The Basics of

Making Goat Cheese

-and-

Recipes using your

homemade cheese!

Brought to you with the compliments of http://keeping-goats.com

Please visit our site for more information about goatkeeping, goat breeds, making goat cheese, goat meat recipes and goat farming. Go to http://keeping-goats.com to buy your copy of “Goat Crazy” and get the BONUS goat recipes Cook Book!

Published by http://strategic-services-aust.com This document may be shared and distributed freely at no charge, with active links maintained and content not to be altered in any way.

The Basics of Goat Cheese making

The art of cheese making can be exciting and fun.

Understanding all the ingredients and how they work will

help simplify this process.

You can make cheese at home and many other things as well. Real

savings can be realized when you no longer need to purchase those

items from the store.

All cheese is basically milk, cultures, salt, and rennet. What makes

one cheese different from the others is the temperature the milk is

heated to, the type of culture added and the way it is processed.

Temperature, humidity, rennet, cultures and whether it is eaten

fresh or aged will determine the type of cheese you will have.

Milk is the most important ingredient in cheesemaking. It is

important when making cheese to be as clean as you can. Milk is a

perfect medium for growing bacteria. Good or bad! Make sure your

pots are clean and dry. You will need a stainless steel or unchipped

enamel pan, a thermometer for taking temperatures, a long knife

for cutting curds and a strainer.

The following is a collection of resources gathered to give you a

general information base to start out with, including easy, soft-

cheese making recipes you can try at home.

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese is known as chèvre, after the

French word for goat. Goat cheese is often

higher in protein and lower in fat than

cheese from cow’s milk

Here is a very simple recipe for making goat soft cheese:

It does not use rennet but instead uses lemon juice to curdle the

milk. It uses 1/2 gallon fresh goat milk (unpasteurized), the juice

of two lemons, and sea salt).

1. Heat milk on medium heat to 185°F

2. Remove from heat , then stir in lemon juice . Continue to stir

for several minutes until milk has curdled

3. Add 1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt (kosher salt or sea salt)

4. Strain milk through cheesecloth

5. Wrap curds in cheesecloth and hang (using a rubber band

works well) in the refrigerator to drain for 4-8 hours

This soft goat cheese is great on crackers or added to a salad or

pasta

Below is the nutritional information for soft goat cheese. (1

oz)

Calories 76

Protein 5.25

Total Fat 5.98 g

Carbohydrate .25 g

Sugars .25 g

Calcium 40 mg

Magnesium 5 mg

Recipe for making Goat Cheese:

QUESO BLANCO

Start with one gallon of goat milk.

Bring the milk rapidly up to 180 degrees for 5 minutes.

Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't scorch.

Stir in ¼ cup of vinegar diluted in ¾ cup if water.

Soft curds will begin to form almost immediately.

Stir for about 5 minutes and then pour into a strainer lined with a

good quality cheesecloth.

Add whatever herbs and spices you desire and non-iodized salt to

taste.

This cheese may be made into a ball and rolled in dried parsley or

nuts. Chill and enjoy.

Homemade Goat Cheese Recipe:

2 gallons whole cow's milk (or goat's milk)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

pinch of salt

chives, green onions, parsley, toasted sesame seeds, or choice of

flavors

Directions:

1. Heat milk in large pot on stove until it almost boils.

2. Turn it off and add vinegar.

3. Stir as the curds separate from the whey. The curds will look like

large lumps of cottage cheese, and the whey will be like a yellow

tinted water.

4. In your sink, line a colander with a thin towel or cheesecloth and

pour the curds and whey into the strainer.

5. Let all the whey drain away (note: if you have pets they might

like this as a treat, the whey is very good for them, and high in

protein).

6. Let the curds cool, then squeeze as much moisture out as

possible.

7. Put in a large bowl and stir in salt and your choice of seasonings

to flavor the cheese.

8. Press into a medium sized bowl, or roll into a tube inside of saran

plastic wrap.

