Goat milk

[TAH]

We milk our Nigerian Lamancha Nubian mix doe. She gives wonderful milk We have friends that have Nigerian Dwarfs and there milk is great. We got a doe that had been fed corn and soy feed, and her milk was awful tasting, as soon as we got her on corn and soy free feed her milk was wonderful. We also feed alfalfa orchard grass ha mix and free choice minerals. Hope you have a good experience with your first try.

 

[GLENMAR]

I bought my goats just for the purpose of raising them to make cheese and use the milk. It's taking me a few years, but now I'm really enjoying it. I'm looking forward to new cheeses this year.

Soft Cheese and Herbs

Ricotta

 

[Southern by choice]

Depending on how much cheese you are making and how much you can consume... buy small containers 8 oz- 16 oz.... make your flavored cheese (chevre) and freeze in the size that is best for you. That way once your does are dry you still have cheese.
It is also nice when you know you will have guests... remove from freezer 2 days before and let thaw in fridge.

We freeze for those few months we don't have milk or not a lot of it.
Don't forget to label them.

Can't wait to start making mozzarella again! rather @Goat Whisperer can start making it again.

 

[OneFineAcre]

My goats get feed with soy meal and corn ( as I'm sure most cows on an average commercial dairy )
No negative effect on milk taste

 

[TAH]

GLENMAR
Could i get your ricotta cheese recipe? It looks sooooooooo good

 

[TAH]

Southern by choice
Could I get your mozzarella recipe? I would like to try it. Can you make it with older milk?

 

[GLENMAR]

Sure. Let' s see...

1 gallon of goats milk
1/4 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda.


Slowly heat milk to 195F.
Slowly stir in vinegar a little at a time watching for separation of the whey.
If whey is still milky increase heat to 205F.
Gently ladle curds into cheese cloth.
Drain for 1 min.

Place curds in bowl mix in melted butter and baking soda.

It's hard not to eat the whole bowl of it right then!!


takes maybe 30 min total to make.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Sure. Let' s see...

1 gallon of goats milk
1/4 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda.


Slowly heat milk to 195F.
Slowly stir in vinegar a little at a time watching for separation of the whey.
If whey is still milky increase heat to 205F.
Gently ladle curds into cheese cloth.
Drain for 1 min.

Place curds in bowl mix in melted butter and baking soda.

It's hard not to eat the whole bowl of it right then!!


takes maybe 30 min total to make.

So this makes me curious...when i make ricotta from either our goats milk or older store milk i just throw lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid in it and heat it up. When it separates and the whey goes clear i strain. So i'm very curious what the butter and baking soda are for in this recipe? I'm not a big ricotta fan and really only make it for lasanga or stuffed shells or mancotti.

To the OP when i first tasted goats/sheep milk it was at a 4H taste test. They tricked us though....the 4H leaders took store milk and poured it in mason jars then rinsed the store jugs and put the goat milk and sheep milk in it. They then let us see them pouring the milk....guess what? We were bias so almost every person tasting said the store jug milk was better....half the kids even make gross faces or retching sounds for what they thought was goat/sheep milk but was really store bought cows milk. Really taught me as a young teen that....milk is milk and it all tastes roughly the same....except skim thats nasty lol. We do not pasturize our milk btw so far going on 3yrs not sick yet, there is a lady who lives locally and has been milking and drinking the goats milk for 12yrs no issues yet.

 

[alsea1]

If your goats are healthy and you use common sense and proper hygiene the milk will be a safe and quality product.
I have heard that some types of feed can make a milk taste off and that bucks can cause milk to taste bad.
My experience has shown me that my girls produce lovely milk in spite of being in the same pasture with the boys. Also I feed corn oats and barley daily on the stand and that does not make the milk bad.
I tried using alf. pellets just to see if there was a difference. I couldn't taste any difference.
Getting them on green grass did make a big difference in quantity of milk my girls produced but the flavour was not changed either direction.
I strain into half gal. jars and pop it in the fridge. I don't worry about putting in ice water bath or freezer.
I think each animal produces a unique milk. That may be where the big difference is.

 

[Mike CHS]

I noted several posts about freezing the dairy items. Do most things thaw relatively like the fresh product or does it separate some?