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Chevre is a soft cheese made from goat milk and is perhaps one of the easiest cheeses to make at home.
What you need:
- 1 gallon Goat Milk (do not use UHT/UP milk)
- Butter Muslin (very fine weave cheese cloth) or a tight weave dish towel
- A large pot with a lid (if metal, be sure it's non-reactive such as stainless steel)
- A wooden spoon
- A Thermometer
- A Chevre Shaping Mold (optional)
Choose One:
- 1 packet Chevre Starter Culture (this product is a ready-to-use packet which includes both starter culture and rennet)
OR
- Mesophilic Starter Culture, choose one:
- Rennet, choose one:
Step One: Culture the Milk
Option #1: Using the Chevre Starter Culture
- Heat your milk to 86°F (please note, if using raw milk, this process will not pasteurize the milk).
- Remove the milk from the heat and thoroughly stir in the packet of Chevre culture (please note, these ready-to-use packets contain both starter culture and rennet).
- Cover the pot and leave the mixture to culture for 12 hours at approximately 72°F (generally kitchen room temperature).
- After 12 hours, the cheese should look like yogurt (solid if tipped but still relatively soft). You may see some whey separating from the cheese. The whey is a mostly clear liquid.
Option #2: Using a Mesophilic Starter Culture and Rennet
- Heat your milk to 75°F (please note, if using raw milk, this process will not pasteurize the milk).
- Remove the milk from the heat and allow the mesophilic culture to dissolve on the surface of the milk for approximately 2-3 minutes. Once dissolved, thoroughly incorporate the starter culture into the milk.
- Add the rennet mixed with water. Using up and down strokes (don't stir!), incorporate the rennet into the milk. Do not over mix.
- Cover the pot and allow the mixture to culture for 14-16 hours at approximately 72°F (generally kitchen room temperature).
- After 14-16 hours, the cheese should look like yogurt (solid if tipped but still relatively soft). You may see some whey separating from the cheese. The whey is a mostly clear liquid.
Step Two: Strain the Cheese
- Place a piece of butter muslin (doubled) in a colander in a bowl. Gently spoon the Chevre into the butter muslin. Gather the corners of the muslin up and tie knots to secure.
- Hang the butter muslin filled with the Chevre over a bowl so the whey can drain. An easy way to do this is to tie the butter muslin around a cupboard handle so the bowl to catch the whey can rest on the counter underneath.
- Allow the Chevre to drain for 6-12 hours to reach the desired consistency (see below).
- Flavor Chevre with herbs if desired. You can mix in fresh or dried herbs. Alternatively you can mold the Chevre and then roll it in the herbs.
- Generally speaking, Chevre will stay good in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Draining Options:
- You can choose not to drain the Chevre at all which will leave you with a delicious and thick yogurt (this is our favorite method for making goat yogurt). A small amount of draining (less than 6 hours) will yield an even thicker yogurt-type of food.
- Drain the Chevre for approximately 6 hours for a soft, spreadable cheese.
- Drain the Chevre for approximately 12 hours for a cream cheese consistency.
Uses for Chevre:
- Spread on your favorite crackers, bagels, toast, etc. like you would cream cheese.
- In recipes in place of other soft cheeses such as ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, etc.
- In place of sour cream
- In a parfait with fruit and honey
- Add a little sweetener and use Chevre to frost cupcakes (particularly delicious on carrot cake in place of cream cheese frosting)
Storing Chevre:
- Generally speaking, Chevre will stay good in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Chevre can be frozen but be sure to:
- Salt the Chevre well prior to freezing
- Remove as much of the whey as possible (use a cheese press if you have one available); the drier the Chevre, the better it will freeze
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