9. Place in refrigerator and let it sit there for 2 days before tasting.

This makes a soft cheese that can be carefully sliced but is almost

spreadable as well.

Unlike hard cheese, however, it does not melt.

We like it especially well with chives added to it.

Also good with pimiento, toasted sesame seeds, garlic and many

other things.

Fundamentals of making goat cheese:

Things You’ll Need:

• Colander

• Cheesecloth

• Goat milk

• Fresh lemon juice or vinegar

• A large pot

• Ladle

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Buttermilk (optional)

• Additional seasonings (optional)

Step1

Make a grocery list and obtain the basic materials needed to make

the cheese. The list includes goat milk (about 1/2 gallon), lemons,

kosher salt and cheese cloth. Also, you may also add buttermilk for

an extra creamy flavor, if desired.

Step2

Heat the milk in a stainless steel/non-reactive pot to at least 185

degrees (or low heat). Allow to simmer, watching carefully to avoid

boiling or burning.

Step3

Remove the milk from heat and allow to sit. Add lemon (or

vinegar), stirring until the curds separate from the whey. The

mixture should look like large clumps of cottage cheese when

properly separated.

Step4

Line a colander with several layers of the cheesecloth. Ladle curds

into a strainer, discarding the whey.

Step5

Allow curds to cool, squeezing as much moisture out of them as

possible. Put curds in a bowl and season with sea salt. You can also

add other seasonings of your choice, such as Herbs de Provence or

whatever else you desire.

Step6

Press curds into the bowl to make a block, or wrap in cheesecloth.

Place curds in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 days before removing

and tasting.

Tips & Warnings

• Be creative with the seasonings you add to the goat cheese.

The French prefer salt and pepper. However Herbs de

Provence, parsley and olive oil are sometimes used. You can

also make this cheese without any seasonings.

• The whey can be used for protein shakes or other enriched

meals if you don't want to discard it.

• Go to a farmers market for fresh goat milk. Supermarkets

often do not carry goat milk or if they do it is of substandard

freshness.

• Let the cheese warm to room temperature before serving to

bring out the maximum flavor.

• Don't age the cheese too long if you plan to eat it fresh. The

best goat cheese is not aged long at all (at most 2 days).

Simply put, cheese making is the process of removing water from

dairy milk. The first characteristic of a cheese is based on how

much water is removed. Soft cheeses like cream cheese contain

more water than a hard cheese like cheddar. Very dry cheeses like

parmesan contains all most no water.

Milk is mostly water. Cows milk, for example, contains over 87%

water by weight. What remains are the components of cheese.

Fat, protein, lactose and minerals. The cheese maker begins

removing water from milk in number of ways.

The simplest method is to add an acid such as lemon juice or

vinegar directly to the milk. A second method uses bacteria to

create an acid in the milk. This is the preferred method because

the bacteria also provides flavor and character to the finished

product. In both methods the acid causes the milk protein to

coagulate into curd which is the solid protein of milk.

The basic ingredients for making cheese are milk, starter culture

and or natural acids, and rennet.

The Composition of Milk

Fat

Protein

Lactose

Minerals

Water

3.5%

3.5%

4.9%

0.7%

87.4%

Cheese can be made from any dairy animal

milk. Fresh raw milk from cows or goats, store

bought milk from whole to skim and specialty

milks from health food stores. One rule of

thumb regardless of the source of your milk is,

the fresher the better. When purchasing milk

from the store be sure to check the freshness

dates.

Don't be afraid to ask your grocer for milk from their latest

delivery. If you explain what you are using it for they should be

very helpful. Milk should always be kept refrigerated until ready

for use.

PROS & USES CONS & PROBLEMS

RAW COW Preferred for making

butter, hard and Italian

cheeses

Regulated in many States

and not readily available

RAW GOAT Preferred for feta and

goat's cheese. Works in

most cheese recipes.

Not readily available.

WHOLE

PROCESSED

Available everywhere.

Works well in all cheese

recipes.

Homogenized and may

require adjustment with

calcium chloride.

