Dairy Goats ???

[waterguy81]

I have heard that you can make cheese, and butter, from dairy goats milk. Is this true and is it worth it ?

If so, what type dairy goat is better known for this kind of production quality for a small hobby farm (to feed my family and maybe friends).

Thanks

 

[RainySunday]

You can definitely make cheese, and you can make butter, but you would need either A LOT of patience, or a cream separator, since goat's milk doesn't separate easily like cow's milk does.

We have 3 nigerian dwarf does. 2 are in milk, the thrid will be bred in the next few weeks. We are getting a 4th to cover the "milk gap" this late summer/fall, she is due in June. I love their smaller size, I feel more comfortable around them and with my kids (human ones) being around them.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

You can in fact make , cheese, butter, and soap using goat's milk! Nigerians have a higher butterfat content, which can be made even higher by adding Black Oil Sunflower Seeds to their daily feedings.

Here is site on making butter in your food processor using either heavy whipping cream or goat's milk.
http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/doityourself.html

 

[Roll farms]

Nubians and Nigerians tend to have the most butterfat...more butterfat generally means better cheese.

Cow milk easily seperates for butter making...Goat milk, notsomuch...
You can put it in the fridge overnight in a wide container and skim off the cream and save it for butter making. I don't have that kind of patience. Also, butter made from 'fresh' milk will not keep as long as 'store bought'. Depending on how much you need / use, you could get by making one batch a week...which is (in my experience) about all it will last. I haven't tried freezing it.

I have the churn my late FIL's family used for buttermaking 'back in the day'....We've made butter (w/ cow cream) and...it tasted JUST LIKE BUTTER...lol.

You can also put cream in a glass jar and shake vigorously to make butter...f'real~! Rinse it well when the 'butter' forms, regardless of what method you use. Old milk left in the butter will make it sour faster. I kneaded mine 3x in cold water to get it all out.

I've made soft cheeses w/ goat milk. I'm not much of a cheese eater, so I really haven't messed w/ that aspect much...I just did it so I could say, "Yeah...I made cheese."

But...OMG the fudge, ice cream, pies, etc. NOM NOM NOM.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Nubians and Nigerians tend to have the most butterfat...more butterfat generally means better cheese.

Cow milk easily seperates for butter making...Goat milk, notsomuch...
You can put it in the fridge overnight in a wide container and skim off the cream and save it for butter making. I don't have that kind of patience. Also, butter made from 'fresh' milk will not keep as long as 'store bought'. Depending on how much you need / use, you could get by making one batch a week...which is (in my experience) about all it will last. I haven't tried freezing it.

I have the churn my late FIL's family used for buttermaking 'back in the day'....We've made butter (w/ cow cream) and...it tasted JUST LIKE BUTTER...lol.

You can also put cream in a glass jar and shake vigorously to make butter...f'real~! Rinse it well when the 'butter' forms, regardless of what method you use. Old milk left in the butter will make it sour faster. I kneaded mine 3x in cold water to get it all out.

I've made soft cheeses w/ goat milk. I'm not much of a cheese eater, so I really haven't messed w/ that aspect much...I just did it so I could say, "Yeah...I made cheese."

But...OMG the fudge, ice cream, pies, etc. NOM NOM NOM.

The site I posted up is for using non seperated goat's milk or heavy whipping cream. The food processor does all the seperating & churning for you!

And Say WHAT?!?! Goat's milk fudge?!?!?

 

[Roll farms]

The recipe's been in the dairy products section for almost 2 yrs...

There's just something about using a churn that's been in the family for 3 generations that gives one a feeling of contentment that a food processor lacks.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

The recipe's been in the dairy products section for almost 2 yrs...

There's just something about using a churn that's been in the family for 3 generations that gives one a feeling of contentment that a food processor lacks.

Okay, I will have to enter goat fudge into the search!!

Oh, I completely understand that! If I had one, I would probably go that route(I'm not ancestral amish, but my heart is SO there!), but unfortunately, food processors are cheaper and easier for me to find. I tell you what, if/when I get married, I am going to put all sorts of non technological farm things on my wishlist! I think that there is more pride earned in earning one's food, than getting fast/processed/already made foods.

 

[freemotion]

Waterguy, I got my first dairy goat so I could again enjoy dairy products and I haven't looked back. In fact, I got another the next year and this year will be milking four! Plan on making cheese at least once a week with one goat, and more often with more goats unless you have a family that drinks a lot of milk.

We make many types of cheeses, from soft fresh cheeses to feta to mold-ripened stinky cheeses to waxed and aged cheeses. We make ice milk, yogurt, kefir, and soap.

From the kefir we make dips and dressings and use the whey to ferment veggies and condiments like sauerkraut, dill pickles, minced garlic (goodbye, Costco!), salad dressing herbs, mustard, the list is endless. We lactoferment grains for baked goods with it to make them more digestible and more nutrient-dense.

Once cheese making starts up again for me this year, most of the many gallons of whey will go to fatten up the four pigs we just brought home yesterday. As well as any truly failed cheeses or ones that got bad mold in them. Although there is hardly such thing as a cheese failure. Even mozzarella that doesn't stretch, although it may not make good pizza, is excellent as a snacking or dessert cheese.

I made some butter early on but we eat a lot of butter and I just found it to be too much effort and I don't like skimmed milk, even for cheese making. I would need the milk from several goats to get enough butter for our household use, but it was definitely worth the experience and I am confident that it was highly nutritious. I ate most of it on popcorn so I could really enjoy it, heated only gently so as to preserve all its goodness.

Can you tell I love my goats?

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Waterguy, I got my first dairy goat so I could again enjoy dairy products and I haven't looked back. In fact, I got another the next year and this year will be milking four! Plan on making cheese at least once a week with one goat, and more often with more goats unless you have a family that drinks a lot of milk.

We make many types of cheeses, from soft fresh cheeses to feta to mold-ripened stinky cheeses to waxed and aged cheeses. We make ice milk, yogurt, kefir, and soap.

From the kefir we make dips and dressings and use the whey to ferment veggies and condiments like sauerkraut, dill pickles, minced garlic (goodbye, Costco!), salad dressing herbs, mustard, the list is endless. We lactoferment grains for baked goods with it to make them more digestible and more nutrient-dense.

Once cheese making starts up again for me this year, most of the many gallons of whey will go to fatten up the four pigs we just brought home yesterday. As well as any truly failed cheeses or ones that got bad mold in them. Although there is hardly such thing as a cheese failure. Even mozzarella that doesn't stretch, although it may not make good pizza, is excellent as a snacking or dessert cheese.

I made some butter early on but we eat a lot of butter and I just found it to be too much effort and I don't like skimmed milk, even for cheese making. I would need the milk from several goats to get enough butter for our household use, but it was definitely worth the experience and I am confident that it was highly nutritious. I ate most of it on popcorn so I could really enjoy it, heated only gently so as to preserve all its goodness.

Can you tell I love my goats?

Goodness gracious! I was full from supper until you posted all of that!!

 

[freemotion]

Me, too!