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2 Comments Homemade goat cheese is surprisingly easy to make and really delicious too. It’s also an easy way to add different flavors to the fresh goat cheese. Think fresh herbs, spices and the like. Is there anything more fun than making your own cheese?
Table of contents
How to make goat cheese
Now my journey in making goat cheese wasn’t very straightforward. My very first attempt in making any kind of spreadable cheese was with ricotta and that was super easy. I figured goat cheese would be somewhat similar so I set about making it. Thinking it would be an easy thing to do.
But in the end it took me three tries to get the recipe right. And that had everything to do with my mistakes. So in order for you to now make the same mistakes I have assembled some tips on making your own fresh cheese.
What do you need to make goat cheese?
Now the number of ingredients needed is pretty straightforward.
- goat milk – now here comes the most important thing. I made the mistake of trying it the first time with goat’s milk from the grocery store. I figured that would work fine. It did not. You need raw milk to make the best goat cheese.
- buttermilk
- rennet
- salt
- herbs – this is for when the goat cheese is ready
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you start your cheese making. In addition to the ingredients you need a thermometer, cheese cloth or clean towel, a large pan, a sieve and rope to hang the cloth with.
Goats milk can usually be bought from a goat farm or the better assorted cheese mongers. Ask around where the best source is for you.
The process on how to make it
Now once you have all your ingredients ready you place the milk in the non-reactive pot and add the buttermilk. Heat the milk on medium-low heat to 28˚C/82.4˚F. Remove the pan from the stove and add the rennet. Now stir in a motion from top to bottom. Cover the pan and let it sit for 12 hours undisturbed.
A good place to set the pan is in an oven (that is not turned on obviously) The temperature in the oven will be quite even and stable.
Check your pan after 12 hours. If all has gone well you will be able to clearly see that the whey has separated from the curd. If it’s a good curd you can run a knife through it and you will be able to see a clean break. Cut the curd in blocks using a sharp knife.
Place the layers of cheesecloth in a colander
Keep in mind that you need to be able to grab the ends of the towel or cheesecloth together so you can hang it up. Using a large wooden spoon scoop all the curd into the colander. You want to add as little of the whey as possible as that will only make it harder to drain. Add a bit of salt to the curd before you hang it.
Now take the ends of the cheesecloth and tie it with a piece of rope. Hang it somewhere cool but not in the fridge. Make sure to add a large bowl beneath the ball of cheese to collect all the fluids coming out.
Now wait for 6 hours
Let the goat’s cheese hang for about 6 hours. Check it a few times in between and add some extra cheese salt every time. The finished cheese should be firm and creamy. Once it is firm enough take it out and knead into 1 or 2 rolls. You can add things like dried or fresh herbs or dried lavender (check here how to cook with lavender) before rolling or roll the chevre cheese through herbs so it has a coating. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
I also made my own halloumi at some point as well as.
Questions asked about making your own goat cheese
Yes you can. The rennet can be replaced with lemon juice. You need about 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a quarter of milk. You can also use either citric acid or yogurt. I have not tried those myself though.
Technically you can but raw milk is much better to use. I did make goat cheese with regular pasteurized goat’s milk from the store and I did end up with goat cheese. However it took a couple of days instead of a couple of hours. With ultra processed milk the curdling process takes much longer and might not work at all. That said; I was not too unhappy with the end result using the store-bought milk. Because it was already more aged, the flavor was stronger and actually quite good. Raw milk will give a stronger curd and a better texture.
I would give the the aging process a bit of time. That means that the cheese will get stronger the older it gets. So yes you can eat it right away but the flavors will be more pronounced after a few days.
You can store the goat cheese for 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Make sure to place it in an airtight container so it doesn’t absorb flavors from the contents of the fridge.
Yes you can freeze the fresh goat cheese but it might become a bit more crumbly once you’ve defrosted it.
How to make 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
How to make goat cheese
- 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.
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
I’ve taken a class on how to make chevre but I’ve never done it at home. I haven’t sourced goats milk and it’s my fault because I know there are places not too far away where I can get the milk.
You have perseverance. I would have quit in frustration. 🙂
I was close to throwing it all away but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try a bit longer!