Goat Cheese

This is our favorite goat cheese. It is a traditional Queso Blanco, which is a fresh pressed cheese that can be sliced or grated and goes great on tacos, omelets, enchiladas or just on a cracker! The recipe is from "Goats Produce Too! The Udder Real Thing Voume II" by Mary Jane Toth. I love her book and make many different things from it including chocolate pudding and vanilla ice cream! YUM!!

Traditional Queso Blanco
1 gallon goat milk
8 ounces buttermilk (I make mine with goat milk and a buttermilk culture)
1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet (I use vegetable rennet)
4 ounces cold water
2-3 teaspoons non-iodized salt

Slowly warm the milk to 92-94 degrees. Stir in buttermilk; mix well. Stir the rennet into the cold water; pour into milk. Stir until curds start to form.

Let the milk set to coagulate for about 30 minutes. Keep the temperature at 92-94 degrees during this time. (I turn my oven on as low as it will go and set the pan over the warmest spot on the rangetop.) Cut curd into 1-inch cubes. Allow the curds to settle to the bottom of the pot. Drain the whey.

 Mix in salt, one teaspoon at a time, every five minutes. (I actually use my hand to do this step as it helps break up the curds into smaller pieces.)

Line a cheese press with cheesecloth. Fill with curd.

Fold edges of cheesecloth over curd. Press for three hours using light pressure.

Remove cheese from press. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Keeps well for one week. (We have kept it for two weeks with no problem!) Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop.