definitely looks like a straightforward question, but it is not because feta is very high in moisture and acidity.
Because of these properties, it is very difficult to melt it. Even when exposed to heat, it might only become soft.
But, if you truly need to melt it, you can mix it with milk or something else and put it in the microwave to get the best results.