Homemade Cultured Buttermilk ~ Goat's Milk
Hi everyone,
As many of you know, I raise dairy goats. Recently I've jumped into experimenting with milk and the various things you can do with it. Although I've always used it as our household supply, drinking, baking, gravy & sauce making...that's been the extent of our usage. So...I finally jumped in and made a batch of cultured buttermilk and my oh my! I've made some of the tastiest buttermilk pancakes as well as the lightest, most wonderful biscuits with it. :o)
~Ellen
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Replies to This Discussion
- Reply by larrym17 on November 05, 2010 at 3:21 pm
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You are so lucky to have goats' milk available to you. I met a new neighbor recently who raises dairy goats and she gave me some milk to try and make soap. I'm totally hooked on it. She ask me to be her soap maker and I have made three batches and I can't say enough about how wonderful it feels on my skin and smells so great. You have to try it. It's a bit of work to get all the ingredients together but oh, it's so worth it.
Gert (wife of larrym17)
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 05, 2010 at 4:07 pm
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Hi Gert,
I've made soap a couple of times...but only with a friend. Have never done it *all by myself* like a big girl. :o) One of these days....
~Ellen
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 05, 2010 at 4:08 pm
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Ria, I've just ordered some cheesecloth this morning. Will be trying my first chevre next week! :o) I'm excited about this new venture!
~Ellen
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on November 05, 2010 at 4:50 pm
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One of the produce vendors at our local farmers market also raises goats. Her partner in her cheese operation raises dairy cows, so they make both goat's milk and cow's milk cheeses, as well as some that use both types of milk.
I know there are limits on her selling raw milk (though I think she can do it if you go to the farm), but I'll have to ask her about buttermilk on Sunday. (Last day of the farmers market for 2010. :sigh:)
They've won a number of awards, but it sounds like a pretty labor intensive operation. (But then, so is farming.)
http://www.farmsteadfirst.com/
FWIW, I did ask her about coating the outside of the rind with cinnamon (like the cheese that TJ's carries), coincidentally it is something she is just starting to experiment with.
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 05, 2010 at 8:24 pm
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In Oklahoma we're allowed to sell 100 gallons of raw milk each month without licensing. It must be picked up on the farm. The sales of cheese is illegal without the commercial kitchen, grade A milk, etc...
I've started my first chevre this evening...I'll report back my success or failure...not real confident at the moment. LOL Once I get it figured out, I'm going to try my hand at a few favorite cheese balls. The Amish Cheese House in Chouteau has these awe inspiring, make your taste buds sing, wonderful cheese balls that we absolutely LOVE! And of course, I've got to try it in my favorite cheese cake recipes. I've been working on a couple of cheese cakes for over a year now...and I think I've got them tweeked to "perfect according to Ellen". So, why not play a little further, and put my own chevre to work?
~Ellen
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- Reply by biobaker on November 06, 2010 at 3:51 am
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You do make goats' milk yogurt, don't you? You must. I love fresh goats' milk, goat cheeses of all sorts, and goat milk soap, but goat yogurt and goat kefir are my favorite goat milky things of all. I can't wait for the day when I have my own goats! Goats' milk yogurt is uber-pricy and raw goats' milk is impossible to find where I live (or at least all of my searching has yet to uncover it), but I will have my own some day. How I do envy you!
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 06, 2010 at 9:40 am
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So...I talked with my girlfriend yesterday, she said I could use plain muslin to hang my cheese...I've got a CLOSET full of that stuff. So, I'm off! I put together my milk, starter, heat it appropriately. And oila! This morning, I have this lovely mass in my bowl on the counter! I pour it into my muslin, and hang it from the cabinet handle. It's dripping...
Hubby...old country/farm boy that he is...who's eviscerated poultry, disemboweled rabbits, skinned, beheaded, and otherwise maimed his share of warm blooded beasts...tells me that "cheese making is yucky".
And now, I'm going to smoothly turn this thread into a baking thread...watch....
When you pull the solids and wrap it to drain, it leaves behind this lovely whey; liquid,very sweet smelling stuff. I put aside a cup of it, and used it for the liquid in my favorite bread recipe. My machine is kneading it, even as I type this! :o) Oh, it's a happy kitchen day!
Now...I gotta go milk! My girls are scolding me something awful!
~Ellen
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on November 06, 2010 at 11:35 pm
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I've made a bread with cracked pepper and chevre a couple of times, it is very interesting toasted with honey on it.
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 07, 2010 at 12:28 am
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Well...success! I made 5 flavors of spreadable cheese today. Chipotle pepper, Ranch & Bacon, Onion & herb, Garlic & herb, and a sweet confection; Chocolate Chip coated with chopped walnuts. Had quite a few samplers...and everyone thought it was yummy. So, I'm a happy girl! :o)
Oh...my bread made with whey? Way tasty!
~Ellen
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- Reply by sarahh on November 07, 2010 at 11:20 pm
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Good for you! Sounds wonderful. Wish I had a source of affordable goat milk for cheese making. I took a cheese making class last spring, from a lady who keeps goats. But her milk is too pricy for me. I did make ricotta from cow's milk. Very tasty. And got lots of whey. Loved the bread I made with the whey, even better than using milk. Might have to make some ricotta again soon!
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on November 08, 2010 at 1:34 am
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Ellen (or anyone else), do you have a good source for butter muslin (fine cheesecloth)?
Not that I'm looking to go into the cheese business, but I have been thinking about making my own ricotta/paneer from whole milk, because the quality of the ricotta in the stores is going downhill, most of it is part skim ricotta which is bland, and then they start adding things to it that I'm not sure I want to eat.
Followup: Is this cheesecloth good enough:
http://www.raglady.com/detail_CC90__66__cheesecloth_cotton_washable_whit...
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 08, 2010 at 9:42 am
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Mike, you can purchase butter muslin from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company www.cheesemaking.com 413-397-2012
2 yards for 5.95. Shipping to OK was $3.56
~Ellen
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- Reply by Used2BMoomie on November 08, 2010 at 9:43 am
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sarahh...what area of the country are you in. Perhaps I can help you find some milk.
~Ellen
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- Reply by Mike Nolan on November 08, 2010 at 10:47 am
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Thanks, their graphics are fun.
That site looks DANGEROUS for me. (Watch out, he's got a credit card and he's not afraid to use it!)
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- Reply by biobaker on November 08, 2010 at 7:50 pm
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Oh gosh, Ellen, if you know of anyone who "sells" goat milk in the inland NW (Eastern WA/NE Oregon/Idaho), I would love to know about it. I've searched far and wide for goat milk and, truthfully, any dairy in this land of beef cattle to no avail.
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- Reply by sarahh on November 08, 2010 at 9:55 pm
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Ellen,
I am in the St. Louis area in Missouri. The lady I took the cheese class from has goats, but she charges $12 a gallon, which is too steep for me. I understand it takes a lot to care for the goats and time to milk the goats and chill the milk quickly, and that time equals money. But I am on a budget. :) I would appreciate any information you have.
Sarah
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