Getting Ready for Christmas Part 20 - How to Make Goats Cheese

This is something I have always wanted to have a go at making myself and with the run up to Christmas it is something that would be useful in the fridge to go and make that quick snack when I have the munchies.  I adore Goats Cheese, but you can turn it into something pretty special with some oil and spices plus you can use the flavoured oil for frying potatoes and mushrooms so really you get to use everything with this home made deli item.  The recipe comes from Alison Walker's a Cooks Kitchen.

How to Make Goats Cheese

Makes approximately 1 kg (2lb)

2 litres (3 1/2 pints) whole goats milk
8 drops of rennet mixed with cooled boiled water
finely chopped herbs (optional)
Salt (optional)

Heat the goats milk to 80 degrees C/176 degrees F and then stir in the rennet.  Leave to cool for a few hours until the milk has set.

Line a colander with sterilised muslin.  Cut the curd into cubes and gently spoon into the muslin.  Gather the corners of the muslin up and tie with string hang over a bowl in a cool place for the whey to drain away.  Do not throw the whey away it can be used to replace water in bread making or frozen until you need it.  The longer you leave the curd to drain the firmer the cheese so if you want a soft cheese leave for about 3 hours and a firmer one up to 6 hours.

Shape the cheese as you wish i.e. into crottins or individual logs or a large log and then sliced evenly to form "crottins". You can roll in the fresh herbs but Salting the cheese means it will keep for up to one week or more.

You can use the same method to make a basic soft cheese using whole cows milk.

Comments

  1. when our goats are ready for milking I will be doing some, but I cant eat it, Rennet makes me really ill, I havent eaten cheese since I was a tiny tot, hubby does though :-)

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  2. Dawn

    My Uncle used to be a one man band dairy farmer when I was little. He had to give up the farm because of Angina (He was also hand milking quite few cows). My Nan used to make the most wonderful old fashioned curd cheesecake and after she passed I asked my Uncle how to make the curd cheese myself because at that time you did not see it often in the supermarkets. He was quite baffled by buying in rennet and said that they used to make the curd cheese either with the addition of white spirit vinegar or lemon juice. Apparently both help make the curds. There are a couple of links here for you that might assist. If this works for you it will mean that you will be able to enjoy your own goats cheese. I hope it helps. Here are the links.
    http://www.alwayswithbutterblog.com/farmers-cheese-rye-bread/
    http://www.ehow.com/how_5117463_make-cheese-rennet.html
    http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28459

    Pattypan

    x

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