Homemade Halloumi Cheese Recipe - Larder Love (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak halloumi in water before cooking? ›

Why do you soak halloumi before cooking? While completely optional, many swear by this step for a softer, more flavourful, and sweeter result that will set your halloumi apart from all others. The easiest method is to soak the whole block of cheese in cold water for at least two hours (or overnight if you have time).

The shelf-life of Halloumi cheese as stated by different regional producers ranges between 4 and 6 months under refrigeration.

Being rich in protein and fat and full on flavour, cheese like halloumi helps to keep us fuller and more satisfied for longer.

Once you remove a halloumi from the container do not place it back inside otherwise it will turn the rest of the halloumi off. Instead, once you remove a halloumi from the bottle, keep it inside the fridge with no liquid, where it should probably last up to one week.

Put the halloumi into a bowl and boil a kettle of water. Pour the boiling water over the halloumi and leave for 20 minutes. This will make the cheese really soft and smooth in the centre when cooked.

Spoiled halloumi cheese can be easily identified. If the cheese has become slimy or developed a mold, it's time to toss it out. Moreover, a strong sour smell or change in color can also indicate that the cheese is past its prime.

However, while protein and calcium work to suggest that halloumi is healthy, there's no getting away from the fact that there's also a pretty high sodium and fat content. In fact, one 28g portion of halloumi contains a whopping 9 grams of fat and 15% of your DV (Daily Value) of sodium.

Additionally, if halloumi is made from sheep's or goat's milk, it can provide healthier fats than those found in cow's milk. These fats, such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), have been associated with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and potential cancer risk reduction.

In a word, no. As Watkins explains, Halloumi is 'high in saturated fat (12g per 70g), which has been linked with 'bad' cholesterol levels. It also matters how you prepare the halloumi as adding lots of oil – if frying – will increase the calorie count.

Halloumi is made out of sheep's milk, which is more expensive than cow's or goat's milk due to the animal milking production—though nowadays you can also find Halloumi varieties with a mix of these kinds of milk, thus lowering the price of the product.

Why does halloumi smell? ›

Yeast activity in white-brined cheese can cause gas blowing, unpleasant yeasty or ester-like odor, softening in texture and increases in pH due to lactate fermentation.

Many Halloumi-style cheeses are prepared by dairy and goat farmers in Canada and the United States. For legal proprietary reasons, these cheeses are usually called Halloumi-style or grillable cheeses. Sometimes they are called grilling cheese or frying cheese, or queso de freír in Spanish.

What is vegetable rennet? Vegetable rennet is made from plant enzymes that have coagulating properties. Vegetable rennet may be produced with plants such as thistle, artichokes, and nettles, but other plants like ground ivy, dried caper leaves, and fig juice have also been known to serve as coagulants.

Traditional halloumi is typically made from fresh, unpasteurised sheep and/or goat's milk. However, for its commercial production a mixture of pasteurized sheep, goat and occasionally cow's milk is used (with the cow's milk making up the lowest proportion of the milk used, if used at all).

I love the salty taste of halloumi, so I prefer not to soak it. However, if you find the kind you have to be too salty, the soak will help alleviate that. Allow the halloumi cheese to grill without touching it. There's no need to move the cheese around once it hits the grill.

Simply patting the haloumi dry with paper towel will remove some of the saltiness, but you can also place it in a bowl of cold water to remove more of the salt, if you prefer. Just soak for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towel – patting dry is important to ensure the lovely golden crispy edges!

Haloumi was created at a time before refrigeration when it was vital that foods were made to last. Thankfully, because haloumi was stored in salty brine it could keep for long periods without spoiling and early producers found that wrapping haloumi in mint leaves further helped to maintain its freshness and flavour.

After soaking, remove the halloumi from the water and allow it to drain. It's important to note that while soaking halloumi can help reduce its sodium content to some extent, it won't eliminate it entirely.