LOW FAT

PROCESSED

Produces high quality low

fat cheese, especially

when used in cream and

soft cheese recipes.

Homogenized and may

require adjustment with

calcium chloride. Will yield

a drier more crumbly curd

of lesser weight.

FAT FREE

SKIM MILK

Produces quality no fat

cheese, especially when

used in cream and soft

cheese recipes. Excellent

when combined with

heavy cream to recreate

raw milk consistency.

Homogenized and may

require adjustment with

calcium chloride. Will yield

a drier more crumbly curd

of lesser weight.

HEAVY

CREAM

Used to make butter and adjust the cream content of

skim milk for producing hard cheese from store

bought milk.

LIGHT

CREAM

Used to make desert cheeses like Mascarpone.

Using Store Bought Milk

Store bought milk is homogenized, which means that the cream

particles (butter fat) have been mechanically broken up into

microscopic particles. This is done to prevent the cream from

separating from the milk.

Homogenizing milk also alters the protein. Unless the cheese

maker compensates for this the milk will not make a satisfactory

curd for hard cheese.

When making cottage cheese or any hard cheeses with store

bought milk you must prepare a special mixture. The basic recipe

is 1 part heavy cream to 7 parts skim milk. All of the recipes given

here are formulated to use store bought milk and the instructions

for preparing this mixture are given in each recipe when

necessary.

Calcium Chloride (optional)

Another step used to compensate for the processing of store

bought milk is the addition of calcium chloride prior to adding

rennet to the cheese mixture. The addition of calcium chloride will

help restore the altered milk protein and aid in the development of

a quality curd. Specific instructions for using calcium chloride are

given with each recipe.

Pasteurization

All milk, regardless of its source will contain bacteria.

Pasteurizing is a simple process which will kill any bacteria which

may be in the milk. We have found that pasteurizing any milk,

including store bought, will improve the quality of the cheese.

To pasteurize your milk simply place the milk in a double boiler

and heat the milk to 161oF. Stirring often to avoid scorching. Once

you have reached 161oF place the pot of milk into a sink of cold

water and cool the milk to your cheese making temperature.

Complete details on pasteurizing are given in the step-by-step

instructions later in this document.

Starter Cultures

The acidification of milk in cheese making by means of bacteria is

called ripening. A variety of bacteria cultures are available for

making specific cheese types.

These bacteria, commonly called starters, are added to the milk

after pasteurization and at specific temperatures. They are

allowed to work for specific time periods depending on the type of

cheese.

During this period the bacteria consumes the lactose which is milk

sugar. The biological process is the same as the fermentation of

beer or wine. As the bacteria eat, they produce lactic acid which

in turn causes the milk protein to develop into curd. Other

byproducts of this ripening stage provide flavor compounds which

enhance the character of the finished cheese.

MESOPHILIC

lactococcus lactis ssp

cremoris

For fresh and hard cheeses such as

Cheddar, Colby, Feta, Chevre.

THERMOPHILIC

streptococcus

thermophilus

For fresh cheeses such as Camembert,

Gouda, Blue, Baby Swiss and others

where a buttery flavor and eye

formation is desired

HELVETIC

lactobacillus helveticus

For Italian cheeses like parmesan,

romano, provolone and mozzarella

These cheese starter cultures are available in two forms. They are

defined as culturable and direct-to-vat. Culturable starters are

similar to sourdough starters in that they are prepared in

advanced and preserved for future use.

Direct-to-vat cultures are much more convenient for the home

cheese maker. No preparation of the culture is required. These

freeze dried cultures are added directly to the milk in the same

way you would use bread yeast.

Rennet

Rennet is an enzyme which acts on protein and causes it to

coagulate. There are two sources of rennet enzyme. Animal

rennet is an enzyme which is extracted from the fourth stomach of

calves and vegetable based rennet.

Vegetable based rennet contains no animal products and has the

same coagulating ability as animal rennet when used in milk that

has been ripened (acidified) by a cheese starter bacteria. This

rennet is available in tablet and liquid form. Rennet must be

diluted with distilled water prior to adding to milk. Rennet must

be refrigerated.

