Simple Goat Cheese

We've been using the Prairie Primer for school this Spring and Summer. We thought it'd be a nice break from our regular routine during this very busy season of life. Anyway, one of the really cool things about the Primer and starting a new homestead, is that the lessons are really relatable to real life.

We are currently reading Little House in the Big Woods, and we just read the chapter where Ma made cheese. Well, it just so happened that our family just got milk goats, and we've been learning to milk. Since we had our own fresh milk, we of course had to make cheese!

Since, like I've mentioned, this is a really busy season for us, we decided to make a simple goat's milk cheese. This recipe makes a cheese similar to ricotta cheese.

This recipe is super simple. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients
1 qt fresh goat's milk
juice of 2 lemons (or, if you realize you forgot to buy lemons, OOPS!, you can use 6 Tbsp of lemon juice)
coarse salt

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat milk to 180 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let stand till set. This only takes 15-20 seconds. 

Line a colander with a few sheets of cheesecloth. Place the colander over a bigger bowl or a pot. Ladle the milk into the colander. Then tie the four corners of the cheesecloth together over the handle of a large spoon. Set the spoon across the big bowl so the whey can drain into the bowl. Let drain until it is the consistency of a dry cottage cheese, usually 1 to 2 hours. Place the cheese in a bowl and stir in the salt to desired taste. You can also choose to add in herbs if you'd like. 

And there you have it. A delicious yet simple goat cheese.

Love in Christ,