I am considering goats for the milk as well as to make cheese and soap. I am wondering if there are recipes on this forum for goat cheese and soap and such? If there are, where would I find them?
A great place for detailed instructions on making 4 goat cheeses is on www.fiascofarm.com. I've made the chevre, St. Maure, mozzarella, and ricotta from those recipes. I also make a cheddar from Cheesemaking by Rikki Carroll. It is a recipe for cow's milk cheddar, but I make it with the goat's milk. It is a bit powdery in texture, but the flavor is good.
That site has so much useful information. It is amazing! I plan to send her a check this week. It has saved me so much money, it is only fair to send her the price of a book. I haven't found a book that is as useful as that site, especially for doing things a more natural way, and not just a mini version of a commercial operation.
I have played around with the St. Maure recipe with some success. I let a batch age in the fridge (you do have an aging fridge, don't you? craigslist!) for ten weeks....ok, I admit I forgot about it.....and my stinky-cheese lovers RAVED about it, so I made about 12 more pounds. I also added geotrichum cadidum along with the neige to avoid "slipskin," which is a problem with goat's milk mold-ripened cheese. The rind is firm and the center is liquid, so it runs out when you cut it. We will see if the geotrichum makes a difference. I hope so. Either way, it is wonderful. I serve it with a baguette made from the MEN "artisan bread in five minutes" recipe, which I make with freshly ground wheat flour, and a glass of wine and fresh fruit if available. Gourmet dining on a Wal-Mart budget!
I've been reading those recipes and they are really easy to follow... now to figure out where to get raw milk in my area. I don't yet have goats -- they are on my list for next spring. I raised cows when I was a kid -- I've come late to thinking about goats, but they seem more practical to me than cattle. But before I get all committed to actual live goats it makes sense to me to see if I really will use goats milk and how much will I need/use. So, if I can find it, over the winter I will buy goats' milk and make my own cheese and yogurts and other fancy stuff.