Goat's Milk

[jbehmoaras]

So I tried out making the yogurt and I was pleased with the taste but the yogurt was thinner than i expected and a little sticky although I'm not sure thats the right way to explain it ... if you take a spoonful and lift it out, theres a pretty long tail that follows. I dont know if any of you have experienced this before.

[Luckylies]

Make ricotta.

Heat milk to 185f add 1/3 cup white vinegar to break the curds. Strain through a fine chinois or double layered cheesecloth. Reserve the curds and drain until as soft or firm as you like. yum. You can also break the milk with sour cream thats been frozen and then thawed (it breaks). I did this last week and it was really really good.

Check out the paneer thread on the India thread. (um, yeah, I'm an idiot for not being able to post links after a year here...sorry)

Italianfoodforever.com has good cheese stuff too.

is the goats milk expensive?

[jbehmoaras]

The goats milk wasnt too cheap ... but it was from coach farms which is of tremendously high quality and i think mario batili and his wife are involved there ... for 32 oz i think i payed something like $5-7 i dont remember but the quality was excellent and there was still some cream layering on top which really showed that it came right from the farm and wasnt tampered with too bad.

[jbehmoaras]

Oh ... and thanks for the tip luckylies ... ill try that tonight when i get home from this "great" job doing trading and research on international securities

Edited July 18, 2006 by jbehmoaras (log)

[pigeonpie]

And why would you want to dring the whey straight up execpt for the fact that it has lots of nutrients in which case it may be good to blend into a smoothie

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Because, if you're weird like me, you'll like the taste of it when chilled from the fridge.

[pigeonpie]

So I tried out making the yogurt and I was pleased with the taste but the yogurt was thinner than i expected and a little sticky although I'm not sure thats the right way to explain it ... if you take a spoonful and lift it out, theres a pretty long tail that follows. I dont know if any of you have experienced this before.

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That's exactly the way mine turns out - I like it that way for some things - say putting on my breakfast muesli - but that's also why I suggested straining it, that way you can get it as thick as you like. Also, I think some milk produces more 'stretch' when you turn it into yogurt than others. I've never tried goat's milk, but I seem to remember that sheep's milk created a very 'stretchy' yogurt. I'd be interested to know why that is, if anyone knows?

You can do other things to create thicker yogurt such as adding powdered milk (never tried it), or boiling and boiling the milk to lose liquid that way (tried it once, took ages and, unsurprisingly, took on something of a boiled-milk taste, so never again), or, I suspect, adding in lots of thick cream, but it's very easy to just strain it, and if the point is to take advantage of some particularly nice milk, then it seems to me that's the method that mucks about with it the least.

[jbehmoaras]

Well I tried straining it with a triple layer cheesecloth but it was all going through ...

[jbehmoaras]

Alright so i followed the method described by luckylies and the result was something closer to greek yogurt than ricotta although there is some fine grain to it ... I'm not sure what i may have done wrong

[andiesenji]

The "gauze-type" so-called cheesecloth doesn't work very well. True cheesecloth, also known as "butter muslin" is a very fine weave and is perfect for straining yogurt, soft cheese, etc.

Williams-Sonoma carries it in individual squares just the right size for a large colander.

However you can buy unbleached muslin at a yardage store, wash it first in hot water to remove the sizing, then put through the washer again, without any soap or other additives.

Then cut to the size you need.

[Luckylies]

Alright so i followed the method described by luckylies and the result was something closer to greek yogurt than ricotta although there is some fine grain to it ... I'm not sure what i may have done wrong

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Did you use the vinegar or the sour cream? did you check out the Italian website? hmmm. I'm going to try with coach farm this weekend, I love their stuff, so we'll see. Keep trying, I like the sound of your experiments.

[maher]

you can also strain it in a paper coffee filter. if you stick one in a colander and put the yoghurt in it, that works fine

[pigeonpie]

Well I tried straining it with a triple layer cheesecloth but it was all going through ...

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It's possible that your yogurt didn't have time to thicken enough - next time try leaving it for a few hours longer and see if what results is thicker.

Otherwise, just use a thicker cloth - I actually use something a lot thicker than either cheesecloth or muslin, namely a tea towel, simply because that is what I have around. The only time everything runs through is if the yogurt has not 'yogurted' sufficiently because I have been impatient and not waited long enough for it.

