I'm trying to get into back home cheese making. I used to make paneer at home semi-frequently. I ventured into some other unripened cheeses at home back when I first started working at the dairy, but I never really got any momentum with it or got a good feel for doing it at home on a very small scale. I would like, though, to start experimenting with making my own cheese at home.

Last time I think I got a little ahead of myself. I tried to do too much too fast before I had either the knowledge, confidence, or tools. This time I'm going to try to take things a bit slower. I started out with a basic paneer, just to ease myself back into things. And today I did a simple, direct acidified goat cheese. I generally find direct acidified cheeses quite boring. I like cultured and ripened cheeses. They're more interesting, have more flavour, and are more fun to make. But, as noted, I'm trying not to get ahead of myself. So I'm starting with simple, direct acidified stuff. And, I gotta say, despite my disdain for the "just add acid" cheeses, this one was really quite nice! It looks beautiful and has a wonderful texture and, although it is very mild, the flavour is excellent!

Fresh Goat Cheese

Slightly adapted from The Home Creamery

Ingredients

• 2L whole (3.8%) goat's milk
• 125mL apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Slowly heat the milk to 80°C, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or scorching.
2. Hold milk at 80° for 10 minutes.
3. Slowly pour in vinegar, stirring to incorporate. Milk should curdle producing small white curds and clear, slightly greenish whey.
4. Pour mixture through a cheesecloth¹ lined colander. (Whey can be saved and used for baking or discarded.)
5. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth together, tie, and hang the cheese to drain. (If not hanging over the sink, place a bowl underneath to catch the whey that drips out.)
6. Allow to drain for at least half an hour (for a softer cheese) or up to five hours (for a slightly firmer cheese).
7. Can be eaten immediately or kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Serving Suggestion:

Radishes with Goat Cheese

Adapted from Real Simple

1. Break up cheese with a fork and stir in 1 Tbsp. olive oil + salt and pepper to taste. (I like using a nice coarse salt for this.)
2. Slice radishes and use to scoop up mounds of mild, creamy cheese.

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¹ If using cheesecloth purchased at a grocery store, use a triple layer. If you can find it, "butter muslin" will work much better. Cheesecloth from an actual cheese making supply house will tend to be much better quality and can be washed and reused. Plastic "cheesecloth" is also an excellent option. It's much easier to clean than actual cloth. The drawback is that it also tends to be somewhat more fragile and can tear if you're too rough with it. All that being said, grocery store cheesecloth can be used successfully, it's just a bit of a pain since it can't be reused and also you need multiple layers and the curds have a tendency to get caught between them. It does make for a cheap and easily available option if you're just getting started though. And is, in fact, what I'm using right now until the rest of my supplies come in.^Back