Homemade Yogurt **Updated** Cheese and Buttermilk

I have enough goats milk to make cheese! I have been waiting because I know some people had ordered their supplies and I was thinking it wouldn't be as fun if everyone who has been posting didn't get to go along for the ride on this one. LOL

Everyone ready to make cheese?

Ready here Miss P. I even picked up both liquid and tablet rennet. LOL Whenever you are ready is fine with me. How is the goat milking coming along? Are they easy to milk?

The first cheese is a very easy cheese. If you have made the yogurt you are already halfway there.

This cheese is soft and can be used to spread on bagels (much like cream cheese) or your favorite crackers. We have had it on panetini and bagel chips.

1 quart of fresh made plain yogurt
cheese salt
your favorite herbs or a little tapenade - light on the garlic so as not to be bitter

Bring the yogurt up to room temperature which is about 72 degrees F. You can do this by setting the qt on the counter and leaving it for several hours.

Line a colander with butter muslin and pour in the yogurt. Tie up the corners and hang the yogurt bag until the bag has stopped dripping which could take anywhere from 12 - 24 hours. (I do not know why it might sometimes take longer than other times.)

The cheese consistancy should be about like cream cheese. Remove it from the bag. If you like add a little cheese salt to taste. Add your herbs or olive mixture, etc. Mix well until creamy. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container. This will keep about 2 weeks.

If you have ever used the flavored cream cheeses from the grocery and like those take some of the herb combinations and try them for yourself. Remember less is more in the beginning and season slowly - garlic and chive, olive spread etc.

Miss P. do I hang it inside the fridge?

No. Leave it out on your counter. It must be room temperature. After the allotted time and the whey has stopped dripping you mix in the seasoning/herbs and then seal in an air tight container and refrigerate. It is good for 2 weeks.

Hi All!

I've been lurking around this post for a while and FINALLY made the yogurt! It's wonderful!!! Mine came out a little thin, so I think the next time I'll reduce the milk by 1/3 cup and continue to use 1/3 cup dry milk. My quart containers are JUST a quart and I had to "sample" the yogurt before it was incubated. Oh, well...

I added 1/4 cup of organic brown sugar at the 110 degree stage and it came out perfect for my taste... just a hint of sweetness - almost like fruit added, but without the friut. It was ready this morning and my DH and I already had 2 servings!!! Guess I have to make more. This recipe is not only a "keeper", it's a "repeater"!!!!

BTW, has anyone tried to use this yogurt as a starter for the next batch? I know after a while you need a fresh starter, but was just wondering.

Miss Prissy, you are going to enjoy your goats SOOOO much!!! I have two Alpine does that we milk twice a day. I saw on a previous post that someone was talking about throwing out the whey. Don't do it! You can feed it to your chickens! Just don't feed it back to your goats because it will cause scours. Also, I have a recipe somewhere for a middle eastern drink they make with whey. I think it has honey in it. I'll try to find the recipe.

This is a great thread!

Carrie thanks for asking that, was wondering the same thing, will cheese cloth be ok? I got some of that in anticipation of doing cheese.

ML

ml - Mine is in cheese cloth today. I only did a pint this morning. I have a deep sink with a goosenecked faucet where I hang my bag. I also have a jar you can't see under to catch the whey.



sunnychooks - I am getting beautiful milk from my saanen, Lilah. She is nursing a baby but she is still giving me good milk daily. She is such a good milker. The saanen/nubian cross, Cindy, is a first year milker. She is trying to show me she is the boss. I have had to hobble her to milk her but she fights so much her milk is kicked over or has so much hair and hoof crap in it I have thrown all of hers out or fed it to the baby with no mother. Cindy is nursing 2 babies that need to be weaned. We will be penning off the babies at night this weekend. Soon, I know, she will settle in and be a good milker, too. I cannot wait for that day to be here. LOL

This is the weekend milk from Lilah. It is gorgeous milk. I will be using it for my next batch of yogurt tomorrow morning. Nearly 3 quarts.

wow, Miss P. that milk is awesome! Good luck on Cindy, I can't say that I envy you. LOL I just now finished four quarts of yogurt. One is not sweetened, the others have 1/3 cup of sugar with real almond flavoring and real vanilla bean seeds. YUM I cannot wait for this evening. My DH didn't want me to make too much as he is afraid I will get "burnt out". He is the one who always loved yogurt and I was the one who didn't care that much for it. Now my nurse daughter is taking some meds that require her to take yogurt every day...one of these quarts is for her. I am so glad I found this thread, I can't thank you enough Miss P. Oh, the plain quart I made is for my first cheese! I do need some cheese cloth though.

Miss P,

Do you have a milking stand for your goats? It makes the "antsy" ones so much easier to milk and most of them have a place to put a bowl of grain near the headpiece. That gives your goat something to do while you milk away!!!

If you shave the teats and udder area, you will not get hair in the milking pail. I also use an udder wash before each milking and that helps to keep the milk clean.

If you need more ideas for using your milk check out www.hoeggergoatsupply.com for all kinds of cheese, kefir, butter, ice cream and yogurt making supplies. That's my favorite!