How to Make Goat Cheese _ Serious Eats _ Recipes

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How To Make Goat Cheese


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Favorite this! (135)

Posted by Erin Zimmer [http://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/Erin Zimmer], 52 Comments[http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/how-to-make-goat-cheese-recipe.html#comments]

February 17, 2010 at 11:30 AM

Tags: cheese [/tags/recipes/cheese], goat cheese [/tags/recipes/goat cheese], how tos[/tags/recipes/how tos]

This Recipe Appears In:

Video: Making Illegal Cheese, from 'Sky Full of Bacon'[http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/video-making-illegal-cheese-from-sky-full-of.html]

This Week's Tasty 10 [http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/tasty-10-20100220.html]

"It's almost as easy as making a pot of tea. Except you also need cheesecloth."

[Photographs: Erin Zimmer]

This super-easy recipe for goat cheese [http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/01/how-to-make-homemade-goat-cheese-from-scratch.html]seemed too good to be true. No backyard goatsrequired? No rennet? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet] (The animal enzymes usuallyrequired for cheese production.) No help from an older, wiser dairy farmer?

Nope. It's almost as easy as making a pot of tea. Except you also need cheesecloth and one other

maybe-you-don't-have-this-lying-around-thing: a candy thermometer. But that's really it. In lessthan two hours, you'll have a little pouch of soft, fresh goat cheese.

Goat Cheese

Adapted from Kiss My Spatula [http://kissmyspatula.com/2010/01/03 /homemade-goat-cheese/]


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1Fill a medium saucepan with goat's milk. Heat gradually until itreaches 180F. Watch closely. You can run in and out of thekitchen, but don't get too distracted. It shouldn't take more thanabout 15 minutes.

2 Once it hits the magical temperature, remove from heat and stir inlemon juice. Let stand until milk starts to curdle, about 20 seconds.Don't expect curdles, like cottage cheese curdles. As you can see inthis photo, slight clumping will occur, but nothing too drastic. Don'tgo pouring in a bucket of lemon juice, thinking nothing hashappened. But you can add a few extra droplets if nothing is

actually happening. Also: blood orange isn't as effective as lemon increating the right curd texture, just sayin'.

3 Line a colander with several layers of cheeseclothreally, several.Otherwise you'll lose precious goat cheese through the soggy cloth.Place over a large bowl to catch the whey drips.

4 Ladle milk into colander. Pull up and tie the four corners of thecheesecloth together and hang on the handle of a wooden spoon.(This was my favorite part, second to eating it of course.) Set over a

very deep bowl.

5 Allow whey to drain (drip, drip, drip) until a soft, ricotta-likeconsistency is reached inside the cloth, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Ingredients

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice1/2 clove freshly grated garlic

A few pinches coarse saltHerbs (up to you) but recommended: Rosemary, chives, parsley, herbs de Provence,fennel fronds, dill, and other non-herbs like dried apricots.

Procedures


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52 Comments:

It is delicious! And it does have a ricotta-like consistency, because it IS quick ricotta,just made with goat's milk instead of cow's milk. If you want to use it as you would

6 Transfer to a bowl and fold in salt, garlic, and flavors of yourchoice. Serve on fresh bread, salads, with fruit, or just straight-up.Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but after a fewdays, the consistency isn't as lusciously smooth and spreadable.

7 Eat it on everything.

8 Repeat. Make as much as possible.

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r co a, n per aps a swee s , eave ou e gar c, o .

If you decide to add fresh herbs, don't keep it for more than a couple of days as theherbs will start to deteriorate before the cheese will.

Be careful, cheese-making can be addicting. Don't ask me how I know this.Shecooks at 11:42AM on 02/17/10

One of the wineries in our area serves fresh goat cheese that's been soaking in honey. Imay need to give this recipe a go and see if I can replicate their results...toad3000 at 11:50AM on 02/17/10

Goat cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella are the easiest cheeses to make. (I make mine allthe time!) They are the ones I started with when I decided to make cheeses fromscratch, and they are the ones I've had the most success with, too. They are lusciousbeyond words, and probably the things that most stand in the way of my goingcompletely vegan.

I recommend the book Home Cheese Making, by Ricki Carroll if you want to moveon to others.

