Note:  Today I am going to talk about making cheese from goat milk, but I want to disclose that I am not an expert.  I do know one, though.  If you want to know all about goats, milking goats, making several kinds of cheese and eating the Best Homemade Brunch Ever, visit the Goat Cheese Lady.  She knows all about these things.

****

My story begins with the purchase of half a gallon of milk from a local chain grocery store.  I didn’t have any of my usual raw goat’s milk from my Easter Egg Acres share and I wanted cocoa.

I know what’s in this milk … Milk!

I bought a carton of organic milk, took it home and made the cocoa.  And then I looked at the ingredients.

Yes.  Ingredients.

This product, labeled “Whole Milk”, had whole milk, skim milk and fish oil.

Yes.  Fish oil.

I am still horrified.  ”Why don’t they just put the fish heads in too?”, I asked on Facebook.  I can see putting fish oil in orange juice or maybe baked goods, but milk?

I contacted Marilan, my milk dealer.  She brought me half a gallon of fresh (from a goat milked that day!) and a gallon of frozen milk.  Thank you, Marilan.  You have no idea how grateful I am for that pure, unadulterated, fish oil free milk.

Anyway, that’s how we get to the chevre recipe.  Frozen milk makes great cheese.  At $5 for a gallon of frozen goat’s milk and a dollar or so for the culture, it saves a whole lot of money over grocery store chevre too!

Chevre

1 gallon goat’s milk
1 packet chevre culture (you can buy the culture at Buckley’s Homestead Supply)

Heat the milk to 86 degrees.  I usually just stick a thermometer in the pot, walk away and forget about it.  When I return, the milk is too hot and I have to wait for it to cool down.  You can probably find a better way.  Note that if the milk gets to around 130 degrees, it starts to cook and you’ll have pasteurized milk cheese.

Don’t walk away! (This milk is still a bit frozen and looks interesting).

When the milk is 86 degrees, sprinkle the culture on it.  Leave it for a minute while you go find a whisk.  The directions actually do say to leave it for a minute, I’m not just saying that to distract you from my misplaced whisk.

Stir the culture into the milk.  Cover and leave it alone for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, you can strain it.  The directions say to hang it in a cloth bag, but I just strain it through a cloth napkin in a strainer in the sink.  Sometimes I’ll put the strainer in bowl and save the whey for the chickens.

I put another napkin over it to keep cats out of it.

When it’s strained to your liking, add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and herbs, if you like.  Chill and serve.

*****
© 2013 Hungry Chicken Homestead
Shared with …

Backyard Farming Connection

Nourishing Simplicity Simple Meal Friday