Goat cheese is creamy and delicious, plus there’s nothing more satisfying than eating cheese that you have produced from scratch. Cheese making can sometimes be a time consuming process, but with this no rennet goat cheese recipe, you’ll be enjoying it in no time.
Cheese making is a tradition that goes back thousands of years, and is a way of taking milk and turning it into a portable source of food, and also a tasty one!
How do I start making goat’s cheese?
There are lots of cheese making recipes you’ll find on the internet or in books, but if you are a beginner cheese maker, then no rennet cheese recipes are the easiest option.
Fresh, unpasteurised goat’s milk makes the best flavoured cheese, and making it at home is sure to produce quality and flavour that outshines anything you can get from the supermarket.
The basic recipe to form any type of cheese is milk, salt, rennet or another type of citric acid, such as lemon juice, used to curdle the liquid.
Read on for a soft, no rennet goat cheese recipe that is simple to make at home in your kitchen. But first of all…
What is rennet?
Rennet comes as a liquid or power and works to curdle the milk, set and firm the cheese. Traditional animal rennet is an enzyme that is present in the stomachs of young animals, such as calves, and it helps them to process their mother’s milk.
Vegetarian rennet is also commercially available and is made from a type of mould. It works in the same way as animal rennet. Only a small amount is required to start the curdling process.
Using some form of rennet is a particular requirement when it comes to making harder cheeses, however for soft cheeses, rennet may be exchanged for lemon juice or white vinegar.
No rennet goat cheese is a simple way to make a fresh tasting soft cheese that can be used in a variety of dishes.
Cheese Making Equipment
As bacteria thrives with any cheese making process, it is important that all your equipment is thoroughly clean before starting.
Enamel or stainless steel cooking pot (plenty large enough for the volume of milk). Do not use cast iron cooking pots or copper as it can affect the colour and flavour of the cheese.
Spatula
Dairy Thermometer
Colander
Several cheesecloths or muslin cloths
Draining Rack
No Rennet Goat Cheese Recipe
This basic recipe is a great starting point and you can use either lemon juice, white vinegar or rennet to curdle the milk.
Ingredients:
4 pints of fresh, unpasteurised goat’s milk
½ tablespoon of sea salt
The juice of 2 lemons
Method:
Pour the goat’s milk into your pot and place on a medium heat on the hob. Warm the milk until it reaches 185 F, checking it with your thermometer. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and stir until the milk has curdled, separating itself into curds and whey. This process may take a few minutes, and if it seems slow to change, simply add some more lemon juice to encourage the process.
Place your cheesecloth inside a colander and then ladle in the curds from the liquid. Use two or three cloths in layers to help prevent losing any of your cheese by it draining through too quickly.
Once you have enough, wrap the cheese and tie the four corners at the top of the cheesecloth. Hang up somewhere cool, ideally a refrigerator, for a few hours to let the rest of the liquid drain away. Put a bowl underneath to catch the excess liquid.
When it has become a soft, spreadable consistency, it is ready to eat. Add the salt to taste.
For a firm, crumbly goat’s cheese, allow a longer time for the whey to drain. The consistency is up to your own preference! If you find that your cheese has become too firm, then you can add a little of the whey back into it to soften.
There’s your basic no rennet goat cheese, all ready to eat! But, if you want to add other flavourings to your cheese, then now is the time to do it. Why not make goat’s cheese with chives, garlic or even chilli pepper? Or how about using dried produce such as apricot pieces or walnut? Experiment and come up with a taste sensation of your own!
Cheese Making Kits
If you are serious about making your own cheeses from scratch, an easy way to begin is by using a cheese making kit. These can be used to make goats cheese, or other cheeses from cow’s milk.
Here are just some examples:
Prices differ, but you can check the most recent prices for cheese making kits on Amazon.
Cheese making kits are also great gift ideas for anyone who loves cooking, or is a huge fan of artisan cheeses! Or, why not make different flavoured cheeses to give as handmade gifts for Christmas, birthdays and other celebrations?
Why Make Your Own Cheese?
With so many sorts of cheese available in supermarkets and deli shops, you may wonder ‘why go to all the bother of making cheese from scratch. There are lots of benefits of making homemade cheese.
You choose the ingredients – when you buy a block of cheese from the shelf, do you know where the milk has come from? Where flavourings have been sourced? When you make cheese at home, from scratch or using a cheese making kit, you have control over what you put in it.
Stronger connection with the food you eat – when you have personally sourced the finest ingredients for your homemade cheese, you appreciate the time and effort that is involved in creating those ingredients, and the time and effort put into producing the final result.
Cheese making is a fun activity that you can even children will enjoy doing. So grab you apron, fetch you milk and get curdling!
Do you make goat’s cheese? Or, do you prefer to make cheese from cow’s milk? Share your tips and recipes in the comments.