NOTE: If your recipe calls for rennet tablets use this conversion. 1/2 rennet

tablet = 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet.

GOAT CHEESE RECIPES / SALADS

Strawberry, Walnut, Goat Cheese Salad

Salad 6 cups spinach leaves 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced thin 1/4 cup walnuts, broken into pieces 3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled Freshly ground pepper Vinaigarette 2 tablespoons grape seed oil 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (found in Middle Eastern stores) 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon minced shallot Salt to taste In a bowl, whish all the dressing ingredients until well blended. In a large serving bowl, mix the salad ingredients, arranging the strawberries on top. Drizzle dressing on the salad and then twist with fresh pepper. Melon and Goat Cheese Salad

2 pound melon (cantaloupe, crane, or honeydew) 4 cups greens (red mustard, cress, or a mixture) 1 cup fresh berries (mixed – blueberries, gooseberries, and raspberries) 8 ounces fresh Chevre 1/2 cup walnuts Fresh ground pepper

Goat Cheese and Honey Phyllo

16 ounces chevre cheese 1 egg 4 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur 1 tablespoon lemon juice Pinch nutmeg 2 tablespoons flour Dough 1 box phyllo dough 8 ounces clarified butter Sugar Fruit Garnish 5 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup white wine 1 vanilla bean, split 4 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit, peeled and seeded, cut into fun shapes For the filling, mix all ingredients in a food processor, except the flour. Gradually sift in flour, mixing until smooth. Place in refrigerator until ready to use. For the dough, place one sheet of phyllo dough on work surface. Apply a coat of clarified butter with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar. Place another sheet of phyllo on top, and repeat, ending with a third sheet of phyllo. Brush the top layer with butter, set aside. Repeat process, making a total of 6 stacks. For the fruit, combine sugar, white wine, and vanilla bean in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook until mixture is reduced by two-thirds. Remove vanilla bean. In a sauté pan, melt the butter. Add fruit and cook until soften but not too soft. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a stack of layered phyllo on a clean dry surface and with a sharp knife, cut 3 circles 5 1/2 inches in diameter, cutting through to bottom of stack. Repeat with remaining stacks until you have 18 circles of layered dough. Spread 2 tablespoons of goat cheese mixture in center of a circle, leaving a margin of about an inch. Place another circle on top. Fold the edges of phyllo up and over, sealing all around. Bake on cookie sheet 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with additional fruit or honey.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Fondue

2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup shallots, chopped 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped 3 cups tomatoes, crushed with basil 1 cup hearty red wine 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 tablespoon each parsley and basil, chopped Salt and pepper 8 to 10 ounces goat milk Teleme (goat milk sharp cheddar) In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, sautéing until soft but not brown. Add tomatoes and wine, simmering uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture reduces to a light sauce. Stir in zest and herbs. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 6-cup ovenproof baking dish. Place cheese in the middle. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese melts. Goat Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza

4 teaspoons olive oil 8 soft taco sized flour tortillas 1 cup prepared pesto sauce, divided usage 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated, divided equally 8 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into strips, divided equally 4 ounces goat cheese, divided equally 2 teaspoons pine nuts Place 4 tortillas on an oiled baking pan. Brush with equal parts of pesto. Sprinkle with equal parts of mozzarella. Place another tortilla on top. Again add on pesto and mozzarella cheese on the second tortilla. Arrange sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts on the top tortilla. Bake at 400 degrees until crispy.

There are over thirty great goat product recipes in the bonus recipes book you get when you order “Goat Crazy” ebook!

Brought to you with the compliments of http://keeping-goats.com

Please visit our site for more information about goatkeeping, goat breeds, making goat cheese, goat meat recipes and goat farming.

Published by http://strategic-services-aust.com This document may be shared and distributed freely at no charge, with active links maintained and content not to be altered in any way.

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