i can make cheese now. is there anything i cant do? ((yes))

A few weeks ago, i managed to get in off the waitlist for a goat cheese making class at the Natick Community Organic Farm. was so excited that someone dropped out of the class so that i could get a spot!! at the class, i got a little starter kit, so i decided to try to make my own goat cheese that very weekend! the family was in town for cathy's graduation, so i thought it would be a good little take-home gift. i picked up some goats milk at whole foods on my way home, and got things going. this recipe is so simple, i will probably make this somewhat often. you start with a gallon of milk, and heat it to 86 degrees. then add the starter. turn off the heat. take a picture. put the lid on. let sit. i started it around 11pm, maybe midnight. checked on it before leaving for work, and it looked pretty good, but i wanted to let it sit longer. i ended up getting home around 4:30 (it was a friday) and was able to begin step 2:


look at that amazing separation of the curds from the whey! so freakin awesome. so i scooped out all of the curds, and discarded the whey. apparently, you can drink the whey, or make whey-bread, or whatever you want, because it is all protein, no fat, and good for you. so...if you want some whey, i will save it the next time i make goat cheese, if you ask nicely.


so i ladled all of those lovely curds into cheese cloth. except this is not cheese cloth. it is butter muslin, which is much more fine, and allows you to make soft cheeses like chevre, soft goat cheese, fresh white cheese, etc. and so the cheese curds started chillin in the butter muslin in a collander...


you can let the cheese drain for a variable amount of time. i decided to do it for the rest of the day, and actually overnight as well, so that the cheese would be a really thick consistency. maybe i will try it really soft sometime, but i really prefer it to be thicker, and this actually came out an amazing consistency


the next morning, it was ready to be rolled into chevre logs, and spread on to pieces of bread, with a little drizzle of balsalmic vinegar. oh my god so good! yum yum yum. after that success, i decided to buy some kits so that i could make it again. and also so that i can make mozzerella and ricotta! SO excited to try making mozzerella soon!