Feta Cheese Brine is Slimy

I opened a carton of the Trader Joe's produce called Authentic Greek Feta from Sheep milk, packaged in brine. It was in my very cold fridge for quite some time, though the seal was not broken and the expire date is 3/18. The brine was viscous, which I have not seen before. The cheese has a tang like just spoiling milk, not pleasant. I did rinse the cheese and put it into fresh salted water. Anyone seen this before? Internet references only refer to slimy conditions when cheesemaking. I hope they take it back without a receipt, the stuff isn't cheap.

I wanted feta and watermelon with mint and lime for breakfast. Luckily I recently bought a batch from a middle east market so that should be okay.

nutcakes
  • 13089 views
  • 10 Comments

10 Comments

Cristy-Lucie
Cristy-Lucie September 3, 2018
Same this happened to me! I bought 3 cartons over a 2 week period to compare and they were all slimy. I read on a forum that if the calcium in the brine is low, it will pull from the cheese and cause the slime. I've bought this product in the past and never had this problem so it must be a change in their brine but sounds harmless.
 
nutcakes
nutcakes July 17, 2017
Update: Trader Joe's took it back on a 'no questions asked' basis, although I showed the expiration date of Mar 2018 and told them the problem anyway. Customer service said it is possible that the container had a pinpoint puncture. Anyway, I should add that I have enjoyed this product many times along with the slightly mellower and creamer sheep's milk feta from Israel from TJ. I have no problem with buying it in the future.
As a matter for anyone else, I am jonzing on watermelon and feta. Just plain is fine. Squeeze of lime fine. Some black and or red pepper, fine. Some mint or cilantro, fine. A little chopped cucumber, fine. Have not yet graduated to onion or olive oil on it. Why?
 
Nancy
Nancy July 17, 2017
Nice conclusion!
Enjoy your feta and watermelon...
 
Nancy
Nancy July 17, 2017
Check date format of similar items in the dairy case this week.
If necessary, ask store personnel to interpret is the second # a date or a year.
If date, you misread label. Chalk it up to learning.
If year and you still have product, take it in for return.
 
caninechef
caninechef July 17, 2017
Well presumably you know when you bought this and if march 18th would have been feasible as an expiration date. But I had the same reaction, that this had expired in March. While I see references to longer expiration dates for Feta in brine they sound more like on the order of a few months, not going on for a year.
 
Lindsay-Jean H.
Lindsay-Jean H. July 17, 2017
That's a bummer nutcakes, but Trader Joe's is great about taking stuff back, even without a receipt, so I think you'll be okay.
 
702551
702551 July 17, 2017
Feta cheese is a perishable good, with limited shelf life even when properly stored.

You failed to eat it within its normal window of consumption which should be about a week after the expiration date.

Yours was nearly four months passed.

Why should Trader Joe's give you a refund? That's entitlement.

Should I feel like I should get a refund when I find a moldy three-month old stick of celery in the bottom of my fridge's crisper bin?

NO.
 
hg1788
hg1788 July 17, 2017
I'm under the impression the 3/18 nutcakes refers to is March 2018?
 
nutcakes
nutcakes July 17, 2017
Answer fail. You didn't read carefully. The good till date is March 2018.
 

Voted the Best Reply!

Lindsay-Jean H.
Lindsay-Jean H. July 17, 2017
cv, answers to questions should be in the spirit of helpfulness and conveyed in a kind and thoughtful manner. Please keep that in mind with future responses.
 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52