Thanks, Erin, for the great post!Brownie at 12:01PM on 02/17/10

im soo soo hungry right now!!Sandy a la Mode at 12:11PM on 02/17/10

any suggestions on where to buy goat's milk? Is it available at regular supermarkets?gdev at 12:24PM on 02/17/10

@gdev -- yes, regular supermarkets should have goat's milk. I see it all the time, but

have never bought any. But after seeing this easy recipe I will!gourmetgal at 12:30PM on 02/17/10

"Line a colander with several layers of cheeseclothreally, several."That's because unfortunately the cheesecloth sold in supermarkets isn't really propercheesemaking cheese cloth. It works but as you said you will lose a lot of curds, evenwhen you layer it, because the weave is so loose.

If you can, try to get yourself some butter muslin. It's much much better for softcheeses. Also, I would suggest rinsing it out a few times, and then putting it in a bowlof water and microwaving it for five minutes, then squeezing the water out of it before

using it. Just to be sure it's clean. You don't know where that cloth has been.

simon at 12:33PM on 02/17/10

@gdev: I used Meyenberg goat's milk from Trader Joe's but you should be able to findit or other brands at many grocery chains. Or there's always fresh goat's milk from the


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armers mar eErin Zimmer at 12:34PM on 02/17/10

Try it with lime juice instead of the lemon sometime....wonderful.Cary at 12:38PM on 02/17/10

I wonder what can be done with the leftover whey... Would make a great brine forchicken is my guess.simon at 12:40PM on 02/17/10

ruhlman advocates using a large linen handkerchief in lieu of cheesecloth for straining,with the added advantage of its being reusable.

whole foods sells a couple of different brands of goat milk. i think oak knoll is not ultrapasteurized {which meyrenberg brand is}.cybercita at 12:42PM on 02/17/10

Use the whey to make bread.Saria at 12:46PM on 02/17/10

It looks like in the pictures that is a cast aluminum pan. I've read, and had troublemyself, in getting cheese to work in that, so I always use stainless now. Did you haveany trouble, or is that not aluminum?Cary at 12:54PM on 02/17/10

gdev: Trader Joe's, Sunflower Farmer's Market, and Whole Foods regularly carrygoat's milk, at least in my area. (Sometimes I can even get Buffalo milk for themozzaerlla, but not on a regular basis.)

cybercita: I'd never heard it before, but I love Rhulman's idea for using large linenhandkerchiefs instead of cheesecloth. Thank you so much for passing that tip on.Brownie at 1:01PM on 02/17/10

@Cary - if it's anodized, that would help make it non reactive. But stainless isdefinitely the way to go.simon at 1:21PM on 02/17/10

I saw this recipe on Kiss My Spatula and have been dying to make it but also haven'tbeen able to find goats milk. I checked Murrays in Grand Central Market and my localgrocery. Anyone know of a place on the UES that carries it?cb1414 at 1:35PM on 02/17/10

ISE. Home made goat cheese! Yes.

@cb1414, you can try grace's on 3rd near 71 st., or Agata and Vallenta on 1st. ave.and 79th.@simon, Thanks for the butter muslin tip, I never heard of such a thing; I wonder ifMurry's cheese sells it.honeybea at 1:54PM on 02/17/10

I also make paneer sometimes, which is very similar in procedure except that you rinsethe curd and compress it into a block before refrigerating for a few hours.


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I've made fresh cheeses for a while now and have just started making hard cheese. Ifound some great information on this sitehttp://Biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.htmlalong with lots of other interesting stuff. I couldn't find handkerchiefs (I guess becausemost people don't want to save what's in their nose) so I got a fat quarter of unbleachedmuslin at Michael's for a couple of bucks and cut it up. It worked fine. I just waxed ityesterday and now have to wait till Easter to try it (I made it with raw milk so it's

supposed to age for at least two months). Dr Fankhauser is the man who writes thepackaging inserts for Junket Rennet tablets. He likes to use inexpensive materials andhas lots of good ideas for beginning cheesemakers so you don't spend $$$. He also hassome cheese recipes that don't use rennet.

I'll post an update when I try the cheese on Easter.arjava at 2:58PM on 02/17/10

@arjava - it's fun isn't it? I have a couple four gallon wheels of grana style cheeseaging in my fridge right now, made with raw milk and calf's rennet. I am very veryexcited about this. I'm gong the long haul and will attempt to hold out for a coupleyears before cutting into them. My test cheeses made with one gallon of milk came out

great, only aged them for one month.simon at 3:12PM on 02/17/10

I've made mozzarella (difficult, regardless of what the book says!) and paneer (mucheasier!). This looks a lot like the method for paneer.The Rowdy Chowgirl at 3:17PM on 02/17/10

What you've made here is goat's milk ricotta, not chevre. Vinegar will also work, andwill give a firmer, faster curd, but also a sharper flavor.

