How To Make Goat Cheese

Fromagerie To Homestead Creamery

We all have experiences that open our minds and set us on a new course. Well, for me, that visit to my first fromagerie was one of them. It ultimately led to me keeping a herd of Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats on my homestead and making goat cheese several times each week.

If you also have an incredible cheeseaffinity, then raising goats for milk, and making cheese at homemight be your calling too! Honestly, though, getting started withgoats was the easy part. Working up the courage and confidence tomake cheese was a bit harder to do.

Adding Chevre Culture And Rennet

Once the milk reached 80 degrees Fahrenheit, I remove the pot from the heat and turn the heat off. Then, I add 1/16 teaspoon of chevre culture and stir it until it dissolves in the milk

Next, I dilute 3 drops of rennet in 1/3 cup of cool water, and add one tablespoon of the diluted rennet to the milk.

Again, I stir it in well.

What Kind Of Goat Cheese Should I Use

Your favorite plain soft goat cheese. I get mine from Costco because Im a freak for it, and I can get 20 ounces, or two huge logs, at a time. Trader Joes sells a pretty good quality 11 ounce log of chèvre for fairly cheap.

Youll only need between 8 to 10 ounces for this recipe. Dont feel the need to buy another entire log just to get to 10 ounces, though.

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Coagulation Of Larger Bacterial Culture

For 1/16 teaspoons of bacterial culture, youll need 15-20 hours for coagulation. For 1/32 teaspoons of bacterial culture, wait 20-28 hours for coagulation.

Learn how to make goat cheese to the desired texture youre looking for by paying attention to coagulation time.

The longer the coagulation time, the more cohesive curd youll have, retaining more moisture in the draining process. Since the listed cultures do not have any liquid rennet, youll need to add a small amount about 2 drops to as much as 10 drops per gallon of milk.

The more rennet you use, the closer the texture comes to a firm rennet coagulated cheese.

Be sure to use the bare minimum amount of rennet in order to prevent a tough curd texture. If you get a spongy textured cheese, you need to use less rennet on the next go.

How To Make Goat Cheese At Home Simply And Cheaply

Goat cheese is amazing. Goat cheese is creamy. Delicious. Versatile. You want some. You know you do.

Then you visit the grocery store to buy some, take one look at the price tag, and decide you dont want it bad enough to pay that price

Fortunately, though, goat cheese is ridiculously easy to make at home so you can have it whenever you want.

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How To Freeze Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but you can absolutely freeze it for future dinners. It will last up to 6 months stored in an airtight container. Keep in mind after cooked pasta freezes and thaws, it will become a bit softer in texture.

Let the pasta thaw overnight in the fridge to make reheating easier and reduce the risk of breaking the pasta. If you find the sauce has separated a bit after thawing, the reheating and stirring will bring it back together.

Variations On This Recipe

This recipe is a blank canvas for whatever you have on hand. As I mentioned above, you can substitute just about any herb for this whipped goat cheese, but heres some other ideas.

• Drizzle in some honey or agave nectar for some added sweetness
• Try roasting the garlic before adding it to the food processor
• Add roasted veggies a roasted beet, bell pepper, or chunk of butternut squash gives this whipped goat cheese some pretty color, too

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One Of Many Benefits Of Goat Milk Is Making Cheese

Reading Time: 4minutes

Got Milk? Make Cheese! Making goat cheese is an easy way to use that surplus milk for your family.

When raising goats for milk, once the babies are weaned, youre going to have way more milk than you can handle. The average full-size dairy goat produces a gallon or more of milk per day, EVERY day. Unless you have a very large family with an appetite for fresh goat milk, cheese is inevitably in your future!

This is why cheese was originally made. Storing and transporting milk was a tricky endeavor, especially when there was little or no refrigeration. But when those original goat herders took a gallon of milk and started making goat cheese, they had a nice tidy package that weighed about 1 pound and didnt need refrigeration. Those of us with dairy animals are faced with the same dilemma today: too much milk to store and use up before it spoils. So try making goat cheese!

For new cheese-makers, here is some basic information to get you started:

Cheese is basically fermented milk, made by separating the solids from liquid in the milk. The solids become your curds and the liquid is whey. If you remove only some whey, your cheese will be soft and moist, as in the most common goat milk cheese, chévre. But if you remove more whey , you will have a dryer, harder cheese. The dryer the cheese, the longer it will keep without refrigeration.

