Homemade Yogurt **Updated** Cheese and Buttermilk

[MissPrissy]

sunnychooks - hahahaha! I do order my supplies from hoeggers. I do have a milking stand with a hanging feeder.

Cindy is 3 yrs old. This is the first year she was freshened. She has 2 kids. I have them both. She will come up to me and rub against me. She loves me to pet and scratch her. However, touching the udders is another thing entirely. At any time.

She is very willing to mount the milking stand and get into position. I pet her, rub her, etc, touch the udders and she stomps and kicks. Hobble her and she still manages to get BOTH feet up sometimes (she is STRONG!). When she is finished with her feed you better be finished with trying to milk because at that point the pushing, stomping, head turning, bawling, trying to pull out of the head piece, fighting begins.

I was told she had been a good milker but had only been milked limitedly. However, I think she might have been thought of as a good milker because she has milk left over after both babies feed but if she was freshened the first time last fall and these are her first kids she really hasn't been milked much and has to learn.

The saanen, Lilah, never moves a hair when milked. I love her! LOL

I have considered shaving her but I think alot of her shedding is due to the temp change here and where she came from as well as maybe a bit of stress of being in a new home. With all of the fighting and jumping shaving might be a little ambitious right now too.

I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and see where she goes under my handling.

So, how many of you have yogurt hanging for yogurt cheese today?

 

[ozark hen]

Well, I just hung mine up about five minutes ago! It is hanging from a plant shelf over my kitchen sink. Wish me luck, you know if anyone needs it ...it will be me.

I do wish you the best with Cindy. She does sound like a sweetheart. She is just not used to having her udder handled??

 

[cookinmom]

I ran out of yogurt for starter, so I have to get some more first.

Today I didn't feel like even getting in the truck much less going anywhere, but tomorrow I'll be getting some and making two quarts this time - one for eatin and one for cheese! When I get my cheese made, I'm gonna mix some with some peach jam I made last week. Yum!

 

[sunnychooks]

Hey Miss P!

It sounds like your little Cindy is a real pepperpot!!! When you hobble her, try tying the leg up just above the back "knee". This is where the tendon is that allows them to move their back legs. If you let the rope squeeze it a bit she will not be able to move her legs as easily (and it will be harder for her to kick over your milking bucket!).

I've also heard of people who use those dog collars that are called "choke chains" only made out of nylon instead of chain. Loop one end around her back foot above the hoof and the other end to an eye hook on the back of the stanchion. When she tries to kick the loop will tighten.

You will have to leave PLENTY of time and have an abundance of patience!!! When I had a doe like that I would milk both teats once, then stop and pet her and talk to her. Milking took forever, but it was worth the time and effort. Sometimes if you milk too vigorously they will protest, so be gentle and she'll come around eventually! And they always get rewarded with a vanilla wafer after the milking is done! Good Luck!!!

 

[ozark hen]

I just made a calamata olives/sundried tomato tapanade and mixed it into my cream cheese. I finished off five large crackers...yum! Such a sense of satisfaction from making your own cheese!! Not to mention your own yogurt, now that is my favorite!!

 

[MissPrissy]

I added just a sprinkle of salt to mine. We had it with raisen cinnamon bagels this morning.

Yummy!

Sorry about the camera glare.

 

[PDXChickenChaser]

After looking over this thread for a couple of days I finally took the plunge and made a batch of yogurt

It was a little tangier than I'm used to, but after I mixed in a heaping spoonful of homemade raspberry jam, it was great!

Honestly, I was just excited by the fact it firmed up and became actual yogurt, especially after the problems I had making it. I had slightly more liquid than I did jar space, and also had a heck of a time pouring it all from the pot I made it in into the jars to incubate, so I ended up with nice full jars and a nice big puddle of milk on the counter and the floor. It sure made the cat happy, but I was a little frustrated to say the least.

Congratulations on your goats! I've wanted a couple of dairy goats for a long time, but here in the suburbs we barely have room for chickens, so I guess I'll have to wait until we move somewhere with more land...someday...

I think I'll try yogurt a couple more times (only in smaller batches...I'm not sure what possessed me to make a half gallon...) and then catch up with you cheese makers! I love cheese, and am excited to try making it myself!

- James

 

[ozark hen]

James, good job. I always seem to have more mixture than what I started with. ha ha The less time it takes to set up the less "sour" it is. Mine has been setting up in 3-4 hours and of course, it firms up even more in the fridge. Isn't it cool to make your own?

 

[Sharona]

I made mine last night. I moved it to the fridge this morning but had to sneak a taste. It tasted awesome - I was surprised at the smoothness. Before going into the fridge it already was as firm as the starter so I'm a happy camper. I forgot to pick up powdered milk so I didn't use any and still have a great consistency. I used creamline organic milk, a splash of cream, 1/3 c sugar and 2 tsp of vanilla and it is great!

I'm so proud of myself!!

thanks!

 

[PDXChickenChaser]

Well, the spirit of experimentation got the better of me, and I decided to try making the yogurt cheese with half of my first batch

I measured out a quart of the yogurt and tied it up in a bundle, and then proceeded to stand there stupidly holding it over the bowl, trying to decide where to hang it. After determining that holding it for 12 to 24 hours was an unacceptable solution, I found my answer in a well cleaned five gallon bucket and a piece of scrap wood:

This is working well, and it frees up the kitchen sink (which we use extensively) and lets me avoid the utility sink (which smells a little...off...). The one thing I will do differently next time is get some different twine to use. The hemp garden twine was all I had lying around and because of it there are little hemp fibers in the whey. I'll update later to let you know how the cheese turns out

- James