Goat Milk

 

What does Queso Fresco means ?

 

Queso Fresco means Fresh Cheese and is semi-soft cheese. I prefer cheese with lots of flavor, and this Queso Fresco has many variations. Queso Fresco is of Latin American origin. It is lightly pressed and ready to eat in just a few days.

 

Correct temperatures are very important in cheese making, so ensure to use a good thermometer. The easiest way to control the temperature of the curds is to use a homemade double boiler. Place the cheese making pot into the canning kettle and place on the stove. Fill the canner with water up to the level of the milk in the cheese making pot. Then place a thermometer in the water of the canner as well as the milk. This way you can tell the temperature of the water, which in turn, helps you control the temperature of the milk and curds.

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 gallons of unpasteurized goat milk

• 4 oz. mesophilic culture

• 1/4 tsp. calf lipase powder (mild “piccante”)

• 1/2 tsp. Liquid rennet dissolved in 1/4 Cup water

• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt .

 

 

 

 

Directions:

 

• Bring the milk to 86° and add the mesophilic culture and lipase. Stir well and let set, to ripen, for 1 hour. Add the rennet and stir briskly for 15 seconds. Cover the pot and let the milk set for 45 minutes, or until you get a clean break. Hold the milk at a temperature of 86° for the entire time.
• Cut the curds into 1/4″ pieces with a stainless steel knife. This always seem to be the trickiest part of cheese making, but take your time, and don’t worry if all the curds are not cut to exactly 1/4″. After you have cut the curds, do not stir them yet. Let them rest, undisturbed for 10 minutes
• Now, you can stir the curds and cut any that you had missed. If you stir the curds with a big wire whisk, this will cut any curds you missed automatically. Raise the temperature of the curds to 95° over the next 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the curds do not stick together. Let the curds settle for 5 minutes, undisturbed.
• Drain the whey from the curds. You can conserve drained whey and use for whey based cheese making like Ricotta. Now, leave the curds in their cheese making pot that is placed inside the canner. Make sure the water in the canner is kept at 95° and this will allow you to hold the curds at a temperature of 95°. Hold the curds at 95° for 10 minutes, stirring with your hand occasionally so that the curds don’t stick together.
• After you have held the curds for at 95° for 10 minutes, stir in the salt. At this point in the cheese making you could spice up your cheese by adding some herbs, such as chives, or even minced jalapena peppers, if you’d like.
• Line a cheese mold with cheesecloth and add the curds. Press the cheese at 10 pounds for 10 minutes, remove it from the press, flip it over and place it back in the press. Continue pressing at 20 pounds for 1 hours and then raise the weight to 35 pounds for 6 hours.
• After it has pressed for six hours, remove the cheese from the mold and let it air dry on a rack overnight. The next day, put it in a ziploc bag or wrap it and refrigerate the cheese for several days before testing. Honestly, it is worth the wait. If you taste the cheese too soon, it may seem “rubbery”. Additionally, the flavor will develops during the short “aging” process.

 

The Queso Fresco cheese will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. My previous experience proved that this cheese does not freeze well.

 

 

Additional Cheeses Recipes,  Click the link to view the details.

 

 

Related topic for you;

 

• Provolone Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

Various goat milk products including fresh milk, milk powder, fermented, frozen, condensed and dehydrated milk, and skin care products are produced in many countries. Goat milk plays a vital role in our body and skin as well.

 

As we age, the changes in our bodies create challenges for sufficient nutrient intake and absorption. Goat milk and dairy goat products provide good source of protein, calcium, minerals, vitamins and beneficial fats to fulfill elderly adults nutritional requirements.

 

Normally, elderly adults lack the motivation to cook nutritional meals especially if it has been their daily routine throughout their entire life. Therefore, dairy goat products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt which do not require cooking or preparation, when combined with other nutritious, ready-to-eat foods like fruits, bread or crackers, can provide a nutrient-dense, protein-rich meal with little effort.

