Goatucation - Goat's Milk Cheesemaking: Cheddar

It's another Monday so that means another Goatucation. We haven't covered all the cheeses that the publicist makes so I have another post in the goat's milk cheesemaking series. This time it is cheddar cheese. I know that a lot of you humans love cheddar cheese - it's the favorite of both the publicist and male person so she makes a lot of it!

The publicist starts as she always does with her big stainless steel pot full of two gallons of rich goat's milk. She then warms it to 88*

Then she adds 1/2 cup of cultured buttermilk. This time she used buttermilk she cultured herself! She used the buttermilk leftover from when she made butter! She just added some commercial buttermilk to it to culture and it was ready to go in a couple of days.  After the buttermilk ripened in the goat's milk for an hour she then adds a diluted rennet solution and lets the milk sit for 45 minutes until it curds up.

Then the publicist cuts the curds, lets them rest for 20 minutes and then she has to stir them gently while slowly bringing the temperature up to 98*. This is what the curds look like after all of that.

Then the curds get to sink to the bottom of the pot and rest for about half an hour. Then she pours off the whey and let the curds sit in her cheesecloth lined stainless steel colander for about 10 minutes.

Then they go back into her pot with 4 tsp. of kosher salt. She mixes them all up and they sit for an hour.

After this the curds get put into a cheesecloth lined cheese press.

The follower goes on - this is basically the wooden lid.

Then they sit with 15lbs of pressure for 20 minutes.

 

Doesn't it look like some kind of cheese torture device?

The cheese gets turned and re-wrapped three mored times; each time for longer periods at higher pressures. The last one being at 40lbs for 24 hours.

Then the cheese gets unwrapped and has to air dry for several days before it can be waxed.  
Next week the publicist will show you how she waxes her cheeses. 
An no, they are not hairy!
Heh heh.

Don't forget the sale in the publicist's shop. It ends tonight - 30% off and free shipping.


Tomorrow:  On the bark hunt.

SpokesGoat Notes

Today is a day full of SpokeGoating. I have several announcements for you regarding my rich soap! You know how much I like to talk about my rich soap. First I will put up my head shot because a good SpokesGoat always shows herself to her best advantage

 and I do like my head shot. I think it shows off my eyes very nicely.

Now, on to the announcements!

This is a big one; the publicist has found BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING for my rich soap! Isn't that exciting?! Now instead of cellophane that will live forever in the landfill my rich soap will be packaged in biodegradable type cellophane. I am very happy about this. So is the publicist and the male person.

Secondly the publicist has started listing my new scent for winter called First Snow. It smells like when you take a walk out in the snow! It's very fresh, clean and crisp. It's available in several shapes like plain bars

Goats Like to Eat Pine Trees

Abby and Nora

and others to come. Woo hoo for new scents. This is a limited edition so once it's gone, it's gone. In about a month we will have Berrywine in limited edition as well. Mmmmm, rich and heady like a glass of red wine. I will let you know when it is ready.

I hope you like this news from Happy Goat Soap. I like to think I am a good SpokesGoat.

Tomorrow:  Goatucation - Cheesemaking: Cheddar Cheese

Matthew Gets Around

That Matthew! He's quite the traveller that little kid. He was out exploring the other day and he had some adventures. I'm not sure the publicist was happy with him....

He spent some of his time eating the weeds over by the barn.

I have to admit, they are pretty tasty so I don't blame him.
He even munched on some wood. Mmmmm, wood

He then got into the garden and started eating the dead tomato plants.

Uh-oh!

Do you see what has happened? Matthew has gotten his halter caught in a tomato tower!

Good thing the publicist was there to help him.
It didn't bother him much as he went on to another plant and started nibbling.

Nothing keeps a goat from a good munch.


Tomorrow: I have a SpokesGoat Moment

AbbyDay - Buuuuuuurrrrpppp!

I hope that everyone had a nice day yesterday. I understand that you humans eat a lot on Thanksgiving. Well, I eat a lot everyday. It's just a goat's way. You have seen me at my best eating many tasty things around this Farm.  

Carrot tops

Broccoli plants

Beet Greens

But a doe has to eat, you know. If she doesn't she can't make the goat poop that fertilizes the garden around here. Hey, it's a fact of life! And I look STUNNING while I eat!


Burrrrppp!
erm, excuse me.

Just to let you know the publicist is having a BIG SALE in her jewelry shop! 30% off everything for this weekend only - from Friday through Monday.With FREE SHIPPING! And if you mention the word BLOG in the notes to seller you will get a free bar of Pricilla's rich soap. So it's a good time to buy yourself a present or to start your holiday shopping.

Or if you want to buy something for me I think blue would look best against my fur.

Happy Thanksgiving

 All of us at the Happy Goats Farm wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Have a wonderful day with your family and your erm, friends.

Have lots of yummy treats.

Then dance with joy!

And take a good nap.

 Enjoy this day of giving thanks. I am thankful for all of my goat friends, the publicist and apples.

Wordless Wednesday

The publicist has hired a shipping assistant.

Winter is Here - Ugh!

Well, it had to happen. This is Montana after all, not Arizona. 

