I love cheese. It’s that simple. Really, what isn’t better with a little cheese? And I know I won’t hear any arguments on that from my cheesehead husband.
But while loving cheese is simple, making it seemed anything but. Ricotta appeared to be the training wheels of cheese making, so I gave that a try. And it worked!
With a success under my belt, my eyes were set on fresh mozzarella and for this one I recruited a couple of girlfriends. One is definitely more the science-minded type which I figured would be a crucial component of my cheese making team going forward. Again, delicious success!
So most recently the gals – Sarah and Krista to be more exact – came together again for a night of exploration of the dairy arts (with wine, of course) – this time with a soft goat cheese. And I have to say, it was pretty easy indeed.
Soft Goat Cheese
1/2 gallon goat’s milk
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
You’re going to also need:
• thermometer
• cheesecloth
• slotted spoon
Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth.
Slowly heat the milk on the stove until it reaches 180 – 185°F. Gentle bubbles should be forming and the surface will look foamy. Turn off heat.
Stir in the lemon juice then let the milk sit for 10 minutes.
It should start to curdle and become slightly thicker on the surface.
Using a slotted spoon transfer the curds into the cheesecloth-line colander set in the sink or over a bowl. Gather the cheesecloth up around the curds and tie into a bundle. Hang so the whey can drip out – I find it very convenient to use the kitchen faucet.
Let the cheese drain for at least 1 1/2 hours. Scrape into a bowl and season to taste with salt. All kinds of other things could also be added at this point like fresh herbs, dried tomatoes, preserved lemons… go crazy!
Shape the cheese into a small wheel, log or press into a mold. Goat cheese will keep in the refrigerator for around 1 week.
It’s easy being cheesy!
Look for a recipe coming soon of how I used my tasty homemade goat cheese!
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