makin' cheese.

So we have been making goat cheese the last couple months!!!
I made some simple goat cheese early on in our goat keeping days but because of the kind I made it was VERY bland. It was good in a curry dish, but when I would spy it sitting in the Tupperware in the fridge it did not look like something I wanted to pull out and snack on.
Fast forward till now....
Ema took the plunge and ordered some cultures and cheese making kits from Ricki's Cheese making Site, and was the first to dive into making chevre. She brought her first samples over on little crackers~ and we were totally hooked. IT IS SOOOO EASY.
Here is the steps I take:

1. Pasteurize milk. This involves heating one gallon of goat milk to 145 degrees F for 30 mins.
2. Cool the milk to 86 degrees F.
3. Add little packet of culture which costs roughly $1.50 and stir.
4. Cover and let sit out for 6-12 hours. (I think this process is faster for us because our milk is so fresh.)
5. Spoon curds into a cheesecloth lined colander and let drain for 6-12 hours until desired consistency.
   
6. Mix in any spices or herbs.

I was just thinking that maybe that doesn't sound as simple as I say to someone who has never made cheese, but I promise you it is easy. I think the hard part would be obtaining a gallon of goat milk for the non-goat-owning soul. One time we mixed honey, walnuts, and dried cranberries in~ it was surprisingly really good. The cheese has a hint of goat flavor, but it is very subtle. It is almost like a cream cheese. This is my new favorite sandwich. It is a toasted sesame bagel with black bean hummus, our scallion goat cheese, and tomatoes sprinkled with salt:
*Also, the drink next to my sandwich is my new favorite drink. It is lemonade made with two or three squeezed slices of fresh lemon, ice, water, and 5 or 6 drops of liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant based sweetener that has a zero on the glycemic index, and has zero calories. Regular lemonade has A LOT of sugar, and this tastes just as good to me. I was so happy for this lunch!