The Basics of

Making Goat Cheese

-and-
Recipes using your
homemade cheese!

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

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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 3.5% Cheese can be made from any dairy animal

Protein 3.5% milk. Fresh raw milk from cows or goats, store
Lactose 4.9% bought milk from whole to skim and specialty
Minerals 0.7% milks from health food stores. One rule of
Water 87.4% 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 Regulated in many States

butter, hard and Italian and not readily available
cheeses

RAW GOAT Preferred for feta and Not readily available.

goat's cheese. Works in
most cheese recipes.

WHOLE Available everywhere. Homogenized and may

PROCESSED Works well in all cheese require adjustment with
recipes. calcium chloride.

LOW FAT Produces high quality low Homogenized and may

PROCESSED fat cheese, especially require adjustment with
when used in cream and calcium chloride. Will yield
soft cheese recipes. a drier more crumbly curd
of lesser weight.

FAT FREE Produces quality no fat Homogenized and may

SKIM MILK cheese, especially when require adjustment with
used in cream and soft calcium chloride. Will yield
cheese recipes. Excellent a drier more crumbly curd
when combined with of lesser weight.
heavy cream to recreate
raw milk consistency.
 HEAVY Used to make butter and adjust the cream content of
CREAM skim milk for producing hard cheese from store
bought milk.

LIGHT Used to make desert cheeses like Mascarpone.

CREAM

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 For fresh and hard cheeses such as
cremoris Cheddar, Colby, Feta, Chevre.

For fresh cheeses such as Camembert,

THERMOPHILIC Gouda, Blue, Baby Swiss and others
streptococcus where a buttery flavor and eye
thermophilus formation is desired

HELVETIC For Italian cheeses like parmesan,

lactobacillus helveticus 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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