Interestingly, my local Super Stop and Shop (Cross County Mall, Yonkers NY) hasgoat's milk by the quart in the organic dairy case.DrGaellon at 3:30PM on 02/17/10

I'm not sure why it's supposed to be NOT ultra-pasturized - I used ultra-pasturized, andit came out great.finewinendine at 6:57PM on 02/17/10

@DrGaellon - this is how fromage de chvre "maison" is made in France. Usingrennet instead of acid and culturing the milk would be nice extra steps, especially sincethis recipe isn't calling for raw goat milk, but it's not necessary in order for it to be"real" chvre. Pressing more liquid out, and aging it, and you'd have some nice crottinsusing this recipe.

simon at 6:57PM on 02/17/10

Waiting on the drip drip drip and wondering what to do with all this whey. Someonesuggested making bread with it - any recipes or hints? Other ideas?Thanks!whampus at 7:55PM on 02/17/10

Very cool! I ran out to get the supplies right after reading this, and twenty minutes laterI have a clump of cheese just a bit smaller than a baseball draining. Easy and fun.


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I initially used too many (eight) layers of cheesecloth, and had trouble draining thewhey. Luckily, a spill made me start draining over again. I used four layers the secondtime, which worked well.lightcycle at 10:43PM on 02/17/10

Like some others have said, this recipe is basically the same process for making paneeror queso blanco, if using cow's milk.

I've done it several times, and to be honest, I was never impressed with the results ofany type of acid set cheese.

You can also use buttermilk to set the cheese, or vinegar. The buttermilk has the bonusof not having the citrus taste or overwhelming acid taste.dammuzi at 11:49PM on 02/17/10

@finewinendine There's nothing necessarily wrong with ultra pasteurized milk. Lesspasteurized milks just have more delicious flavor contributing bacteria.miles5000 at 7:02AM on 02/18/10

What you've made here is goat's milk ricotta, not chevre. Vinegar will also work, and

will give a firmer, faster curd, but also a sharper flavor.

Interestingly, my local Super Stop and Shop (Cross County Mall, Yonkers NY) hasgoat's milk by the quart in the organic dairy case.

Ricotta is made from whey, not the curds.rps at 11:32AM on 02/18/10

It's beginning to be a pet peeve of mine when people talk about goat cheese as thoughthere is only one possible goat cheese. It's almost as silly as saying "cow cheese."

Yes, I realize that most people are talking about chevre, but that's not the only possiblecheese any more than American is the only cow cheese. I buy goat-milk feta all thetime. I love goat-milk gouda. There are fresh goat cheeses, aged goat cheeses andsmoked goat cheeses. Brie-style goat cheeses. Just about any cheese than can be madefrom cow, sheep or buffalo milk can be made from goat milk.

Okay, I've vented. I feel soooo much better now.

@miles, the ultra-pasteurized isn't more pasteurized with fewer bacteria, it's heated to ahigher temperature which changes the structure of the milk or cream which makes itless desireable for cheesemaking.dbcurrie at 1:13PM on 02/18/10

My question is, how much goat cheese does a quart of goat milk yield? I mean, is itactually cost-effective?justin h at 1:11AM on 02/19/10

@justin h - here's a slightly older thread on a similar recipe. The last commenter givessome yield/cost info.finewinendine at 8:25AM on 02/19/10

'


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-having to go out to hunt for a candy one... Are they really just the same thing anyway?

Oh, and thanks for giving me a project to do this weekend for the kids, very exciting ;)sarahdlr at 9:37AM on 02/19/10

Flavor improvements, anyone? I worked from the January posting and loved thespeedy results link, but the cheese's flavor and texture needed "something" to make theprocess worth repeating. Any suggestions?SeattleDee at 11:38AM on 02/19/10

Oops! Messed up the link HTML, sorry.SeattleDee at 11:43AM on 02/19/10

Making goat cheese is fun, but not really cost effective. With one quart of goat's milk, Igenerally make about a 4-ounce cheese. In A Biblical Feast: Ancient MediterraneanFlavors for Today's Table, I give a recipe for making your own goat cheese, and yourown wine, as well. You can combine the cheese with fresh herbs, serve it with flatbread, or pieces of fresh watermelon, and voila: a biblical snack!

