Simple Goat's Milk Cheese

Mary has been tethering June away from the babies and is gathering an impressive 4 quarts a day. Even the Steward cannot consume such a rate of milk, and as I have been looking into making cheese with it, Mary fairly begged me this morning to please take it away and make something! I've ordered culture and butter muslin (finely woven cheesecloth) and it is on its way, but that does not resolve the need now for 7 quarts of goat's milk to be used up before it spoils. Enter: simple goat's milk cheese, made by causing the milk to curdle using vinegar.

It's rather exciting: you heat the milk at a medium temp on the stove, watch for a "skin" to form, wait until that skin begins to "dance" - then turn off the heat, add vinegar, let it sit for an hour, and *poof* you have curdled milk.

Then, lay a cheesecloth (well, large linen napkins if your real cheesecloth is still en route) inside a colander, drain until the desired consistency is reached, and add salt/spices as desired.

When I worked at a goat's milk dairy, the owner had a soft cheese that had a special (and rather expensive) herb blend on it called Sunny Paris. I've since researched it, and found it at The Spice House. 'Tis amazing stuff. Someday I shall have the boldness to purchase it, but for now I shall just copy some of the ingredients and hopefully make a nice seasoning for this batch of cheese.

Simple Goat's Milk Cheese

1 gallon raw milk

1/2 cup vingar (Note: the recipe calls for distilled white, but apple cider vinegar will work in a pinch, it just doesn't form as much curd.)

Heat milk at medium temperature until skin forms. When skin begins to dance, turn off heat and gradually (and gently) stir in vinegar. Let sit for 1 hour. Drain in cloth-lined colander until desired consistency is reached. Add salt/spices to taste. Refrigerate up to 1 week. [makes about 1 pound of cheese]