Homemade Goat Cheese

A good friend of mine recently gave me several gallons of fresh goat milk straight from her farm. Now, if you have been keeping up with my previous posts you will know that I love goat products and am a huge advocate of incorporating them into your diet. I was excited because this milk was local, raw, organic, and was particularly pungent smelling. My mind immediately went into goat cheese mode and there it stayed for the rest of the afternoon.

The recipe that I am sharing with fun, easy, and results in an absolutely fabulous cheese. Of course, if you can’t find any locally produced, raw goat milk then it is perfectly fine to buy pasteurized milk from the store. If goat products aren't your thing then cow or sheep milk will work just the same, just make sure it has full fat content. As I have mentioned before, goat milk can be a great alternative to cow milk. It has a far lower lactose level making it easier to digest for most people. It is also a great source of protein and calcium.

Homemade Goat Cheese:

Prep and Cook Time: 2 hours

Tools and Ingredients:

1 gallon goat milk

Salt to taste

1/4 cup lemon juice

Large cooking pot

Several layers of cheesecloth

Strainer

2 large bowls

Food processor (optional)

Candy thermometer (optional)

Pour the gallon of milk into the large pot and heat over a medium flame.

Allow the milk to heat to about 180-185 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer handy, you can just let the milk cook until little white bubbles start to form and the top becomes frothy (this is the point right before the milk starts to boil).

Once the milk has reached this point, stir in the lemon juice and let stand for about five minutes. The milk will begin to curdle and become a bit thicker on the top.

Place two layers of cheese cloth over your strainer and set into one of your bowls. Carefully pour the contents of you pot into the strainer. Once you have emptied the pot, you should be left with two items- the curds in your strainer and the whey in the bowl.

Don't throw out the whey! You can keep it and use it after you have made your cheese. Here is a link to a website with lots of ideas for the leftover whey: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html

Take your curds in the cheesecloth and tie off the section into a ball, leaving a bit of free cloth at the top to hang. Let this bundle hang over a bowl and drip out the remaining whey drops for about 1- 1 1/2 hours. You can set this up in your sink, counter top, or any convenient place in your home. 

After about an hour, remove the cheesecloth bundle and open it's contents. You will be left with a ball of soft, crumbly cheese similar to queso fresco. Turn into a bowl and mix in some salt to taste. You can get creative with the flavor of your goat cheese by adding your favorite herbs and spices.

If you prefer crumbly cheese, then your adventure with the goat milk will end here. However, if you want a cheese with a creamy consistency,  put the cheese into a food processor and blend until creamy.

Eat liberally on bread, salad, fruit, or whatever your palate desires!