Homemade Yogurt **Updated** Cheese and Buttermilk

[MissPrissy]

It is still a dairy product you are making from raw milk. Contact your state Dairy Asso and your local county extention office. They will have all the guidelines for meeting the specific requirements.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Okay, so it's taken like 3 days of stopping in and reading more, but I've finished all 51 pages of this thread and OMG I'm ecstatic. I've written down every recipe you left MP. Amazing. I cannot wait to try it. I need to buy a thermometer though.

I've got a few questions (not cheese or yogurt related though), well actually I can't remember all of them

But here goes...

We're planning a move to farmland within the next few months here. I'd really like to get a few milking goats. What breeds would you recommend? How often can they be milked, daily and seasonal wise. I read that you were letting them dry off... do they need to get pregnant again to start lactating again? I know you said you were considering sheep as well, which I am too, but if anyone has any suggestions as to a breed that would be a good milker, that'd be awesome

And lastly, I'd like to say that holy cow you're amazing MP. Seriously. If I idolized people, you'd definitely be up there. (I'm pretty sure they were your pantry shelves pictures and OMG woman, you rock) We're planning a massive garden, orchard, multiple chickens (I'll say multiple since the number might scare DH lol), goats and sheep. I'd like to add a few more animals, but I'm not sure which. Any steps toward self sufficiency is a bonus in my book. I think as a country, we're in a big decline... at tornado speed. I too, wish that it was still a country that housed people who like to cook, can, garden and maintain a healthy lifestyle for their families. So kudos to everyone's who a convert in this thread. Homemade with love is definitely the way to go!

 

[SterlingAcres]

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My bad, that was PAcountrygirl? Either way, that's some skills right there. I can't wait to dive into canning

 

[MissPrissy]

Stop making me blush! It is nothing anyone else cannot do and do successfully if they choose to live this way.

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I prefer a proven cross milker over a pure registered goat breed. My goats are saanan - nubian crosses. I get the large quantities of milk saanans are known for with the rich cream nubians are known for. I raise big goats. They eat more feed and need more space but they provide alot more milk than a small, mini, or dwarf milk goat. My lead doe milks out 2 gallons a day. 1 morning and 1 evening.

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twice a day. Make a routine. Goats respond to routine. You and they will be much happier. twice a day everyday. When you have her freshened you need to stop milking her. The nutrition needs to be given over to her body and the kids not to making milk.

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Yes, my lead doe will have to be freshened before making milk again. I dried Lilah off because she had milked through 2 kiddings and was still milking. with winter coming I wanted her to put on weight. Milking will pull weight off quick especially in winter without alot of good forage to supplement the hay and feeds.

 

[SterlingAcres]

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No really. I find it very refreshing that there's other people out there with the desire to do things right, even if they take a little more time. It's better for our families.

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We'd have an acre of cleared land and 2+ wooded. If I fenced in a section of both, would that be sufficient for foraging, etc? I'd rather a larger goat, since the boys LOVE milk. Sorry if this was asked before, but do I need to pasturize the milk for them? Kieran is 3 and Declan is almost 15 months.

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I can definitely do routine. I'm assuming 'freshen' means mated? Sorry, I don't know squat about goats or sheep. I should really do some reading.

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Understandable... but would it be possible to stagger 'freshenings' to keep a milker through winter? Like I said, I'm sorry if I sound stupid, I don't know anything about them. I guess I can handle buying milk from the store for a few months, but I'm sure once we have fresh, we won't want the grocers stuff. But again, it'd have to be what's best for the animal. After all, they're sharing. They don't have to do anything for us, yet they will. Nature's wonderful.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Just a note on homemade yogurt: Last Saturday I used a Dannon Strawberry yogurt as my starter (as opposed to Stonyfield Plain). Even though I tried to only use the white part on top, some of the strawberry juice must have been part of it, because the resulting homemade yogurt had the nicest faint taste of strawberry. I'm doing it again that way tomorrow!

 

[MissPrissy]

Patured and wooded is good. They will eat and clear brush.

If you trust the goats you raise are clean you don't have to pasturize the milk. Pasturizing actually changes the taste if you ask me. People with lactose problems can drink raw milk.

Freshened is mated and resulting pregnant.

I am mating my newset does at different times to keep a milk supply - so yes staggered.


It is nap time here. 1 hand typing and in a hurry. Will be back later if you need more info!

Today is a day when nap time has been greatly looked forward to!

 

[SterlingAcres]

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Good, I can add a stall or two to that 12x12 garden shed that I was going to use for chickens. I think half will be good, then I can still house 20 birds.

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Oh I would trust them if they were my own, but I'd most likely purchase a doe with a baby still nursing, right? How can I be sure whoever I buy it off was treating it right, feeding it right, etc? I'd prefer no hormones, unnecessary vaccines and organic fed, but I doubt I'll find that around here.

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Okay cool! Do you stagger like every 3-5 months or something? I figure 6 months would make it so there was milk year round, but what do I know...

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Oh I hear that one. I wish my oldest still napped because he can be a real terror some days. The only time I seem to get him to nap is if I'm lugging him around in the mei tai carrier and 40lbs on your back with chores and a nursling chasing you underfoot isn't always fun.

 

[kstaven]

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Don't get caught selling the yogurt. It IS illegal without permit in PA.

 

[kstaven]

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$750.00 Holy _______ ! As you may know, in Canada you can't sell, trade or even GIVE raw dairy away. So it is all cowshare up here. New laws won't even allow you to give farm meat away to a friend.