Other Ways To Use Whipped Goat Cheese

• Add it to sandwiches and wraps
• Toss with pasta and pasta cooking water for a tangy, creamy pasta sauce
• Use as a base for a white pizza or flatbread
• Spread it onto toast or bagel for breakfast
• Serve with grilled peaches or macerated berries for a sweet-savory dessert
• Slather some goat cheese on a plate and top with your favorite roasted vegetables or fresh tomato slices

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Make Goat Cheese A Part Of Your Cheese Boards

I have never met a cheese lover who doesnt enjoy a colorful cheese board that is decorated with various cheeses, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Whether it is fresh or aged goat cheese, my go-to soft and creamy cheese for cheese boards is goat cheese.

I have never met a cheese lover who doesnt enjoy a colorful cheese board that is decorated with various cheeses, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Whether it is fresh or aged goat cheese, my go-to soft and creamy cheese for cheese boards is goat cheese.

LOVE CHEESE BOARDS? Check out my Ultimate Guide for the Best Cheese and Meat Platter.

Here are a few FAQs answered about what to serve with goat cheese for your next meat and cheese platter:

• What other cheese goes with goat cheese? I love pairing goat cheese with semi-hard cheeses like gruyere and manchego and aged and firm cheeses like cheddar and aged gouda.
• What fruit goes well with goat cheese? It is no secret that the tangy and creamy flavors of goat cheese pairs well with fruits. According to, The Vegetarian Bible , my go-to book to find matching flavors, apples, figs, grapes, and apricots pair beautifully with goat cheese.
• What meat goes with goat cheese? My two favorite types of charcuterie meat for pairing with goat cheese are salami and prosciutto.

Best Crackers To Pair with Goat Cheese:

How To Make Whipped Goat Cheese: Step By Step

In essence, Im telling you to dump all of the ingredients into a food processor and take a walk. But heres some tips and tricks for your fast track to goat cheese nirvana.

Start with room temperature ingredients. Youll have a tough time getting a smooth consistency out of the goat cheese and cream cheese if theyre chilled. You can leave the goat cheese and cream cheese out on the counter overnight, or if that freaks you out, give them a couple hours to take the chill off.

Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic, lemon juice, honey, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is well combined, about 15 to 20 times, then scrape down the sides. Continue to process the mixture until there are no longer visible clumps and its completely smooth.

You might need to adjust the lemon juice, honey, or salt to your taste. Now is also the time to add fresh cracked pepper or the chopped herbs of your choice.

Pulse again until the mixture is completely combined. Scoop out the whipped goat cheese and serve in a shallow bowl. If desired, top off the goat cheese with whatever your heart wants.

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Is That Really How To Make Goat Cheese

So how did it taste, youre wondering? It was pretty darn good! We served it with a charcuterie board and were delighted with the consistency. To be honest, it fell somewhere between creamy and firm, due to my recipe mash up. The flavor was good, although we both agreed next time we would use more salt. The flavor can be adjusted when you add the salt and herbs. We definitely erred on the side of caution since it was our first attempt. The cheese also was pretty mild due to our hybrid milk combo, so wed definitely recommend using 100 percent goat milk.

We also made a peach, arugula and goat cheese salad which was extremely simple and a huge hit with our families.

Caramelized Onion And Olive Pizza With Goat Cheese

Sweet caramelized onions form a creamy pizza sauce. Intense spices make chicken kicken. Peppery arugula dressed with lemon vinaigrette complements this rich pizza. Toss 4 cups arugula, 1 cup rinsed and drained unsalted canned chickpeas, and 1 shaved carrot with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

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Making Feta With Goat’s And Cow’s Milk From A Kit

Feta cheese is a must-have ingredient in a well-dressed Greek salad, and welcome in so many other dishes, as well. I discovered that making my own couldn’t be simpler. The Deluxe Cheese-Making Kit contains everything needed to turn a gallon of milk into more than a pound of creamy, crumbly feta cheese.

Homemade feta cheese on a Greek salad

I used half cow’s milk and half goat’s milk in my batch for extra tanginess. The complete recipe with how-to instructions is on page 7 of the booklet that comes in the kit. I did use the optional 1/4 teaspoon of calcium chloride, which made a very firm cheese. Because I like my feta more crumbly, I will leave it out next time. Making feta required more active, hands-on time than the chèvre, but was just as easy and rewarding. Cheese-making will be part of my homestead kitchen from now on.

How To Make Creamy Whipped Goat Cheese

Home » Recipe » How to Make Creamy Whipped Goat Cheese

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Every now and again, I get a hankering for a creamy spread that I can easily make at home. When I want something that has a bit more bite than plain cream cheese, I make whipped goat cheese.

Goat cheese has a tangy, bright flavor that makes it perfect for spreads and dips, but Ive also been able to use it for pasta, pizza, and even salad dressing!

