How to make goat cheese
Making your own goat cheese is not difficult to do and is so satisfying. The whole process take about a day to finish. Once you're done you will have delicious homemade goat cheese. The recipe makes around 350 grams of fresh goat cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 liters raw goat milk
- 30 ml buttermilk
- 1/8 tsp liquid rennet
- 30 ml water
- 1/2 tsp salt more if needed
Instructions
- Before you start take the milk out of the fridge a couple of hours before you want to start making your cheese, so that it is at room temperature.
- Pour your goat milk into the pot, stir the buttermilk in and slowly heat to 28˚C (or 80˚F)
- Remove the pot from the heat and then add your 1/8 tsp of rennet to it. Immediately stirring in a top to bottom motion for approx. 30 seconds, then stop, cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 12 hours inside your oven (obviously not turned on) or a warm place where it won't get jarred.
After 12 hours
- Check your curd. it will look like custard with a clear separation between the curds and whey around the side of the pot. You can see a clean break when tested with a knife.
- Prepare the sieve by covering it with layers of cheese cloth, keeping in mind it needs to be large enough to hang later.
- Ladle the curd into the sieve to allow the whey to drain. Make sure to cut up the curd as you go along and do not pour it all in without cutting it as that would not get you the best results. Try and get as little of the whey in as possible.
- Leave the curds outside of the fridge and once the majority of the whey has drained of in the sieve, hang the cheese in a convenient spot that is not too warm but not too cold either.
- After about 6 hours your goat cheese will be ready to proces further. Add fresh herbs, spices and/or salt.
- Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.
Notes
- Shelf life: 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
- Best storage: Airtight container to prevent drying & odors.
- Extend freshness: Submerge in olive oil (lasts up to a month).
- Wrap properly: Use wax/parchment paper instead of plastic.
- Freezing: Lasts up to 3 months but may become crumbly.
- Rennet substitute: Use 1-2 tbsp lemon juice per quart of milk. Citric acid or yogurt also work.
- Store-bought goat milk? Yes, but raw milk is better. Pasteurized milk works but takes longer to curdle. Ultra-pasteurized may not work.
- Eat right away? Yes, but aging a few days enhances flavor.
- Storage: 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezing? Yes, but texture may become crumbly after thawing.