Let's say you buy a block of feta cheese—perhaps to make creamy dip or to shave over your summer veggies—and, let's say you don't use it all. (Seriously, who ever uses the whole block at once?!) You want to save that feta, don't you? Of course you do, you little #wasteless superhero. But if you just pop that feta into a tupperware and toss it back in the fridge, in a day or two, you'll have a dried-out, sour chunk of cheese. And nobody wants to eat that.
Coming to the rescue is the brine, the cloudy liquid that feta cheese is often packaged in. When feta is exposed to the air, the cheese starts to dry out and the flavor becomes sharply sour. But just like when making and storing pickles and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, the brine—a combination of water and salt—both flavors and preserves the cheese.
So, let's say you toss out the liquid accidentally, or the feta at your local grocery store comes in an air-tight sealed package without brine. You can easily save the remaining cheese by making your own brine. Just combine 2 cups water with 2 tsp. kosher salt, stirring until the salt dissolves. Store the leftover feta in the brine, making sure the cheese is covered completely. The brine is also the flavoring agent that gives feta its salty punch, so if the feta you've picked up is already super salty, simply storing it in plain water will help keep its crumbly texture without adding any unnecessary flavor.
Now that you know how to have #fetafordays, you can use it on everything. My favorite way to eat feta is tossed into kale salads, but it's also delicious crumbled into omelets, sprinkled on top of pasta and rice dishes, and served with roasted meats and fish.
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