Making Goat Cheese at Home

My wife and I were cycling through Salt Spring Island last Summer when we came across Salt Spring Island Cheese Company, a purveyor of hand made artisan goat cheese. We spent an hour in their tasting room sampling some of the best cheese I have ever tasted and later we picnicked in the shade of a tree near the goat pasture with the assortment we'd purchased.

Ever since that time I've wanted to make goat cheese at home. Here is the recipe which worked for me.

What you'll need

2 quarts pasteurized goat milk
(see our goat cheese kits for the following)
1/2 packet of chevre culture meant for 1 gallon of milk
Cheesecloth
Twine

First let me say that each time you make the cheese it should come out a little better and different as you learn about the process and what works for your setup. So, plan to experiment and take notes about your approach.

Begin by heating the milk in a stainless steel pot to 86 F and whisk in the chevre culture. Remove the mixture from the heat and let sit at room temperature for 20 hours. Wait for the curds to form. Don't expect hard curds, but instead a thick, creamy texture.

When you see the thickness appear, drain the milk in a colander lined with cheesecloth covering a bowl. Using a ladle pour the milk through the colander. You'll probably find that you can only fit half of the batch in the cloth, so plan to drain the first batch before ladling a second.

After you feel that the majority of whey has collected in the bowl, wrap the cloth with twine and hang it for 10 hours to complete the draining. It can take the full 10 hours, so don't be in a hurry.

Now you cheese should be ready. Add salt and serve in salad, with jam and crackers or by itself.

Explore our Growandmake.com Make It Yourself at Home Kits

Cheese Making Kits
Start at: $28

Candle Making Kits
Start at: $26

Soap Making Kits
Start at: $24

Indoor Garden Kits
Start at: $14

blog comments powered by Disqus