Easy Goat Cheese Recipes for Beginners

Goat cheese on board

Goat cheese is well-known for its distinctive flavor, thanks to the larger proportion of three classes of medium chain fatty acids present in the milk.

 

If you are new to cheese making or if you have ever wanted to learn how to make goat cheese, you have come to the right place. It is unbelievably easy to make, not to mention inexpensive compared to the cost of a store-bought portion.  Seriously, it is about half the cost.

 

There are many different types of goat cheese, each with its own unique flavor and texture.

 

There are a few different types of cheese that are easy for beginners:

 

Soft cheeses – fresh, unripened soft cheese is a good place to start for beginners, because it involves the basic processes of cheesemaking without pressing and aging.

 

 

Acid cheeses –  Acid cheeses are another good episode to start for beginners. The recipes require only a few basic ingredients. These cheeses are made by combining heated milk with an acid, like vinegar or lemon juice to help the milk coagulate.

 

 

Hard cheeses – If you are looking to create a homemade cheese with a little tang, or if you are feeling very adventurous and want to jump right into making hard cheeses, here are a few good ones that are easier and will give you a feel for the basics of hard cheesemaking.

 

 

Ready to learn more related homemade goat cheese recipes?

First and foremost, the ingredients and  effort required for these recipes vary a bit hence, take a peek at each to see which looks most feasible for you.

 

 

Summerhill Dairy, Goat Milk 32 Fl Oz

Homemade Smoked Provolone Cheese

 

 

What is Provolone ?

 

Pronounced: proh-voh-LOH-nee

If you can imagine mozzarella with a fuller flavor, then you have imagined Provolone. It is a semi-hard Italian cheese, aged for a minimum of six months, and originated in Casilli near Vesuvius  where it is still produced in various shapes as in 10 to 15 cm long pear, sausage, or cone shapes. A variant of Provolone is also produced in Japan and North America.

 

Smoked cheese makes a wonderful addition to sandwiches. Now, you can create this great taste with the step-by-step instructions for the best homemade smoked provolone cheese.

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 4 gallons of raw goats milk
  • 1 teaspoon of type K or KL lipase powder dissolved into 1/3 cup of cool, non-chlorine water
  • 4 teaspoons of citric acid powder dissolved in 3/4 cup of cool, non-chlorine water. Allow this to sit for 5 minutes or more.
  • 1 teaspoon of rennet mixed in 1/4 cup of cool, non-chlorine water

 

 

Instructions making the Provolone Cheese

 

  • Warm 2 gallons of the milk to 86 degrees F
  • Mix in the dissolved lipase powder.
  • Keeping temperature at 86 degrees F, let milk set for 1 hour to incubate.
  • Add the dissolved citric acid to the remaining 2 gallons of cold goats milk. Then, add the cold milk to the 2 gallons of warm milk and bring the temperature to 86 degrees F.
  • Add the dissolved rennet to the combined 4 gallons of milk.
  • Allow to sit for 15 minutes or more. Whey will cover the top of the curds.
  • Now you are ready to cut the curds into 1/2 inch cubes.
  • Allow curds to settle to the bottom of the pot, and then slowly raise the temperature to 115 degrees during a 30 mins time frame while stirring.
  • And now, using a large dipper or stainless pot with a handle, remove the whey from the curds that have settled to the bottom of the pot. Leave enough whey to cover the matted curds.
  • Prepare ice water in a pan long enough for the desired length of your provolone cheese log.
  • Meanwhile, heat the whey that is covering the provolone log that you have begun shaping. Use a cloth that you drained the curds into to turn the log of provolone in the heated whey. Remove the heated whey and the provolone cheese log from the heat. Continue to lift the cloth to aid in shaping the log of cheese.
  • When cheese becomes smooth and firm enough to handle, place the cheese into the ice water. Avoid handling the cheese log as much as possible.
  • Do not rush the cooling process! If you have a wooden mold 3″x3″ and 10″ long, place the cheese log into the mold. After the cheese log chills, remove and rub with iodine free salt and cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator at 45 degrees and redress every two days for 8 or 10 days. If you are going to smoke the provolone cheese, do not uncover the cheese log.
  • After 10 days, wipe the cheese with cool water and pat dry.