 

Elderly adults with gum and mouth problems, like dentures or missing teeth, along with reduced saliva production, create problems chewing and swallowing solid foods. Goat milk and soft cheeses require no or little chewing, and can be combined with other soft foods to provide variety, like pureed fruits.

 

Many elderly adults tend to drink less than optimal amounts of liquids due to reduce sensation of thirst. Milk is nearly 90 percent water, and can provide hydration in a form that many elderly adults find more appealing than water. Milk is also easily flavored to suit particular tastes.

 

Some elderly adults take diuretics, which cause elevated excretion of important minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium. Goat milk has 134 per cent more potassium than cow milk, and also has higher levels of magnesium.

 

Food moves more slowly through the gastrointestinal tract of the elderly adults , often resulting in constipation. Goat milk is highly digestible and 100 per cent of the protein in milk is absorbed before it reaches the large intestine. Cultured goat milk products, such as yogurt, buttermilk and kefir, also contain bacteria that are beneficial to gastrointestinal health.

 

Elderly adults often complaint of lack of appetite, their taste have changed and the texture of many foods are disagreeable. Lack of appetite combined with reduced nutrient absorption can cause weight loss and dwindling muscle tissue. Whole goat milk is calorie and protein-rich, containing more fat, protein and amino acids than cow milk. Goat milk and dairy goat products have mild taste and the smooth textures are usually easily accepted. They are also easy to blend with cooked foods and milk, plain yogurt or sour cream can be used to moisten foods which would otherwise be dry or difficult to chew.

 

 

Skin Care

 

Goat milk is also great for your skin because it is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins as well as high in lactic acid which helps exfoliate dead skin cells and soften your skin. Elderly skin care is a very important health concern for aging adults. While our skin is generally ignored throughout life unless we have a cut, a rash, an itch, or a burn, etc., Skin is our largest and important organ – adults carry some 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) and 22 square feet (2 square meters) of it,  and the  skin plays a much bigger role than just holding everything together in one package.

 

Healthy skin keeps infectious agents from entering the body, synthesizes essential vitamin D from sunlight, manufactures vitamin D for converting calcium into healthy bones and provides our sensation of touch through the various nerves running throughout.

 

The hallmark of goat milk is its gentleness and nutritive properties in digestion, but those same properties carry over to the skin care products, as well. Goat milk skin care products are especially suited for caring for the special challenges that aging skin presents.

 

For cleansing, goat milk soap has the benefits of a lower pH, making it more friendly to the skin’s protective acid mantle, and a high fat content that supplies moisture, while gently removing dirt and dead skin cells.

 

Goat milk soaps also come in a vast array of combinations that include nourishing herbs and other natural ingredients tailored for specific skincare needs. Read the labels or inquire as to the suitability of particular ingredients for elderly skin care, or for other special skin care needs.

 

Creams, lotion and body butters made from goat milk are also especially nourishing for elderly skin. The special fat and protein molecules from goat milk, along with an array of vitamins and minerals, are easily absorbed through the skin, providing hydration, a protective moisture barrier, and nourishment for the skin all at the same time.

 

Isolated rough patches of skin might also benefit from the application of a homemade facial solution containing goat milk yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk. These fermented products contain lactic acid, one of the alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), known for helping to remove dead surface layer skin cells to leave skin smoother.

 

These goat milk versions of alpha hydroxy acid contain no additional chemicals or preservatives and are not as harsh as commercial products.

 

Conclusion, goat milk and dairy goat products provide an immediate source of energy and important nutrients to you and elderly adults. Additionally, it is also vital to nourish skin from the inside out. Proper nutrition is an imperative component in elderly skin care.

As the saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding.” – That pudding was made with goat milk, right?

If you or an elderly loved one suffers from dry, itchy skin, try a cleansing and hydration program based on goat milk. Products are widely available, and come in a range of scents or unscented and added ingredients.

