Farmer's Cheese From Goat's Milk

Farmer's Cheese, made from our goat's milk, is a house hold family favorite here at Blue Cactus! It is one of the simplest cheeses to make and it is delicious! This is a very versatile cheese that you can eat plain or add many different variations of herbs and spices. Whatever suits your fancy and makes your taste buds dance, you can add to this cheese. Have fun with it and enjoy!

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PREPARATION TIME:
Warming Milk/Adding Vinegar - 15 min
Curds & Whey Separation - 10 min
Straining Curds - 1 hour
Mix Ingredients - 2 min

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 Gallon Goat Milk
*  1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
​* 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
*  2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Green Onion
*  1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Dill

EQUIPMENT:
* Stainless Steel Stock Pot
* Stainless Steel Spoon
* Slotted Spoon
* Cheese Cloth (or old , clean pillow case)
* Food Grade Thermometer 
* Strainer

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First thing's first. Make sure you have all ingredient and equipment ready. Once you have gathered everything, pour the milk into your pan and set your heat to medium. Heating the milk slowly will insure that you do not burn your milk. Continue to stir milk frequently. When milk begins to simmer around the edges check the temperature. You want the milk to get to 162 degrees Fahrenheit. 

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Once you have your milk to the correct temperature, turn off heat and move to a new burner. Pour the apple cider vinegar into the hot milk and stir until well incorporated, about 10 seconds. You will notice the curds separating from the whey instantly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes so all the curds and whey separate.

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​After the curds and whey have all separated, you can begin to spoon the curds into your cheese cloth lined strainer. If you do not have cheese cloth handy, a clean, old pillow case is the next best thing and works great! Using your slotted spoon, continue to scoop the whey into your strainer until completely removed from whey.

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​Wrap the cloth around the cheese and squeeze the majority of the liquid out. This step is not necessary but will cut the drain time down drastically. If you are wanting a moist Farmer's Cheese, you can put cheese in a bowl and skip the next step. If you are looking for more of a crumble cheese, then twist the top of your cloth and allow the cheese to continue to drain for another hour.

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​After your cheese is done draining, unwrap the cloth and place in a bowl. Using a fork, crumble the cheese to separate. Add your salt, green onion, and dill and mix well. That is all folks! You have a delicious, easy to make cheese, right in your own home. If you would like to remold the cheese go right ahead.

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