Molly’s Chèvre

Adapted from Goats Produce Too! The Udder Real Thing, written and published by Mary Jane Toth.

If you’ve never made cheese before, go to the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company website, cheesemaking.com, where there are tutorials on every part of the process described here.

5 quarts goat milk
¼ cup fresh cultured
buttermilk
⅓ cup cold water
3 drops liquid rennet
Optional flavorings:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Sterilize all tools and pots.

Heat the goat milk to 90°. Add the buttermilk, stir, and let the pot sit for 15 minutes off the heat.

In a separate bowl, combine the cold water and rennet. Add 3 tablespoons of the water-rennet mixture to the goat milk. Stir for 3 minutes, cover, and let rest for 12 hours at room
temperature.

Cut the resulting curds into ½-inch cubes and stir gently for 10 minutes to release the whey.

Let rest for another 12 hours at room temperature.

Drain in a hanging sack of cheesecloth until volume of curds is ⅓ of original size.

Mix in salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, or experiment with your own flavorings.