# I wanted to share a very easy goat cheese recipe.



## houndit (Jan 26, 2010)

I really like this Goat cheese.  You heat your milk to 185 degrees.  Than add a Tablespoon of Vinegar per quart of milk.  Sometimes it takes a little more or a little less.  The milk curdles almost instantly.  It is really neat to see.  Then you drain it through cheesecloth.  You can eat it plain or salt it to taste.  We experimented with it.  We did a lot of herb cheeses.  It all depends on what you like.  Some of the things we did were:
Hot spicy cheese.  We took about 1 tsp of hot pepper flakes, and 1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper for 1/4 pound of cheese.  It was really good.  
We also did a mild cheese.  We took 1/2 a pound of cheese and added 1/4 a cup of diced pablano peppers.
we also made a couple herb cheeses.  These were the favorites.  
Garlic and dill.  we took 1/2 pound of cheese and added 2 garlic cloves pressed, and 3 teaspoons of fresh dill.  
Cilantro and green onions.  
For 1 pound of cheese we added 6 teaspoons of chopped green onion, and 3 of cilantro.    All of the above cheeses were salted to taste. 
We even put no salt and added sugar and M&Ms and dipped it out onto Graham crackers.  It is very versatile!  It does not really melt but can be put on sandwhiches.  It is wonderful in casseroles etc.  It can usually be used in substitute of Cream cheese.    I really enjoy it.  It takes a little practice to figure out how to keep it from being to crumbly, to dry etc.  but it is really easy!


----------



## dkluzier (Jan 26, 2010)

I can vouch for this recipe because it's exactly how we do it.  Even the herb additions.  

I will add that we have put it in the grill smoker at very low temp and it is fabulous!  

The plain version can replace ricotta in stuffed shells!

Simple cheese yet very elegant.


----------



## ksalvagno (Jan 27, 2010)

Sounds good, thanks!


----------



## DonnaBelle (Jan 27, 2010)

Wow, that does sound simple.  

Anyone else care to add any more tips to that recipe?  Or just do it as she wrote it??

DonnaBelle


----------



## dkluzier (Jan 27, 2010)

We make it in the exact same manner.  We've even made it from frozen milk, which doesn't curdle quite as well but works anyhow.  You will be suprised at the amount of cheese you get and we gave it to neighbors as Christmas presents with a pack of crackers and they LOVED it!


----------



## DonnaBelle (Jan 28, 2010)

WOW!! I made Houndit's goat cheese this morning.

I put some dill, salt, parsley flakes and chives in it.  

It is absolutely delicious.  

THANK YOU Houndit for the recipe!!!!!

DonnaBelle


----------



## houndit (Jan 28, 2010)

Glad to hear it!


----------



## Ariel301 (Feb 23, 2010)

That's the recipe I started with. It's sort of like a whole-milk version of Ricotta, and I like it. It's great sprinkled on salad, sort of like feta only milder.


----------



## glenolam (Jun 23, 2010)

Can I ask some simple questions on this recipe?

Did you take the pot off the burner once it reached 185 degrees?

If so, I assume you pour the vinegar into the milk and just let it sit, but for how long?  

Do you not touch the pot and let the curds form, then cut with a knife as I've read, or do you gently stir once the vinegar goes in, just to blend everything?

Do the curds and whey need to be a certain temp before you pour them into the cheesecloth?

Should they whey still be milky in color or should it be a light yellow (as it seems to be in a lot of pictures)?

Sorry - I tried this recipe and I got curds, but I think I missed a step somewhere as I didn't get as much cheese as I thought (I used 1 gallon of milk) and my "whey" looked just like the milk did...


----------



## DonnaBelle (Jun 23, 2010)

I have made this recipe and did it as follows:

I used the juice of one small  lemon, some lemon zest from the rind and about 2 T. vinegar for 3 quarts of milk.  I think the lemon gives it a lovely flavor.  But the vinegar really makes it curdle.

I heated the milk to 185, then poured in the above mixture to the milk, turned off the heat and left it on the stove for about 5 minutes.  The whey should be clear, lightly yellow tinted liquid. If it doesn't look like it's curdling, add a bit more vinegar.

When you drain the cheese in the cloth, be sure and let it drain and cool for about 2 hours at least, then it comes off the cloth really well.

I put salt in mine one time while it was heating.  BIG MISTAKE. It wouldn't curdle.  So add the seasonings after it's done.  Also, I flake mine up after I take it out of the cloth so it's like Mexican Queso, crumbly like.