It snowed. Not a lot but still....it is the beginning of many more snows to come. As I have said before I AM A NIGERIAN DWARF GOAT. I like it warm. This cold stuff is for the birds. Like penguins.

When we came down from the barn we all ran into our goat houses. This is what the publicist saw. You can see Jillian peaking out and where Matthew when sliding down the side of the little goathouse. Silly Matthew! And you can barely see me trying to hide from the snow. I am no dummy!

 I sat in mine just looking out at the grey weather and watching the snow fall.

Mallory sat in hers waaaaay in the back eating her hay. You wouldn't even know she was there except you can see her ears.

Matthew, still a kid, doesn't much care about the snow yet. He was out running about. He eventually came up to his nanny's house to have a bit of a munch. He has to keep eating to fuel all that energy!

Abigail went in the big goat house and was eating so quickly her head was blurry. Jillian was there too but she was busy looking outside to see what was going on.

Now Luke, sometimes he is a little odd. I love my studmuffin but he stands out in the bad weather and bellows. When the sun comes THAT is when he goes in his little goat house.  I really wonder about him sometimes.

Silly Luke. It's a good thing love is blind.
I hope we don't have more snow for a long, long time.

Tomorrow:  I am in SpokesGoat Mode

Goatucation - Making Goat's Milk Cheese: Ricotta

Here I am again with another in the cheesemaking series using my rich milk. The publicist is very happy with the cheese she makes with my rich milk because my milk is so, well rich!
Today's lesson is going to be on ricotta cheese which she makes with the whey leftover from making another cheese like Parmesean or Cheddar.

By definition WHEY is the liquid leftover after milk has been curdled and strained. It's what remains after cheesemaking. Now, not all wheys are good for making ricotta! It has to be a whey from a cheese that used a higher concentration of rennet. For example: any of the hard cheeses. You cannot use the whey from chevre because the amount of rennet used is too little.

The publicist takes about a gallon of whey and adds a quart of my rich milk. She heats this to 195*. Oooooh, hot!

When the mixture reaches the right temperature she turns off the heat and adds in the juice of a lemon - about 1/4 cup.


She stirs and stirs until little tiny curds start to appear. This is the ricotta!



She then pours it into a cheesecloth lined stainless steel colandar where it drains for about 20 minutes.

Then it goes into a container where she adds salt to taste and it's ready to use.

She is planning to make raviolis this week. 
I hope you enjoyed another cheese making lesson.


Tomorrow:  Snow?!


Be sure to stop by the publicist's blog and enter her giveaway for a Butter Bell Butter Crock - it ends tonight!

FQFAZUA24GXM

We Get to Graze?!

I thought I heard the publicist say that we were going to go out for a graze. This would be exciting news in the winter. We very rarely get to go out of our pen after the summer is over. Oooh, could it be true?

Mallory was very excited at the idea.

At last! Freedom!
Abby went to her favorite spot over by the publicist's new house and started to munch.

Little Matthew decided it might be wise to watch her and see what he could learn. Not to mention find what he could munch.

Jillian and Mallory were just chasing each other around.

Then Jillian just went running and running. She had a good time!

Mallory decided to then chase Abby! She even took a bit of a munch on Abby's head!

I was a good goat and just munched the little bits of green grass and weeds I could find. Mmmm, they taste so good!

Soon it will be nothing but snow on the ground. It was nice to get a little bit of a taste of Spring.

Hey! Guess what? If you head over to Just Another New Blog you can enter to win my rich soap! How cool is that? The giveaway ends tonight so hurry up and enter!


Tomorrow: Goatucation - The Cheesemaking Continues: Ricotta

Matthew is Growing Up!

Little Matthew is well, little no more! He was getting so big and hard to carry that the publicist had to put a goat halter on him. It was time. Doesn't he look cute?

This way the publicist can try and teach him to walk on a lead. She should have done it by now but she has been lazy. He looks particularly striking with his black fur and red halter. He was out for a graze the other day and was munching a dried weed.

He has adjusted well now, but he wasn't happy at first. But he sure knows how to turn on the cute, wouldn't you say?

The publicist is hoping to be able to keep Matthew as a friend for Luke. I think my little studmuffin could use a friend - as long as it is not a doe.


Tomorrow: More grazing

I'ts AbbyDay! I Received a Fan Letter

So there, Pricilla! The publicist told me that I, I Abby, got a fan letter. Not Pricilla. Ha! Someone wrote and said that AbbyDay was the best day on the blog. Ha! again I say! That makes me think that I could be a star. Just look at me! Look at how my fur glistens in the sun.

I could be on one of those CSI shows. See here? I am sniffing out the evidence.

Or I could play the tough goat in a Die Hard movie. Just take a gander at my mean look .

I could even do a Stephen King movie - don't I look scary? Or maybe just a little crazed...

And despite what that Pricilla says about me I can play sweet too. Don't you just want to give me a scratch between the horns?

I'm ready for my close up Mr. Spielberg!

What do you all think? 
What role do think I would play best?
I hope you enjoyed today's AbbyDay.

Tomorrow:  Matthew shows off his new halter.

The publicist asked me to remind you that today is the last day for the giveaway on her blog of the 18" x 24" Poster Print from Digital Room so head on over and check it out!