Devonviolet Acres

[goatgurl]

milk in the garden on tomatoes also prevents blossom end rot because of the calcium in it. you can also make good old cheese too. some varieties do ok with skimmed milk. I have cream separator envy for sure. so glad everyone is doing ok at your place. and yup @Mike CHS I drooled all over the keyboard after reading about the blackberries and cream. yum.

 

[Devonviolet]

We made butter yesterday. YUM! I wrote a description on my new thread, about the cream separator here:

www.backyardherds.com/threads/goat-milk-cream-separator.36349/#post-509152

Here is a photo of the cream that I didn't use for the butter:

 

[misfitmorgan]

At first i thought that was the butter and I was like...that doesn't look right Seriously thats a lot of cream though.

 

[Devonviolet]

Last night when I was cleaning up after putting the butter in the fridge, I went under the sink to get a new bottle of dish soap.

I always check to make sure it's dry, as I have had my share of leaks, over the years. And it was dry.

But, then I heard a noise & stopped to listen. I definitely sounded like a drip.

So, I looked closer & realized the plastic box that we were storing things in was FULL of water!!!

UH, honey, we have a problem!!!

So, DH got under the sink & it was leaking around the drain basket. Luckily, the plastic box was right under the drain.

This morning, after milking and feeding the animals, he got under the sink to fix it. It turns out, the washer had cracked, allowing the leak. It took a while, but he was able to fix it without going to town.

In the mean time, I couldn't get at the sink to work. So, instead of making Mozzarella cheese today, I decided to make Cheve' cheese, using a gallon of skim milk, from day before yesterday.

I added about 3/4 cup of the reserved cream (melted), and the Cheve' culture. Now, the plan is to leave it for 12 hours at room temp. The directions said to leave it at 72 degrees for 12 hours. We set our thermostat to 78 degrees, to save on the electric bill, so it will have to sit at 78 degrees. I'm going to check it at 10 hours and might be able to drain it sooner than 12 hours. I'm assuming if it is firmed up, in the whey, it is ready

Before I go to bed tonight I will put the cheese in a flour sack towel, drain it in a sieve and then hang it over a bowl in the kitchen sink. I'm SO looking forward to my first batch of Cheve'!!! I'll have to wait until tomorrow to make Mozzarella.

 

[babsbag]

I have let my cheese sit for 24 hours at 78° with no problems. Sometimes I am just too tired to drain it at night after it sat all day so it waits. When I drain it I save a little of the whey to stir back in in case I let it drain too long and it is too dry.

That cream is gorgeous.

 

[greybeard]

Store bought wine, it has sulfates as a preservative. That is what gives you a headache. I bet you can drink wine that you make yourself. Though I've never done it ... grain of salt!

I've drank lots of home made wine (and beer) over the decades. Preservatives or no, it's been headache city with wine. Even when using free range, all natural, gluten free, certified organic, non-gmo grapes, never touched by human hands, lovingly crushed by bare feet, as soft soothing sounds of the sea are played, and bottled in glass hand blown by Tibetan monks, and sealed with all natural, environmentally friendly, renewable virgin cork, wines cause headaches.

'Preservatives' are always the low hanging cause célèbre fruit of the ingredient group. The headache tho, is caused by other low-level components like amino acids, polyphenols and other complex organic molecules that are an essential part of all wines.

 

[Baymule]

That cream looks fluffy, soft, delicious and I could just dive in with my mouth open! Yummy! Your DH is so smart, he is always fixing something and saving a service call and $$$$$.

 

[Devonviolet]

So, yesterday, after my Chevre cheese, had hung, to get the whey out, I c humbled it, added salt & packed it into the Chevre mold (with extension), that I had bought from the New England Cheese Company.

This morning I unmolded it, so DH & I could taste it. it tastes just like Feta Cheese! YUM! I love Feta Cheese!

I put it in a plastic bowl, with a lid & poured whey over it. Can't wait to start cooking with it (on crackers & pizza, in salad, scrambled eggs, soup, casseroles, etc).

Next I poured a glass of cold whey & added salt. A good stir & I took a drink. Double YUM!!! I can do without sugar, but I just love salt. So, a salty glass of whey really hits the spot after being out in the muggy, humid air, milking goats.

 

[Baymule]

STOP IT !!!!! You're going to make me get goats!!!!!!!

 

[Bruce]

Then you'll have something to take pictures of to sell to @misfitmorgan