Hard Goats Cheese

Hard Goats Cheese

Writer: Alex

Participants: Alex, Clare

Items: Milk, Flax as Linen

Farmhouse Recipes by Mary Blackie is the source for this recipe. Having checked against other cheese recipes (Carroll, Mendelson) and it follows a fairly standard/expected order.

Goat or sheep milk cheese would have been amongst the first cheese made (as discussed). This hard version represents the period when goats/sheep cheese was the primary manufactured product after rennet had been discovered.

There was a wish to try this recipe as both sheep and goat milk versions, however sourcing sheep milk is difficult. There is a sheep farm which sells sheep milk near Murrumbateman, however it was out of season for this pentathlon item timeframe. Goat’s milk is available off the shelf in the supermarket all year round.

Equipment Large pot or water bath Slotted spoon Cheese thermometer Cheese press Fine muslin cheese cloth (or linen) Cheese mat Cheese wax

Ingredients 3Lt pasteurised, unhomogenised goats milk 1/8 packet of Thermophilic starter culture 1 tablet of rennet (vegetarian in this case) 1/4 cup of unchlorinated spring water 1.5ml calcium chloride 2 tbsp cheese salt

Method

• slowly heat milk to 32^oC (around 30mins)
• add calcium chloride
• add starter culture and stir slowly from top to bottom for 1 minute
• dilute the rennet in the spring water making sure it is thoroughly dispersed
• add rennet to milk
• cover and sit for 40mins (or until a clean break)
• cut the curd into 1-inch cubes
• let the curd rest for 10-15 minutes
• slowly raise the temperature to 38^oC (about 25 minutes), stirring constantly
• remove from heat and drain as much whey as possible
• let the curd rest again for 10-15 minutes
• drain any whey that has formed
• add cheese salt and gently stir
• line your cheese press with the muslin
• gently scoop the curd into the press using a slotted spoon to remove as much whey as possible
• cover with muslin and insert the follower
• press at 7kg for 24hours
• remove the cheese from the press and undress
• place cheese on cheese mat and keep at 16^oC
• turn the cheese daily until a rind is formed
• if mould forms, wipe the surface with a piece of muslin dipped in the brine solution
• once the rind has formed wax the cheese
• turn the cheese every other day until mature (1-2 months)

Specific Photos

 

Cleaning the excess from around the edges for a clean round

 

Colour comparison to the Bra (mixed goat and cow milk) and to the Asiago (cow milk)

Notes

• Several books and recipes mention to be very careful of goats milk curd as it is very delicate.
• The curd took a little longer to form than the recipe suggested and the curd was definitely very delicate and distinctly different to the cows milk cheeses. It broke much more easily when stirred or disturbed.
• We ended up over heating the setting milk to about 45^oC. The curd still formed but I suspect that it was not as clean a curd as would have formed if the temperature was correctly adjusted. The end curd was soggy and broke up into very fine pieces. This made the pressing a little difficult as it tended to bulge out the side of the muslin slightly.
• Whilst the setting milk was overheated, the temperature is still in the working range for the thermophilic starter. 
• This cheese is very white in comparison to the cows milk cheeses (which are more yellow).