This works for me. YUM YUM

P.S. you're not going to get a great deal of cheese doing this method, if you have lots of milk though, it's a good way to use it up.  The chickens LOVE THE WHEY.

DonnaBelle

DonnaBelle


----------



## freemotion (Jun 23, 2010)

You can go higher than 185.  I don't use a thermometer for this all the time, just don't boil it.  It will not make curds in the classic sense of a solid block of curd that needs cutting as with rennet, but it will curdle into curd crumbs...best way to explain it.

No, the yeild is not much, maybe 15%?  Just a guess.

I use a skimmer to get most of the curds into the cheese cloth, then strain the rest through a plastic collender (I have a mental block about spelling that word!) and give the whey to the pigs.  The whey has no probiotics so it doesn't excite me as much as with the cooler mesophillic cheeses, under 110 for the hottest stage.  My hens are sick of whey so before pigs, this hot process whey went down the drain. 

The whey will be yellow or slightly greenish and mostly clear.  Your milk probably wasn't quite hot enough.

For something different and yummy, make a mold and press with a couple of plastic containers, like two quart size yogurt or sour cream containers that nest nicely.  Drill holes with a very small drill bit in a diamond pattern and a few in the bottom, too.  Or use a heated small finishing nail that you heat in a flame to poke small holes in a pattern. 

Spoon the curds into the mold and sprinkle salt between the layers.  Set the undrilled container on top of the curds and set a jar or bottle of warm water in that container to add some weight to it.  I use a quart bottle to add two pounds of weight.  Put it on a plate to catch the whey and raise it off the plate with a folded cloth or paper towels and check it occasionally so it is not sitting in a puddle of whey.  Keep it at room temp for at least 24 hours.

When no more whey is coming out, unmold it onto a mat (I use needlepoint plastic from the craft store, cut to size) and put it in a container to age in the fridge for a while.  Take the whey out of the container before it hits the bottom of the cheese.  Give it a sniff each time and eat it when it smells really good to you, maybe two weeks or so, maybe more, maybe less, no rules!

You can also leave it at room temp longer for faster ripening.  Turn it and salt all sides every day.  Keep flies off it or it will get....yuk...maggots if it is fly season.  It will form a dry rind this way and will be a firmer cheese.

No matter what you do with it, it will be....cheese!


----------



## glenolam (Jun 24, 2010)

Thanks.  I  made sure the milk went to 185, but maybe should have added more vinegar.  I'll try adding lemon juice next time.

I let the curdle ball sit overnight to drain, but most of the cheese stuck to the cheese cloth.  I was able to get about 3/4 cup of cheese and added a little seasonings.  

Let me ask this - if you use fresh milk (taken within the last day or two) will it taste less "goaty"?  My milk was probably 4-5 days old, and when I tasted the cheese this morning (granted, it was still warm and no seasonings) it was very goaty.  I know it's an aquired taste, and that goat cheese from the store is WAY different from homemade, but I figured it might be somewhat close.


----------



## freemotion (Jun 24, 2010)

I make cheese from 7-10 day old milk a lot, but I rarely make cheese that is pasteurized.  I think it is more the heating that makes it goaty.  That is probably why most people add herbs and such.

Are you using "real" cheesecloth, or that gauze stuff that is sold in a package at grocery, hardware, and fabric stores as cheesecloth?  Real cheesecloth is a muslin.


----------



## glenolam (Jun 24, 2010)

Yeah - the fake cheese cloth.  Didn't know there was a difference!


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Jun 24, 2010)

I make this cheese, but only heat the milk to 180* then remove from heat. I also use lemon juice (1/4 cup per quart if you like lemon flavor, 1/4 cup per 2 qts if you don't want the lemon flavor), as I prefer the lemony flavor to that of the vinegar.  The curds are TINY.   I pour into cheese cloth and only let it drain for about an hour, maybe a tad longer. I don't like it as crumbly, I like it a little softer.   

My favorite so far has been this cheese with chopped basil and oregano with olive oil drizzled in.  YUM!


----------



## DonnaBelle (Jun 24, 2010)

I don't know if the breed of goat makes a difference in the way milk or cheese taste.  I know one thing, my Nubian Lenora's milk is mild and delicious.  The only time it tasted funny was when we milked her and the kids were only about 10 days old.  It was "strong" tasting then, but when they were 3 weeks old, it was great.

DonnaBelle


----------



## glenolam (Jun 24, 2010)

Eloise is an alpine/nubian mix, and I know every goat is different in terms of butter/fat content (if that's the correct terms!) so maybe that's why.....

