The most practical way to cut the saltiness of an overly salty cheese is to slice it and soak it in cold water or milk for a few hours. Salt migrates from the cheese into the liquid; the more often the liquid is changed, the faster the cheese loses its salt.
For brined cheeses like feta, this usually makes a noticeable difference within two to four hours; firmer cheeses may need a bit longer. Once desalted, the cheese also works well in salads, mezze spreads or pastry fillings where less saltiness is wanted.
Why Does Cheese End Up This Salty?
Cheeses like feta and tulum sit in brine for a long time to extend their shelf life; the longer that soak, the saltier the cheese becomes. Some cheaply or quickly produced cheeses are also brined more heavily than standard.
Poor storage conditions can let salt penetrate even further into the cheese, an effect that's most noticeable in cheese that's sat in brine for an especially long time.
Slice the Cheese
Slice the cheese into pieces about one and a half centimeters thick. Thin slices release their salt much faster than thick chunks, since more surface touches the liquid.
The thinner the slices, the faster the desalting, but slices cut too thin can fall apart while soaking, so around one and a half centimeters is a balanced choice.
Soak in Cold Water or Milk
Arrange the slices in a wide container and cover them completely with cold water or milk. Milk mutes the flavor less harshly than water and adds a slightly creamy texture.
Hot water should not be used; warmth can soften the cheese's structure and make it fall apart, which both ruins the texture and lets the salt come out unevenly.
Change the Liquid and Taste as You Go
Change the water or milk about once an hour and taste a small piece each time; stop once it reaches the saltiness you want. Two to four hours is usually enough for most feta-style cheese.
Each time the liquid is changed, the old one should be poured out and the container rinsed; leaving cheese in the same liquid too long can let some of that salt drift back in.
Which Cheeses Does This Work For?
This method works best with brined, porous cheeses like feta, lor and fresh tulum, since their open structure lets water in and salt out easily. Denser cheeses like kashkaval respond much more slowly and the result may be limited.
It isn't recommended for mold-ripened cheeses; water or milk can damage the mold layer and throw off the cheese's balance.
Does Soaking in Ayran Work Too?
In some kitchens, lightly salted ayran is used instead of water or milk to desalt cheese; its mild tang adds a subtle flavor while still drawing the salt out in a similar way.
Soaking in ayran should be kept a bit shorter than with milk or water, since its acidity can soften the cheese's texture faster.
What Happens If You Soak It Too Long?
Cheese left soaking too long loses more than salt — it can lose its characteristic flavor and texture too, turning waterlogged and too soft to spread on bread.
Checking it every couple of hours is the safest way to stop before it passes the right balance of texture and saltiness.