Feta cheese is nutritious, creamy, and silky. You should try it on your sandwich. Cold feta cheese is hard and flat, so you must melt it to enhance its taste and texture.
It is easy and quick to melt cheese if you have a microwave. Let’s show you how to melt feta cheese in the microwave.
How to Melt Feta Cheese in the Microwave
Feta cheese is a by-product of goat milk and is available in the market in various forms such as wheel, crumble, and block.
Cheese should be refrigerated within 2 hours to preserve its flavor and moisture.
Flavored cottage cheese gives a fantastic touch to stuffed chicken and pasta.
Soft feta cheese is generally moist and has a low melting point. It is hailed for its high calcium content.
Large blocks of cheese are hard to melt; you must crumble them first.
Crumble-shaped cheese is the easiest to melt. You must bring frozen cheese to room temperature before proceeding to melt it.
Feta cheese is soft, milky, and silky, and melting it in the microwave is easy and entails the following simple steps:
- Transfer feta cheese from its storage container to a microwave-safe plate.
- Sprinkle some cornstarch. Feta cheese is soft and delicate; hence cornstarch makes it firm.
- Splash a drop of milk into the grated cheese crumbles.
- Place the microwave-safe bowl and its contents in the microwave.
- Set your appliance on high for 30 seconds.
- Pause the microwave at intervals of 10 seconds and stir the feta cheese to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Add a little water in case the cornstarch starts to thicken.
Feta is stored in plastic containers which are not microwave-safe. Plastic tends to melt or warp under high temperatures and leach harmful chemical compounds into food.
The storage containers are meant for single use only.
We recommend glass or ceramic bowls since they are strong enough to withstand microwave heat.
How long does it take to melt feta cheese in the microwave?
Feta cheese has a low melting point due to its high moisture content.
It takes approximately 30 seconds to melt crumbled cheese on high microwave power if it’s at room temperature.
Refrigerated cheese takes a little longer because you must bring it to room temperature before melting to avoid lumping.
The size and shape of cheese determine the amount of time it takes to melt. Fine cheese particles melt faster compared to cubes or blocks of cheese.
The quantity of cheese you intend to microwave also affects the melting time. Avoid stacking many blocks of cheese for a faster experience.
Acidity level, age, and moisture content also influence the melting point of cheese.
For best results, start melting feta cheese on low power and raise the temperature as soon as it softens. You can sprinkle a few drops of milk to speed up the melting.
Failure to control the temperature causes feta cheese to curdle.
Does Feta Cheese Melt In The Microwave?
Feta cheese is difficult and stubborn to melt owing to its high acid and moisture levels.
You must be very tactical when melting feta cheese in the microwave.
You should use a microwave-safe bowl that is strong and heat resistant and not the plastic container in which it is stored.
Crumble blocked cheese into tiny pieces to expose a larger surface area to heat.
Let feta cheese sit at room temperature for some minutes before placing it in the microwave.
Splash some milk and water to speed up the melting process.
Sprinkle some thickener to keep proteins intact.
Ensure you start from low heat and raise the temperature gradually to avoid burning.
Use lemon juice or white wine to get liquid feta cheese.
Tips to Remember When Melting Feta Cheese in the Microwave
Try these tips when melting cheese to enjoy a great experience:
- Crumbled cheese heats up faster than block cheese. Small cheese particles melt easily under the right temperature, disintegrating large blocks into tiny crumbles.
- Shred, sliced, or grated feta cheese to expose more surface area and reduce cooking time while preventing burning.
- Crumbling cheese should be done before it gets to room temperature (immediately after it’s removed from the refrigerator).
- Refrigerated cheese should be brought to room temperature before actual melting.
- Set the microwave appliance on low power with small increments as melting progresses.
- Regulating the temperature keeps the fat contents intact and prevents the cheese from clumping.
- Cornstarch prevents protein in cheese from clumping together and makes feta cheese firm.
