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Simple Chèvre From Scratch

I’ve been making homemade cows milk ricotta for a very long time.  It’s super easy, takes no time and it tastes so much better than store bought.  Well, the only thing keeping me from the next easiest cheese, Chèvre, was availability of fresh goats milks.  Creamy Homemade Goats Milk Cheese is worth the effort.  It’s so, so good.  Super creamy and completely addicting.  We can’t keep it around it goes so fast.

Now, that I have a local source for goat milk I’ve actually learned to milk the goats myself.   (Now, that’s my idea of completely homemade cheese!)   I’ve long had dreams of keeping goats for just the shear entertainment value, not to mention milk! 

Here’s what I’ve learned so far about goats and if you’re looking to try making fresh Chèvre too, here’s the process.  

If you’re curious, here’s the easy recipe for homemade cows milk ricotta.  This is super simple too and no special cultures are required.   https://wp.me/p9KEfL-9P

 

Milking Goats

By some stroke of luck, I recently met a new friend and like me, she’s crazy about all animals.  It appears that also like me, she takes on way too many projects at any given moment.  Fortunately we are in sync with this goats milk everything obsession.  She and her husband have chickens, goats and miniature donkeys too.  Recently they decided to get back to milking, and mated two of their female goats.   I was present for the birth of 3 from the first mama. 

 

The second mama later had another kid.  After some time with mama, I started getting my milking lessons.

Okay so, milking is not as easy as it looks, but what comes from the effort is so sweet and delicious.  

Milking

First you clean the goat with warm, soapy water.   I wonder if she looks forward to that part too as this is usually done early in the morning.  I figure, it’s got to feel very good.  Keeping everything clean is important to reduce any possibility of contamination. 

 

The milk does not get pasteurized, and that always makes me a little squeamy,  so the best practices are always required when milking.  We have a clean stainless steel bucket for the milk.  It’s sitting in a tub of ice to chill the milk as soon as it hits the bucket.  She gets a good cleaning with warm soapy water.  Next, we use antibacterial cloths to clean the teets.  We secure our mama goat into the milking station and lock her head in to the to keep her from moving around.  While she’s there, she’s enjoying all her favorite treats.  We know this is a favored state as the other goats are usually trying to butt their way in too.  

Already then, I make a circle with my thumb and index finger, closing off the teat and squeezing out the milk.  This is a two teat at a time job, but trust me, it can be tiring too.    It’s not a pulling action, it’s a squeezing motion.  We get more than  1/2 gallon each morning from just one goat. 

When we’re done milking, we drain any of the milk out each teat, then clean her again with antibacterial wipes.  To end it off, we give the area a little massage with a lovely homemade lavender balm. 

We let her out and she’s off to let the kids nurse what’s left.  They’re all old enough to supplement with hay and don’t need to rely on mothers milk any longer.

The Goats Milk

We take the milk into the kitchen and filter it two to three times through a very fine filter, changing it with each pass.  This removes any impurities. 

If we’re going to make soap with the milk, we freeze into ice cube trays and store until it’s time to make the soap.  Otherwise, we use the milk within 1-2 days. 

Magda makes yogurt and cheese, ice cream too, plus, they just really enjoying drinking goats milk.  What we’re really enjoying these days with the goats milk is making soap.  More on this latest obsession soon enough!  

Chèvre – Creamy, Homemade Goats Milk Cheese

You can’t believe how easy it is to make this Homemade Goats Milk Cheese.  You can use cheesecloth or my preference is a mesh nut bag.  I use nut bags for many things and I find it makes draining the cheese so much easier than cheesecloth.  You will also need a cooking thermometer, active cheese culture and liquid rennet.  You can buy all of these things on Amazon.

 

Into a clean measuring cup, add 1/4 cup very cold water and 2 drops of liquid rennet.  You can substitute 1/2 tablet of dried rennet as well, just dissolve in the cold water. This is the enzyme that helps separate the curds from the whey.  Set aside.

Into a large heavy bottomed non-reactive pot, add 1 gallon of fresh goats milk.  Heat on low until the temperature reaches up to 75-85º.    Turn off the heat.

Over the top of the heated milk, sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of Mesophilic Direct Set starter, it’s the bacteria starter that makes helps homemade cheese move along from just milk, into a tasty cheese.   Note, if you have Chèvre Starter, you don’t need to use rennet.   

There are different starters for different types of cheese.  Let the culture sit on top of the milk about 2 minutes, then add two tablespoons of the water/rennet mixture and using a flat spatula push down instead of stirring to combine completely.

Curds and Whey

Cover the pot with a clean dish towel and set the pot in a spot where it won’t be disturbed.  It’s best kept between 68-72° and away from drafts.  You can let it sit for 12-18 hours.  It’s ready when it’s fairly solid to the touch and a layer of clear liquid is sitting on top of the solid curd.

Drain and Salt

Into a nut bag (or cheesecloth), resting in a bowl or colander, spoon the curds into the bag or cheesecloth.  Close the bag or twist close the cheesecloth and let the liquid drain out.  You can let the cheese drain from a few hours to over night or longer.

  The longer you let the cheese drain, the dryer the cheese will become.  

Once drained, put the cheese into a small bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of cheese salt or, use kosher salt.  Mix well.  If you like, you can flavor with fresh herbs or garlic.  

This is a fresh cheese, best eaten within 2-5 days.  Or, you can freeze for up to 6 months.

My Favorite Goat Cheese Appetizer with Homemade Fig Jam and Pomegranate Seeds

This appetizer is loved by everyone I’ve ever served it to, and that’s a lot of peeps!  Of course, I love it with homemade goat cheese and homemade fig jam here’s a link to my recipe https://wp.me/p9KEfL-1cq, but you don’t have  to make everything, you can buy it all.  It’s the perfect holiday appetizer too.  It looks so pretty garnished with rosemary, fresh figs and pomegranate.

Enjoy!