Leslie Massey
Goat's cheese, or Chevre, is a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be made at home with just a few simple ingredients and some specialised equipment. Making goat's cheese is an easy and cost-effective way to impress your friends and family, and allows you to customise the flavour to your liking. In this discussion, we will cover the process of making goat's cheese in Australia, including the necessary ingredients and equipment, as well as some serving suggestions to elevate your homemade creation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | Inexpensive |
| Number of ingredients | 3 |
| Type of milk | Goat's milk, preferably full-fat |
| Type of salt | Cheese salt, kosher salt, or sea salt |
| Flavourings | Herbs, nuts, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, tarragon, parsley, rosemary, basil, chives, dill |
| Serving suggestions | Spread on toast, bagels, or croissants; served with crackers; crumbled over salads; mixed into pasta sauces; used on baked potatoes; as a pizza topping; marinated in olive oil and herbs |
| Storage | Can be eaten immediately or left overnight; lasts 1-2 weeks in the fridge |
| Equipment | Cheesecloth, thermometer |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Ingredients and equipment
Making goat's cheese at home is a simple and cost-effective process. The ingredients and equipment required are minimal, and the method is straightforward.
Ingredients:
- Goat's milk: full-fat, pasteurised, or raw milk is best. Avoid ultra-pasteurised milk as it won't curdle in the same way.
- Rennet liquid: this can be purchased from speciality cheese-making suppliers or online.
- Milk kefir or whey: these can be used instead of rennet for a different flavour profile.
- Salt: cheese salt (kosher salt) or sea salt is recommended. Salt enhances flavour and draws out more whey from the curds.
- Herbs: optional, but herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, chives, dill, or tarragon can be added for flavour and aroma.
- Acid: lemon juice or vinegar can be used to improve curd separation and add a slight tanginess to the cheese.
Equipment:
- Thermometer: a digital kitchen thermometer with an extensible rod is ideal for monitoring milk temperature.
- Syringe: a 1m-capacity syringe may be needed for certain steps, such as measuring liquids.
- Cheesecloth: a fine mesh cloth used for straining and separating curds and whey.
- Muslin cloth: for lining a colander during the draining process.
- Slotted metal spoon: for gently mixing in the rennet and kefir without breaking the curds.
- Colander: to hold the muslin cloth and catch the drained whey.
- Bowl: to collect the drained whey, a glass or stainless-steel bowl is preferable.
- Medicine dispensing cup: if using liquid rennet, this helps with accurate measurement.
- Fan: a low-speed fan can be used to control humidity during the drying process, preventing excess bitterness in the cheese.
Transpacific Yachting: LA to Australia, How Big a Yacht?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Heating the milk
Firstly, it is important to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the milk. There are digital thermometers with extensible rods that beep when the correct temperature is reached, which can be useful. The rod sits in the milk, connected via a wire to a digital thermostat. Ensure the wire does not come into contact with the heat source. Alternatively, an analogue thermometer can be used, but the temperature must be checked regularly.
Slow, gentle heating is best to prevent the milk from sticking to the pot base. Do not stir the milk as this can slow down the heating process. If using raw goat's milk, it is important to strain the milk after collecting it to eliminate any hairs from the milking process.
The milk should be heated to 32°C. Once this temperature is reached, milk kefir and rennet can be added. The rennet should be diluted with water first—for every 1L of milk, use 0.2ml of rennet and dilute this with 10 times its volume of water. For example, if using 4L of milk, dilute 0.8ml of rennet with 8ml of water.
After adding the milk kefir and rennet, mix gently with a slotted metal spoon. Then, cover the pot with a lid and wrap blankets around it to keep it warm for 24 hours. The next day, the curds and whey should have separated, with heavy white curds at the bottom of the pot and translucent whey around them and at the top.
Australia's WiFi Invention: A Historical Perspective
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Flavouring and seasoning
Goat cheese can be flavoured in a variety of ways, from herbs and spices to honey and nuts. You can flavour the entire batch or adapt smaller portions to individual meals.
Herbs
When using dried herbs such as chives, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, basil, or Italian herbs, add them at the same time as adding milk to distribute them evenly throughout the cheese. You can also cover the goat's cheese in fresh herbs, once moulded. If you're making logs or disks, you could roll them in chopped nuts (raw or toasted) and dried herbs.
Spices
Create a seasoning mixture of herbs and spices and stir it into the cheese, or roll logs of cheese in the mixture to form a decorative crust. You can also sprinkle cracked red pepper, orange zest, and rosemary over the surface of the cheese and pat it down so it sticks.
Honey
Add a little honey to your finished cheese, mixing it in, and taste it, adding more if it's not sweet enough. You can also drizzle honey over the surface of the cheese just before serving. Honey can also be combined with olive oil and other flavourings to marinate the cheese.
Salt
Use cheese salt (kosher salt) or sea salt to season your goat cheese. If you're using sea salt, only add it after the cheese has curdled and drained.
Olive oil
Submerging the cheese entirely in good olive oil helps preserve it in the fridge for up to one week. You can marinate the cheese in extra-virgin olive oil with flavourings like garlic, thyme, fennel seed, and lemon peel.
Exploring Peru: A Guide to Flying from Australia
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Draining and moulding
Once your milk has reached 32°C, add the milk kefir and rennet, then mix gently with a slotted metal spoon. Cover the pot with a lid and wrap blankets around it to keep it warm for 24 hours. The next day, you should find that the curds and whey have separated, with the heavy white curds at the bottom of the pot and the translucent whey around it and at the top.
Use a slotted spoon to lift the whey into a colander lined with muslin cloth and sitting on top of a bowl. Drain and cover with the pot lid. Make sure the curds are suspended above the whey. Once well-drained, add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix gently and thoroughly. The salt will draw out more whey from the curds and also add flavour. Pour the whey into a clean glass bottle and place in the fridge. This is a protein-rich drink, so do not let it go to waste!
Now that the salt has been added and mixed, you will need to drain the cheese once more as the salt will draw out any remaining water in the cheese. You can add herbs to your goat cheese at this stage. Tarragon is a good choice due to its sweet taste, which adds a nice contrast to the slightly acidic taste of the goat cheese. You can also use other herbs and spices such as oregano, parsley, rosemary, basil, chives, or dill.
To mould the goat cheese, you can shape it into a log or ball. If you are making a log, you could also cover it in chopped nuts (raw or toasted). If you are moulding the cheese into a ball, you can coat the outside of the cheese with herbs.
Australia's Island Paradise: A Travel Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Serving and storing
Goat's cheese can be served in a variety of ways. You can spread it over toast (whole wheat or multigrain), bagels, or even croissants. It can be served as part of a cheese platter with crackers and homemade fig jam. It can also be crumbled over/into salads, mixed into pasta sauces, or used as a pizza topping. It goes well with baked potatoes, including sweet potatoes, and can be marinated in olive oil and herbs. A goat's cheese and caramelized onion tart is another tasty option.
Goat's cheese can be eaten immediately or left overnight. If you wish to add flavourings such as salt, pepper, and herbs, it is best to do so before leaving it overnight.
In terms of storage, goat's cheese can last between 1-2 weeks in the fridge, although it is recommended to use it within a week. It is best to store it in a place with low humidity to prevent the growth of mould. To regulate humidity, a fan can be used to circulate the air.
How Does Pluto Compare to Australia in Size?
You may want to see also
