The goat cheese should stay fresh in … Loose curds will form on the surface, making the milk look curdled. Food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer Jennifer Meier specializes in creating healthy and diet-specific recipes. Non-reactive potA non-reactive pot is important because certain metals, such as aluminum, will leach into the milk. Balance the spoon handle over a pot or over a tall jar so that the cheesecloth pouch full of curds is hanging. Lemon juice can be substituted for the vinegar. Massage the salt and/or seasonings into the curds with your hands, almost like you're kneading dough. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate the curds for a few hours. Wood or stainless-steel spoon with a long handle. Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Pull the sides of the cheesecloth up and around the curds, forming a pouch. Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. Or, you can just smooth the curds into a ramekin or small bowl. Drape several layers of cheesecloth over a strainer. Tie the four corners of cheesecloth together; hang on the handle of a wooden spoon set over a deep bowl and let drain until it is the consistency of slightly dry cottage Serve and enjoy! Once the milk hits the right temperature, gentle bubbles will be forming and the surface will look foamy. If you don't have lemons on hand, white vinegar also can be used to make homemade goat cheese. The texture of your homemade goat cheese should be smooth and creamy, although it is likely to be less creamy than fresh goat bought at the store. Now that the milk has reached around 185 F, turn off the heat and add the vinegar. Place a non-reactive pot on the stove over medium-low or low heat. Use a stainless steel pot to avoid this. It will be nearing a simmer, with bubbles forming. A starter culture can be bought online, as can cheesemaking kits that contain everything you need to make goat cheese. However, you're more likely to have consistently successful results if you use a thermometer. Give the milk a quick stir then let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Heat the Milk. Slowly heat the milk until the temperature is around 185 F. The milk should not reach a full boil, nor do you want the milk to burn to the bottom of the pot, so keep the heat low and be patient. Goat cheese can also be made with a starter culture. You can eat the cheese at this point, but the flavor tends to improve if you refrigerate the cheese for a few hours. Or, you can set the strainer over a large bowl and save the whey for other uses. Let the curds hang like this, undisturbed, for 1 to 2 hours so that remaining moisture will drip out. Also, you may also add buttermilk for an extra creamy flavor, if desired. Hang the pouch from the long handle of a spoon or ladle by tying the cheesecloth to the handle or by securing it with a rubber band. Use your hands to pat and roll the curds into whatever shape you like. It will alter the flavor slightly. Pour the goat's … Pour the goat's milk into the pot. Ladle set milk into colander. Place a non-reactive pot on the stove over medium-low or low heat. The texture of homemade goat cheese made with vinegar (or lemon juice) tends to be a bit more springy and spongy and slightly less creamy. Before serving, top the goat cheese with olive oil and fresh herbs if you like. The quantities of culture, rennet, and salt can be adjusted as you go based on the amount of milk you have to work with. You can set the strainer over a sink if you don't want to keep the whey that drains out. Pour the pot of goat's milk into the strainer, catching the solids, or curds, in the cheesecloth. ThermometerYou can get away with not using a thermometer by knowing what the milk looks like when it reaches 180 to 185F. Using a round cookie cutter is an easy way to shape the cheese. The list includes goat milk (about 1/2 gallon), lemons, kosher salt and cheese cloth. I’ll give you pointers on how much to use in the steps that follow. At this point, you can also add other types of seasonings like black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh or dried herbs. Hold at 175°F for 10 minutes, continuing to stir often to prevent scorching. The piece of cheesecloth should be large enough so you can pull up the sides around the curds. Then, scrape the curds out of the cheesecloth and place them on a plate or in a bowl. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, Homemade Goat Cheese Step 8: The Finished Product, Learn to Make Icelandic Skyr—Icelandic Yogurt, How to Make Goat Cheese with Starter Culture. But you can make as little as a quart of milk for one small round of goat cheese, or you can make multi-gallon mixes if you want to. The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Season the curds with salt to taste. This helps the texture of the curds become a little bit softer, smoother and creamier. How to Make Homemade Goat Cheese With Vinegar. 1-quart goat's milk (can be pasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized). After 1 to 2 hours, give the pouch a few gentle squeezes to get a few more drips of moisture out. Make a grocery list and obtain the basic materials needed to make the cheese.