Heres the thing with plain goat cheese: its too dry and crumbly on its own to be used as a spread or dip.

You need to whip it with other ingredients to make it smooth and creamy.

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Ingredients Needed For This Goat Cheese

All right, we are going to need raw milk, obviously

We are also going to need rennet.

And we are going to need 1/4 cup of water.

Will need 1 drop of rennet per 1 quart of milk. The rennet will get mixed into the 1/4 cup of water.

So If you are processing 2 quarts of milk, dilute 2 drops of rennet in 1/4 cup of water

If you are processing 3 quarts of milk, dilute 3 drops rennet into 1/4 cup water

If you are processing 4 quarts of milk, dilute 4 drops rennet into 1/4 cup water

Are you getting this? Pretty simple, right?

Lastly, we are also going to need a non-iodized salt. This can be Kosher salt, cheese salt, or sea salt.

For a comprehensive list of cheesemaking equipment and ingredients, make sure to visit my cheesemaking equipment post.

Ok, we are ready to go through this raw milk goat cheese recipe. Youll find all the steps below, however, if you want to have a better understanding of the cheesemaking process, please visit my How to Make Cheese at Home post.

Making Cheese At Home Is Easier Than You Might Think

I started making my own ricotta a couple of years ago, and Ive never looked back. Then my interest expanded to include fresh goat cheese. Now Im experimenting with other fresh cheeses . I find it to be pure joy.

This fresh goat cheese recipe is so simple. Three ingredients and a bit of time will give you the lightest, freshest, creamiest goat cheese youve ever tasted.

So heres a promise: once you start making your own fresh cheeses, youll be hooked!

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Scrambled Eggs With Goat Cheese

If youre looking for goat cheese recipes, its as simple as adding dollops to your eggs! This recipe for fluffy scrambled eggs is pretty incredible and ultra simple. Cook the eggs over low heat and gently shape them into soft folds, then add goat cheese for tangy flavor. What results is a creamy, gooey, addicting mess. If asparagus is in season, its the perfect pairing.

The Story Behind This Raw Goat Milk Cheese

One kind of cheese that is easy to make and doesnt take much work is this soft cheese . The other one is the one that I am sharing with you in this post which is a hard cheese.

A few years ago, when we went to visit family in Israel, we visited a professional goat herder.

Is there such a thing?

Anyway, this guy spends 10 hours a day herding his 120 goats. In my eyes, he is a professional, no college degree required.

He milks in the morning, opens the gate, travels by foot to the cliffs a few miles away, lets the goats eat, and after hours he uses the dogs to gather them and off they go back home where he will milk them again before finishing the day.

Yup! There are people who still live this way, isnt that amazing?

His wife receives somewhere between 30 to 40 gallons of milk a day that she processes into simple cheese or yogurt to sell.

She is a professional as well, a professional cheesemaker!

I felt so lucky! The visit with them was amazing, something that Ill never forget. The fact that they were both kind enough to share their knowledge with me was amazing.

I learned so much about goat care but I especially loved learning how she handles large quantities of milk.

After I came home and tried her recipe, I was amazed at how easy it was to make this raw goat milk cheese and how tasty it is.

But before we start the tutorial let me show you first how I handle my raw milk so you have a better idea of the whole process

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Chevre Paired With Chocolate Pretzels

Near the end of our Three Cheeses in Three Hours class, we always pull out a surprise dish of plain, light, airy chevre served with dark chocolate-covered pretzels and paired with a glass of delicate pinot noir.

We hear over and over again how unexpected the pairing is and how surprisingly delightful the combination is. This is such a simple marriage that it may seem like cheating, but just wait until you hear the reaction.

Ingredients

• 8 oz fresh chevre
• 6-12 oz dark chocolate covered mini pretzels

Instructions

Watch this video to learn more about flavoring your fresh chèvre. You can watch us make “Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites” and “Rosemary, Orange, Black Pepper Chèvre”.

Enjoy! Note that, with the herbed cheeses, even the inside of the cheese that doesnt have herbs on it has taken on the flavor. So elegant, so beautiful.

How To Make Cheese From Goat Milk

Kitchen Utensils You Will Need

Large Double Broiler

Lets talk about what you will need to learn how to make goat cheese.

The pot that you use to make your cheese in must be stainless steel and must have a lid. This is the pot that I use. You will need to put your large stainless steel pot inside a larger pot that is filled with water. Here is a picture of my pots ready to go:

Your stainless steel pot needs to be big enough to hold 5 quarts of milk with some room to spare.

Make sure that the larger pot that is on the stove is not too full, otherwise it will overflow when you put your stainless steel pot inside!

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