 

 

Smoking the Provolone Cheese

 

  • Cold smoke your provolone cheese for approximately 4 hours. You can use small hickory chips, fresh from the woods or small sassafras twigs from sassafras trees.
  • Cold smoking cheese and meat is simple and inexpensive.
  • All you need is a clean metal bottomless garbage can and a soldering iron. Take an average size can of vegetables and partially cut the lid, leaving enough of the lid attached to close the can after filling it with wood chips. Be sure to remove the outside paper from the can, then wash and dry it.
  • Use tin snips to cut a round slot in part of the lid to allow you to put the soldering iron into the can filled with wood chips. Fill the can with small hickory chips or small sassafras twigs and place soldering iron into the can. Place garbage can on gravel and place the can with chips and soldering iron just under the metal bottomless garbage can. If you have a smoker, it will also work just fine.
  • And now, this is what makes it a cold smoker. Take a large box that will cover the top of your smoker and cut a hole in the bottom of the box, about a 6 inch diameter circle. Place the box on top of the smoker making sure that the box will receive all of the smoke. Place a rack a few inches above the bottom of the box and place this rack as far away from the 6 inch diameter hole as possible. This to allow the cheese to absorb the smoke and remain cool.
  • After about 15 minutes, unplug the soldering iron. Check the cheese, and if the cheese is dripping, then remove the cheese, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
  • Repeat the process until the cheese starts making a rind. The color of the cheese will have a slight yellow cast. Do not let the rind become too dried out and hard. Wax the cheese after it is smoked, so that other cheeses that are being aged do not become smoked. Age 6-8 months or more from date of being waxed.

 

Enjoy! The best Smoked Provolone Cheese.

 

 

More Hard Cheese Recipes , Check them out!

 

Velveeta

 

 

More related goat cheese recipes;

 

Fried goat cheese on platter

Fried Chevre                                         Baked Chevre Spread

 

 

 

 

Homemade Goat Velveeta Cheese

 

 

Velveeta is the brand name of a processed cheese product. Velveeta cheese has been a favorite of families since 1928, and is famously known as a type of American cheese with a texture that is smoother and softer. It is ideal in dips, sauces and grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

How to make Goat Velveeta Cheese?

 

First and foremost, make lactic goat cheese. Lactic cheese requires at least 12 hours to make and 12 hours to drip. But, you can shortened the drip time by constantly pressing the cloth that contains the curds. The drier the curds, the firmer the cheese will set.

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 gallon plus 1 pint of raw goats milk
  • 5 drops of liquid single strength rennet
    dissolved in 1/3 cup of non-chlorine or distilled water.
  • 4 tablespoons mesophillic C1 mother culture
  • 1 tablespoon butter (no goat butter or margarine)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • *Optional: 20-25 drops annatto

 

Instructions making the Lactic Goat Cheese:

 

  • Heat the milk slowly to 86 degrees. Turn off the heat and set the pot of milk aside. Add the mesophilic culture. Stir thoroughly.
  • Take 1 1/2 teaspoons of the well-dissolved rennet from the 1/3 cup mixture of rennet. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of rennet mixture to the milk at this time. Always stir the milk after adding rennet to prevent the milk from coagulating unevenly.
  • Put the lid on the pot and let it sit for 12 hours. This amount of time allows the cheese to become lactic.
  • After 12 hours or more, scoop the curds out and into a cloth-lined colander to drain for 10 to 20 minutes. Then, grab all 4 corners of the cloth holding the curds and hang to drip for 12 hours.

 

Ready to make Velveeta cheese?

 

  • Place the cheese in a mixing bowl, add the baking soda and salt and beat with mixer. Let sit for 30 minutes. The cheese will have a fluffy texture. Taste the cheese for flavor. Cheese will have a very smooth texture.
  • Now, use a double boiler over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir the cheese until the cheese begins to melt.
  • As cheese begins to soften, add annatto (*optional), which is yellow cheese coloring. Do not let the cheese melt too long. Spoon the semi-soft cheese from the pan into a small square plastic container.
  • Now, place the container down into shallow hot water. Water should not be very hot, but warm enough to soften the cheese within your plastic container. After cheese has settled in the container, use a large spoon and remove the butter and liquid that will be floating on top of the cheese.
  • Note: Decide what form you want to mold your cheese in, making sure it can be easily removed.
  • Place a small piece of plastic wrap on top of the cheese before placing the lid on the container. Allow the cheese to sit in the refrigerator for 4 hours or more. Let cheese sit out for about 5 minutes or more and remove.
  • Pour warm water over the bottom of the container to loosen the cheese.

 

Taste and enjoy Goat Velveeta Cheese!

 

 

Nutritional facts.

Per serving (1 ounce) contains 91Kcal Calories; – Fat 6g, Cholesterol 22mg, Protein 6g, Carbohydrates 1g, Potassium 56mg, Sodium 140mg, Sugar 1g.

 

 

More Hard Cheese Recipes. Check them out!

 

 

 

 

Fresh feta cheese slices                            Quark cheese in colander

Feta                                                             Quark Cheese