We recently brought you a fantastic recipe for vegan, gluten-free feta, which is quick and easy to make! Well we’ve been playing around in the kitchen and took it one step further by slightly aging and pressing the tofu. While the quicker feta will always be our go-to in a pinch, this aged feta is so worth the wait and work! The key to making this feta is to press it for at least 5 days, wrapped in clean towels (we used paper towels, but you can certainly use a lint-free, clean kitchen towel), and changing out those towels daily. Yes, it is a tad labor intensive, but we promise it is worth the time!

Vegan, Gluten-Free Aged Feta

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Organic Extra Firm Feta (make sure it is organic to ensure that it is non-GMO and that it is extra firm to get the crumbly texture)
• 2 tablespoons filtered water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt, depending on how salty you like it
• A healthy shake of garlic powder or onion powder (or both, depending on your taste)

Equipment:

A tofu press or a stack of heavy books

Paper towels or clean, lint-free kitchen towels

Optional – a vacuum sealing system

Directions:

Drain the tofu, wrap it in a dry towel and place in the tofu press or between two plates with the books on top. Smash it down slightly so that the tofu pre-crumbles. We are aiming to completely drain it. Let it sit for several hours and check the towel. If the towel is thoroughly wet, change it out for a dry one. Now, let it sit for 5-7 days, checking the towel often and change it when it is thoroughly soaked. Note: The first few days the towels will be really soaked, but as the days go on it will get less so. Still change the towels daily to kickstart the draining of the liquid.

By day 5 it should be fairly dry. You can probably leave it longer than that, but we got sprouted tofu and didn’t know how quickly it would turn, so erred on the side of caution. Take a good knife and chop the tofu into little feta-sized crumbles. Place in a dish, or the vacuum seal container or bag, and add the water, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt and optional garlic and onion. We used onion flakes (we didn’t have powder on hand, but powder will mix more nicely) and highly recommend it for the taste. Now either seal with your vacuum sealing system, or simply cover. Let it soak overnight. It is ready to eat!

We love the vacuum sealing system because it helps draw the brine into the tofu. You can get a handheld system on Amazon.com for under $30 and it is great to use with canning jars in lieu of traditional storage containers because it helps keep food items fresher for longer!

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