I am not acclimated to goat's milk, btw.  I'm not a milk drinker myself; I've always had a "dairy" problem.  Not too serious, but enough to where I monitor my dairy intake from time to time.  Cow milk from the store always (and I mean _always_) tastes sour to me, which is another reason I don't drink it.

I've tasted her milk cold and raw (I don't pasturize) and to me her milk tastes comprable to store cow milk - sour! 

Guess it's just me - I'm slowly giving it to my son without him knowing; when I asked him if I could give him Eloise's milk he was like "NO WAY"  ....


----------



## Mea (Jun 24, 2010)

glenolam said:
			
		

> Guess it's just me - I'm slowly giving it to my son without him knowing; when I asked him if I could give him Eloise's milk he was like "NO WAY"  ....


 

  Back in the day.....          ..... my son decided that No Way would he Ever drink goats milk.  He thought that we were buying store milk for over a month ...  when actually we were simply adding more goats milk to it.     Once he found out... he could not complain about it, since he had been drinking it with No Problem.    I did, however, assign him the job of "Quality Control"  which he took very seriously.


----------



## johny1 (Jul 15, 2010)

Well, thank you for this interesting recipe, I'll try it out as soon as I can because it sounds very delicious. I wish I had a nice recipe to share too but right now I can't think of any.


----------



## Bryannjamie (Nov 23, 2010)

Just one thing to add.  I do not like cheese cloth and have trouble throwing usable items out.  I read that a white pillow case, washed first of course, works just as well.  And it does!!  I tore the pillow case open around the seams and lay it in the collander.  When the cheese is out I just rinse it out and wash it in the washer.  Sooo much easier


----------



## country freedom (Feb 27, 2011)

Will this work for cow milk also?


----------



## Patchesnposies (Apr 8, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> I make cheese from 7-10 day old milk a lot, but I rarely make cheese that is pasteurized.  I think it is more the heating that makes it goaty.  That is probably why most people add herbs and such.
> 
> Are you using "real" cheesecloth, or that gauze stuff that is sold in a package at grocery, hardware, and fabric stores as cheesecloth?  Real cheesecloth is a muslin.


Do you mean that you make cheese that you don't have to heat the milk?  Could you share some recipes?

Thanks!


----------



## freemotion (Apr 8, 2011)

The recipes I use come from the "200 recipes" book that I can never remember the title of!  It would be pages of typing and it is more about learning a method, so you really need to get the book.  I also have Cheesemaking but that is not geared to goat's milk at all and I like the first book better.

Most of the recipes I use call for warming the milk to 85 F or so and keeping it there.  I do this in a sink of warm tap water, in the bottles/jars that I store the milk in.

Most cheese recipes were developed to take the milk right from milking and make cheese.  If the day is hot and you don't use AC, you don't have to fuss with the holding temps.  If the day is VERY hot, then I get out my thermophilic cultures and recipes.....learned this the hard way after losing a few cheeses.  

Like breadmaking, cheesemaking (not talking about straining clabbered milk as in the vinegar recipes, I mean using cultures and rennet) is mostly about learning a few basic methods and then only slight variations in recipes will result in vastly different cheeses.

We are finishing up the caerphilly from that book and after 9 months it is so sharp!  We had some on pasta last night, and I had feta on popcorn the night before.  To die for!

ETA:  The title is 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes and the book is worth every penny, imo!


----------



## Patchesnposies (Apr 8, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> The recipes I use come from the "200 recipes" book that I can never remember the title of!  It would be pages of typing and it is more about learning a method, so you really need to get the book.  I also have _Cheesemaking_ but that is not geared to goat's milk at all and I like the first book better.
> 
> Most of the recipes I use call for warming the milk to 85 F or so and keeping it there.  I do this in a sink of warm tap water, in the bottles/jars that I store the milk in.
> 
> ...


Thank you!  I was just getting ready to write and ask for the title...this is one I will be getting.  (On your recommendation!)  

Thanks again!


----------



## freemotion (Apr 8, 2011)

You might enjoy the thread called "Intermediate Cheesemaking:  Beyond Chevre"  over on www.sufficientself.com.  I expect that thread to pick up again in a few weeks once everyone's goats are going full-tilt and kids are weaned or sold and we are making cheese again.  Lots of learning and sharing going on over there on homesteading stuff.