 

 

 

DIY Goat Milk Lotion

 

Raising goats is not just about drinking their milk but it is great in other DIY skin care products as well. You can use it to make Goat Milk Bath or even this beautiful Goat Milk Lotion Recipe.

Making Goat Milk Lotion is an easy and  simple process that any individual can master.

 

Goat Milk Lotion Recipe:

 

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon beeswax
• 2 Tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
• 2 Tablespoon palm oil
• 3 Tablespoon sweet almond oil
• 1 Tablespoon apricot oil
• 1 Cup warm goats milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vitamin E oil
• 1/2 Cup Aloe Vera gel

 

 

Procedures:

 

Melt beeswax and palm seed oil together. Remove from heat. After melted, add the sweet almond oil, pumpkin seed oil and apricot oil. With a blender, slowly add the warm goat milk to oil/wax mixture. Add Vitamin E oil as mixture begins to thicken. Beating until mixture thickens and cool to room temperature. Add aloe vera gel to the cooled lotion and blend well one final time. Since goat milk is used it is recommended adding a preservative to extend shelf life. Store in air-tight containers.

 

 

Experiment with different brands and varieties to find one that works best for your special needs.

 

Of course, homemade products are almost guaranteed to be less irritating and more moisturizing than commercial products, not to mention less expensive!

 

 

Want more fun DIY Skin Care recipes? Check out our other soaping post as well.

 

 

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Now that you have make your Cajeta, you can still continue to make your Goat Milk Butter.

As a result of the composition of goat milk butter the product has a lower melting point than regular butter, making it easy spreadable and ideally suited to applications such as the production of ice-cream! Goat milk butter does not contain carotene, so the product possesses a clear, white color. Goat milk butter is suitable for use in a wide range of applications, such as in the ice-cream, cosmetics and flavoring industries; and in the catering industry, as an ingredient in sauces, but also to fry meat.

 

 

Basic Requirements:

 

• Fresh, strained Goat Milk
• Cream Separator
• Candy thermometer
• Blender
• * Optional – Butter coloring

 

 

Creating butter from your fresh goat milk is more nutritious for you than store bought butter because there are no preservatives. It is also just plain fun. With this method, you will be able to make butter quickly. No need for slow butter churns. The recipe serves 16.

 

1. Goat milk is naturally homogenized, unlike cow milk, so you will need a cream separator and separate the cream from the milk.
2. Bring the goat milk to 55 degrees either by warming or cooling in a warm or cool water bath. (pan in the sink works fine)
3. Pour the cream into your blender. Only fill 3/4 full.
4. Add butter coloring or yellow food coloring if desired. Goat milk butter will be a clean, white color in it’s natural state.
5. Place top on blender and begin blending your cream with short bursts of speed. On/off for a few seconds at a time. The butter will form quickly.
6. Pour excess liquid out of the blender.
7. Remove butter from blender and place into a colander and rinse with very cold water.
8. Put your rinsed butter onto a cutting board. Add 1/2 tsp per pound of butter (or to taste).
9. Mix the salt into the butter with a spatula. Keep removing excess liquid. May help to have a towel underneath your cutting board to absorb any possible mess. Keep working the butter so you can remove as much liquid as possible.
10. Place butter in a mold of your choice. Purchased molds are a lot of fun but you can also improvise and use things you may already have on hand. You can even use a glass square cake pan and then cut bars from it after it cools.
11. Wrap molded butter up in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze.

 

 

 

Nutritional facts

Per serving (1 teaspoon) contains 102 Calories; – Total Fat 10.8g, Cholesterol 33.8mg, Sodium 81.7mg, Carbohydrate 0.9g, Sugars 1g, Protein 0.9g, Calcium 22.2mg, Potassium 32.2mg, Phosphorus 19.4mg 

 

 

 

More related Goat Cheese recipes for beginners;

 

Smoked Provolone