Learn To Make Cheese

Here’s a great recipe for making goat cheese at home.  Goat’s milk is a little harder to come by in large volumes, but it’s definitely worth it.  It has less fat than cow’s milk (and thus, cow’s cheese).  The distinctive taste of goat cheese is great for blending with fresh herbs or other flavors.

Here’s the basic ingredients and supplies list but check the link for detailed instructions:

Homemade Goat Cheese Recipe

Ingredients You Will Need:
1 gallon raw goat’s milk
Juice of 4 medium lemons
Salt

Cheese Making Supplies:
Cooking thermometer
Cheesecloth
Colander
Stainless steel pot
Or, a cheese making kit

Tips for Goat Cheese Making at Home – Life123.

Wouldn’t be wonderful if you could give the lovely gift of your very own homemade cheeses to friends and family for the holidays?  Perhaps you’d give buttons of your fresh herbed goat cheese and pieces from a gorgeous block of cheddar you’ve been aging since the spring.

Well, if you’re like many beginning cheesemakers, you may feel your cheese is not yet gift-worthy.  In that case, you may consider giving cheese gift baskets packed with artisanal cheeses made by renowned and dedicated cheesemakers.  A cheese-of-the-month club is also a lovely way to introduce people to a variety of tastes.  As for your own cheesemaking efforts…there’s always next year!

Artisanal has a lovely selection of gourmet cheese baskets you can custom design, enjoy cheeses by geography, as well as many other options.

Cheese Baskets and Gifts.

The Pacific Northwest Cheese Project is one of our favorite cheese websites to read.  They posted a wonderful book review of Brad Kessler’s “Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese.” We’re looking forward to reading it.  The Los Angeles Times called it “Mouthwatering… delicious.” (more…)

Ok, it may be three ingredients, and you do need to purchase cheesecloth, But we found this very straightforward homemade ricotta recipe on the Washington Post’s website and had to share.  You’ll essentially make your own whey, using a combination of buttermilk and whole milk.  The whole milk portion can be all cow or cow and goat’s milk if you like. (Though Italian tradition dictates that sheep milk is best). (more…)

In Ancient History

Cheesemaking is said to be accidentally discovered by the nomads of Central Asia 10,000 years ago. Cottage cheese was a favorite among ancient Greeks as illustrated by their tragedies and comedies. Egyptian murals depict cheese making. Gauls and Romans alike, even when fighting, shared their love for cheese. Cheese products were efficient sources of nutrients for warriors because they could withstand all types of weather and time itself.

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