Bon appetit,

Kittywww.kittymorse.comw.abiblicalfeast.com

kittym at 7:02PM on 02/20/10

where can i buy rennet. any one know. I am on Cape Cod...Amer5858 at 5:17PM on 02/22/10

The recipe says avoid ultra-pasteurized yet the carton in the pic is in fact ultra-pasteurized?funkopolis at 9:31PM on 02/22/10

@Amer5858 - I was lucky enough to find rennet locally (west coast), but I also knowyou can buy it on Amazon and on some cheesemaking sites. It can be hard to find instores. I've also gotten a few dirty looks and rude comments when I've asked for it dueto it being from the abomasum of an unweaned mammal, usually a calf. I finally foundsome but I have to go to a market 1/2 hour away from home. It only takes 1/2 tablet fora gallon of milk so one package goes a long way and is only about $2.00 for eight tabs.

@simon - I'd love to hear more about your cheesemaking experience. I'm just a newbieat hard cheeses. I've only made one so far and haven't tasted it yet but I have highhopes.

arjava at 0:57AM on 02/23/10

@Amer5858: you can probably find Junket brand rennet tablets at any major grocery (Iget it at Krogers). THe trick is where they stock it: it is usually with the ice creamtoppings, syrups, and cones.Cary at 10:11AM on 02/23/10

As to the thermometer shown in the photo, I believe this is a dairy thermometer, whichis perfect for making your own cheese or yogurt. I look forward to trying this recipe,

- '


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-which cheese recipes target so those targets might be missed. For example, I know tolook for soft ball stage of sugar but would miss it if it were in the low hundreds. Enjoythe cheese! Oh, and any cheesemaking site should have a dairy thermometer. Cheers!tdl1501 at 4:38AM on 02/25/10

This is definitely my next food science project. I have a friend who has goats, and I'vehad delicious, freshly made goat cheese at her house. I'm surprised that I haven't triedthis myself already. I've made mozzarella and paneer, so I'm already set up with buttermuslin and a dairy thermometer. Thanks for the inspiration!The Rowdy Chowgirl at 11:18AM on 03/11/10

Ohh wow, I never knew you could make goat cheese at home! I can't wait to try thissometime soon!homeandawaycooking at 6:28PM on 03/30/10

@tdl1501: Except that the thermometer clearly says "Meat Thermometer" across thetop. :-PI wonder if this recipe could be adapted to the microwave, as Kenji did for thehomemade ricotta? It seems like it's the same basic process, heat, add acid, then drainusing cheesecloth.

toad3000 at 10:14AM on 03/31/10

oy vey @ toad3000, as long as the thermometer has the correct temperature readingsnecessary for the cheesemaking process, its ok I promise :)

I have attempted to make cheese once....udder failure (bahahaha...sorry my cornyhusband is finally rubbing off on me). It was really bad - not sure what exactlyhappened (was attempting mozzarella) ended up with maybe a golf ball size amount ofcurds from the gallon of milk...I think I didn't have enough acid or the rennet was oldor perhaps I didn't have enough cheesecloth layered. Live and learn, I'll try again, butthis time I'll invest a little cash to make sure I have the right materials. New EnglandCheese Making Supply Company here i come!2findameaning at 0:57AM on 06/17/10

I am making this right now! Currently waiting for all the liquid to drip out and then -garlic and chives! This really IS as easy as making tea! : )Juno604 at 1:50AM on 07/14/10

Wahoo! I just finished this and it's so tasty! I used muslin and it's a little like thick greekyogurt. Mixed in Herbs de Provence, yum!lornabug at 6:31PM on 07/25/10

Hi! This looks so good! But it doesn't say how much milk is needed in the ingredients

list.The ShanMonster at 4:31PM on 12/23/10

You can use the whey as the base for soupMaritS at 2:07PM on 12/27/10

That certainly sounds easy enough. I have an easy recipe for paneer.TheKitchenHotline at 11:20PM on 12/27/10

'


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52 comments:

.easily, come in packs of 6-12 and dry quickly. Just don't use a scented detergent andplease bypass the fabric softener or your goat cheese or ricotta will taste/smell AprilFresh.Morgana at 2:56PM on 03/04/11

Recipe rating:I made this with 1 pint of raw goat milk and 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice. I mixed in 1finely diced clove of garlic and oregano and salt to taste. It was absolutely delicious. Ityielded 3.2 ounces.Bellbelle at 4:47PM on 03/18/11

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