Chèvre is that soft goat cheese that most people generically call “goat cheese.” It is a delicious snack or appetizer spread on crackers or bread, and it makes a scrumptious sandwich when paired with grilled mushrooms and peppers. You can also use it to make chocolate truffles and pumpkin cheesecake. I was amazed when I learned just how simple it is to make goat … [Read more...]
Gjetost
Gjetost (pronounced yay-toast) translates from Norwegian as “goat cheese,” but it is more like fudge or caramel than cheese in both flavor and the process for making it. It is not ripened. It is simply whey that has been boiled and reduced to about 20 percent of its original volume, which makes it incredibly rich. My first attempt to make gjetost was an icky failure. I wound … [Read more...]
How to start making cheese
If you've read books, articles, and blog posts and watched videos about making cheese, but you still haven't done it, here's an idea -- buy a cheesemaking kit! Sometimes the prospect of buying the equipment and ingredients can seem just daunting enough to stop you in your tracks. That's the cool thing about the cheesemaking kits from New England Cheesemaking. They provide … [Read more...]
Natural Cheesemaking book review
Have you been looking for a book on natural cheesemaking? Do you want to learn to make cheese without commercial starters, microbial rennet, or freeze-dried fungal spores? Ready to ditch the pH meter, plastic cheese form, and sanitizing solution? Want to say good bye to stainless steel vats and learn to make cheese like our ancestors? Then you need to check out The Art of … [Read more...]
Starting a Farmstead Creamery
When I started making cheese in 2002, my friends immediately started asking if they could buy it. When I called my state department of agriculture to learn the requirements, I was quickly overwhelmed and gave up on the idea as soon as the woman on the phone mentioned $15,000 as the starting price for a pasteurizer. Because I was only milking one goat at the time, there was no … [Read more...]
Cheesemaking for beginners
Quick show of hands, who here has ever made their own cheese before? No? Never fear, cheesemaking is much easier than you think! If you think about the distinctions between cow, goat, and sheep milk, and you look at all the different types of cultures and equipment for soft and hard cheeses, as well as other fermented dairy products, it may seem … [Read more...]
6 reasons homesteaders need a kitchen scale
When I started reading about how to make soap, I noticed that everyone said I needed to have a digital kitchen scale. Why do I need a scale to make soap when people have been making soap for thousands of years? Eventually I learned that when people made soap historically, they used whatever oil was available locally, which usually meant lard or tallow in the U.S., coconut or … [Read more...]
5 reasons to milk test your does (or cows)
I admit that we started milk testing because my daughters wanted our does to have those fancy stars and letters after their names like *M in ADGA and *D in AGS. However, after getting started, we discovered there are many reasons to be on milk test beyond bragging rights. Now in our seventh year of milk testing, I can't imagine managing our herd without it. Why? … [Read more...]
Cheese Recipe: Queso Blanco
This is a great cheese for beginners to try because it requires no special equipment or ingredients. It is a traditional Mexican cheese, and it does not melt, because it contains no rennet. We like to cube it, lightly brown it in oil, and serve it on pasta dishes with marinara sauce. You can also use it in Indian recipes that call for panir, and some people use it in … [Read more...]
Cheese Recipe: Ricotta
Most ricotta recipes call for using whey and have a very low yield. I discovered this variation one day when I was in the middle of making queso blanco and a goat went into labor. I had just added the vinegar when I was called out to the barn. A few hours later, I came back into the kitchen and realized I had completely forgotten about my queso blanco, which had cooled to room … [Read more...]