----------



## Patchesnposies (Apr 8, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> You might enjoy the thread called "Intermediate Cheesemaking:  Beyond Chevre"  over on www.sufficientself.com.  I expect that thread to pick up again in a few weeks once everyone's goats are going full-tilt and kids are weaned or sold and we are making cheese again.  Lots of learning and sharing going on over there on homesteading stuff.


Thank you, I'll do just that!  I'll see what I can aspire to, someday, since I am definitely a beginner.  (With high hopes!)

Do you use the dairy connection for your cultures, too?  Seems that is the place to go for quality at a good price.


----------



## freemotion (Apr 8, 2011)

I prefer The Dairy Connection.  They will spend time on the phone and answer your questions as if you are a big customer.  Smart business practice, if you ask me!  I tell everyone I can and post their link often.  

www.dairyconnection.com


----------



## country freedom (Apr 11, 2011)

.


----------



## elevan (Apr 11, 2011)

I just tried this recipe.  I used 1 gallon of milk (I used cow's milk) and 6 Tbsp of vinegar with a splash of lemon juice.  All of the milk curded up leaving a tinted (not milky) whey.  I added salt, pepper and parsley between layers.

The result = YUMMY!

You could easily add some cream to the curds and have homemade cottage cheese.  I may do that next time since my boys love cottage cheese.


----------



## PattySh (Apr 11, 2011)

We make our goat cheese like that but use vinegar. We added fresh chives and garlic to the latest batch. My son made dinner tonight, fresh homemade pasta sauce over stuffed shells using the goat cheese, Awesome.


----------



## savingdogs (Apr 11, 2011)

elevan said:
			
		

> I just tried this recipe.  I used 1 gallon of milk (I used cow's milk) and 6 Tbsp of vinegar with a splash of lemon juice.  All of the milk curded up leaving a tinted (not milky) whey.  I added salt, pepper and parsley between layers.
> 
> The result = YUMMY!
> 
> You could easily add some cream to the curds and have homemade cottage cheese.  I may do that next time since my boys love cottage cheese.


At the end you add cream? When it is hot and draining from the cheesecloth? I can't quite picture what you are describing but would love to make cottage cheese.


----------



## elevan (Apr 11, 2011)

savingdogs said:
			
		

> elevan said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry!

After it is done draining and cool. Transfer to a container for storage and add cream then.


----------



## savingdogs (Apr 12, 2011)

Yum! I have all those things. I think I'll make cottage cheese today!


----------



## Fat Bottom Farm (Apr 12, 2011)

So excited!  Made my first batch of cheese with the 2 quarts of milk I got the last 3 days (one goat); once it was done draining, added a little honey with a touch of pepper. Very yummy, only got about a cup of cheese but I am excited.

Smiles,
Lanora


----------



## elevan (Apr 12, 2011)

Fat Bottom Farm said:
			
		

> So excited!  Made my first batch of cheese with the 2 quarts of milk I got the last 3 days (one goat); once it was done draining, added a little honey with a touch of pepper. Very yummy, only got about a cup of cheese but I am excited.
> 
> Smiles,
> Lanora


If your whey is still milky, you can increase your cheese quantity by increasing the amount of vinegar.


----------



## elevan (Apr 12, 2011)

Thought I'd share a picture of my latest batch:







This one is seasoned simply with salt, pepper and parsley.


----------



## savingdogs (Apr 12, 2011)

Yum! Where are my crackers?

That looks much like my last cheese.....and it was yummy!


----------



## Prisca (Aug 16, 2011)

Hi Folks,
The cheese you are making here is what I know as Queso Blanco. A south american non melting cheese. One of the many things that we love about this cheese is the amount of cheese you get from a gallon of milk! You get about 1 1/ 2 pounds or more of cheese from one gallon - most cheeses you get about 1 pound from a gallon so this is truly wonderful.  

The exact recipe I use is as follows:

 1 gallon fresh goats milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar

Warm goats milk to 195 degrees.
Stir in vinegar.
Turn off heat and let set 10 minutes.
Pour curds into a cloth lined colander - pick up corners to make bag and let drain until it quits dripping - about an hour.
Then wrap and put in fridge until you are ready to use. 

I normally slice the cheese in 1 inch slices and freeze. I use it much the same as one would use tofu. (Our bodies do not process soybean well) I also use it for ricotta in pasta dishes and like cottage cheese in some salads.

You can use your favorite vinegar - even the fancy flavored ones - I did a Sageberry vinegar and then added herbs and it was wonderful.

Have fun with this.
Prisca


----------