- Constant but moderate stirring gives the melted cheese a smooth consistency while over-stirring makes the cheese stringy.
- Add some water in case the cheese gets too thick from the cornstarch.
- A splash of milk speeds up the cheese-melting process.
- Close monitoring is necessary to avoid uneven or burnt spots.
- Lemon juice and white wine are used to liquefy melted feta cheese.
Is It Possible To Melt Feta Cheese In The Microwave?
Feta cheese is a soft cheese that is feared to have difficulty melting. However, with the right caution, it melts effortlessly.
Unlike other soft cheeses, feta cheese is highly moist, making it melt easily when microwaved. Sliced, diced or grated feta cheese crumbles melt even faster.
Cheese comes packed in plastic containers that are not microwave-safe. You should transfer feta cheese to a microwave-safe container before melting it.
A microwave-safe container can withstand high microwave heat without melting or warping, allowing the cheese to melt adequately.
Incorporate a little milk and cornstarch to get the best results. Milk speeds up the process preventing burning, while cornstarch keeps it firm.
You need to disintegrate the block cheese and then bring it to room temperature before finally putting it in the microwave to melt.
Set your microwave on low power and adjust the temperature as melting progresses to allow even heating.
Constant stirring gives the melted cheese a smooth consistency. You can add some water if the cornstarch becomes overly thick.
What Happens When You Microwave Feta Cheese?
The following happens when you microwave cheese to melt:
Microwaves heat the water molecules in feta cheese; in return, the hot moisture warms up other particles in the cheese.
The cheese becomes soft and creamy at this stage, making it ideal for salads and sandwiches.
Microwave heat also speeds up the acid activity hindering the melting process. Proteins are activated and dissolve calcium that would otherwise facilitate melting.
To get liquid cheese, you should incorporate starch thickeners, water, and lemon juice to catalyze the melting process.
Sparks are sometimes seen in the microwave when melting cheese. The sparks result from the bouncing back of microwaves from the oven walls to the melting cheese.
However, the sparks are safe for the cheese and the appliance.
Don’t let melted feta cheese sit at room temperature for long; otherwise, it cools to form a hard solid.
FAQs
Why Doesn’t Feta Cheese Melt Like Other Cheese?
You will notice that feta cheese becomes creamy and soft when microwaved, unlike other cheeses, which become liquid and stringy.
It maintains its shape, but its texture conforms to heating.
We attribute this behavior to the following reasons:
Feta cheese contains high acid levels. The acid dissolves calcium present in cheese (most milk by-products are rich in calcium), which would otherwise cause the cheese to melt.
Microwave heat causes moisture present in cheese to evaporate, and no water is left to liquefy the cheese.
The protein in feta cheese causes it to hold its shape; hence it doesn’t fully liquefy. Starch-based thickeners like cornstarch help to break down the acid bonds.
It is best taken hot or warm since it is still soft; otherwise, it becomes a hard, solid-like block when cold.
Lime and wine are added to feta cheese to make it melt into a liquid.
Why Does Feta Cheese Spark In The Microwave?
Feta cheese is a milk by-product; hence it contains several minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and selenium.
On the other hand, microwave appliances heat food by releasing electronic microwaves.
The interaction between the minerals in cheese and microwaves causes the microwaves to bounce back to the wall of the oven. The back-and-forth movement of microwaves causes sparks in the microwave (arcing).
The sparks are not charged enough to cause any damage to the oven, and the cheese remains safe for consumption.
Final Thoughts
Melting feta cheese in the microwave is easy but requires keen caution to avoid lumping or burning.
Feta cheese doesn’t melt into a liquid like other cheeses; it becomes soft and creamy when heated.
You should shred it into tiny crumbles and leave it at room temperature for some minutes before melting it in the microwave for 20 seconds.
A pinch of cornstarch and a splash of milk are added to hasten the melting process.
Lime and wine liquefy soft feta cheese.