Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Monday, August 16, 2010

And the cheese making continues....

You all know how sometimes I say that goats are magic? Well, making goat cheese is kind of magic in itself. I got so excited that I forgot to get the camera and chronicle my cheese making process this morning. I left the cooked goat's milk in the pot, put the lid on it and set it on the sink for almost 20 hours. When I woke up this morning....VOILA! Goat cheese. I removed the cheese from the pan with a slotted spoon and put it into a colander that was lined with cheese cloth. Then, I tied the cheese cloth together with a wooden spoon and suspended it over a Rubbermaid container.
Now the cheese will drain for another 6 to 12 hours depending on the consistency I want. We taste tested the cheese right out of the pot and it was delicious. No goaty aftertaste. No strong flavor. Just a very mild, almost lemony flavor. I think that using the frozen goat milk is a good idea if you don't have a milk goat to get a fresh gallon of milk from. I think that if we had brought home a fresh non-frozen gallon of milk it might have had a stronger taste after a few days of sitting in the refrigerator.
This cheese is delicious. When it's done draining I will divide it up and refrigerate it or freeze some of it. I had some cheese that was left in the pot so I scraped it out, squeezed the moisture out  and added some garlic, salt and a bit of Herbes de Provence. Then I put it on some MONET vegetable crackers and sliced up some small tomatoes from the garden. This was my mid morning snack....
I'm thinking that this cheese making may become a big part of our lives. Look at this photo above...
two days ago that cheese was a gallon of goat milk and NO animal was harmed in the process. The tomatoes are fresh from the garden and the plate is one of my mother's set of everyday dishes. Recycle, reuse, plant a garden, research something new or something old that needs reviving. Start a small revolution. Pick up the trash on the side of the road and dump it in a trash can..... and don't get angry at the folks who don't know any better.
Do things that you haven't ever done before. Look at this. I made cheese from the milk of a goat. That's an amazing thing, don't you think?
Do one thing that returns the smile to your face.....

11 comments:

  1. HooHah! I'm glad to hear that the flavor is mild... I once sampled some goat cheese at a market, and it had a very strong "dirty socks" sort of taste and I swore "never again". But I'm willing to try again - but only if I can make my own - or maybe taste some of yours. ;)

    Today is butter day here, since I have so much cream off my organic milk. The arms will be tired tonight - I can guarantee it!

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  2. So glad to hear your goat cheese turned out good. It looked good on the crackers. Have a blessed day. Madeline

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  3. I am not too excited about goat cheese. The way you feature it makes it look very good. However, I will leave the making to you.

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  4. Wow! This is amazing. I am so impressed. I am in love with Goat cheese and you just made it sound so easy to make (except the waiting). Love it! Thanks for sharing. Keep us posted.

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  5. I have not been a huge animal as pet fan, but goats just speak to me! Love that smile, how freakin cute, and I can think of the yummy salad I just had with goat cheese for dinner tonight on Mache salad- lamb lettuce, is that coincidental? Hmmm...

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  6. I'm definitely going to make cheese very soon. I have just about perfected the foccacia bread to eat with it. Yeah, I know, crackers would be better for me but lovely fresh bread and cheese is a top luxury for me!

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  7. Hmm sounds like the process for making cream cheese, I have done that with cow's milk and it is good. I would love to try the goat's milk so I need to order one of the cultures from the site you mentioned.

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  8. All I can say is YUM. It's all so wonderful. I've always wanted to make cheese and now you've inspired me. I will have to search out some goat milk. I think you should try this salad...diced roasted beets on a bed of baby spinach with goats cheese, walnuts and a balsamic vinegrette...delish!!

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  9. Those crazy goats always put a smile on my face when they show up in the blog and that cheese looks so amazing. xo, suzy

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  10. That smiling goat picture is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. And the goat cheese looks delicious! I'd rather read your blog than work.

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