Hope that helps.

[jbehmoaras]

Well I left it to rest for almost two days I think, maybe I didnt put in enough of the ready made yogurt into the original mixture ... and i also used goats milk yogurt even though I was told that any kind of yogurt would work anyway.

Did you use the vinegar or the sour cream? did you check out the Italian website? hmmm. I'm going to try with coach farm this weekend, I love their stuff, so we'll see. Keep trying, I like the sound of your experiments. 

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I used the vinegar to do it ... What it probably comes down to is that I made some mistake earlier in the process, maybe I didnt have the correct temperature ... I would love to hear how things work out for you when playing with coach farms products ... truly excellent stuff. Oh and record temperature if you have a thermometer handy.

[markemorse]

I'm hoping that Adventures is the right place for this, my thinking was that it's not an ingredient that everyone has ready access to....

Goat milk is rather popular in Holland, you can get it at most grocery stores next to the cow's milk. I bought my first carton last month and haven't stopped using it since, mostly in my coffee and tea. My question is: does anyone have any other fantastic uses for it, cooking suggestions, etc.?

The obvious ones are desserts (flan, pumpkin pie, and ice cream seem to be most common) and fresh cheeses/yogurts....but most of the recipes online seem to come from farms who sell goat milk, and not from chefs/cooks if you know what I mean. So, I guess this is a call for your goat milk success stories.

thanks!

mark

Edited September 1, 2006 by markemorse (log)

[Chufi]

I haven't cooked much with it, but I sure love it! I love to have it with crunchy muesli for breakfast. I think it would be wonderful for ricepudding, or a savoury custard.

btw mark have you ever been to the goatfarm in the Amsterdamse bos, whereeverything (from capuccino to icecream) is made with goatmilk?

[docsconz]

I like goat's milk on my breakfast cereal, but a great use for it and not too difficult to make is Mexican Cajeta, which is basically the same thing as Dulce de Leche except that it is made with goat's milk instead of cow's. It has a bit more complex flavor than Dulce de Leche. Cajeta is a great accompaniment to ice cream or fruit. It also goes well with yoghurt.

[LindsayAnn]

Never had straight goat milk on anything...havent even seen it and I shop everywhere in Chicago (all the way from Jewel which is a popular local grocery chain, to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Farmers Markets, tons of local cheese shops, Treasure Island (like Jewel a chain but only chicago-wide, not suburbs etc, Fox and Obel which is an upscale specialty market where Oprah even shops!), and more. Haven't seen a licking of goats milk for sale

One things for sure, I LOVE LOVE LOVE goat milk cheese, I am simply obsessed with it. Yum...I have about 8 varieties in my fridge right now, one from Pascal (a cheese shop in wrigleyville chicago) that is from a farm in Idaho and the cheese is a soft fresh milk goats cheese with big hunks of garlic right in it, and its wrapped in oak leaves. MMMM

[markemorse]

Hi all,

LindsayAnn, I really think you'd love goat milk itself then...we have to find you some. When you taste it, it's immediately obvious that what you're drinking is what provides the major kind of tangy flavor component that you associate with goat cheeses.

docsconz, cajeta's a great suggestion because i'm really not much of a dessert maker and cajeta seems like something i can handle.

I'm all over the breakfast cereal idea, but since it's gotten cooler here I've switched to oatmeal at the moment and it's very nice with apples, cinnamon, and a little geitenmelk.

and Chufi, I knew about the goat farm but I was imagining a "petting zoo" or something, I never considered that there was food involved. Anything specific you recommend? A good friend is an obsessive ice cream maker, I'll have to get her down there to help me research.

Thanks!

mark

[LindsayAnn]

Hi all,

LindsayAnn, I really think you'd love goat milk itself then...we have to find you some. When you taste it, it's immediately obvious that what you're drinking is what provides the major kind of tangy flavor component that you associate with goat cheeses.

docsconz, cajeta's a great suggestion because i'm really not much of a dessert maker and cajeta seems like something i can handle.

I'm all over the breakfast cereal idea, but since it's gotten cooler here I've switched to oatmeal at the moment and it's very nice with apples, cinnamon, and a little geitenmelk.

and Chufi, I knew about the goat farm but I was imagining a "petting zoo" or something, I never considered that there was food involved. Anything specific you recommend? A good friend is an obsessive ice cream maker, I'll have to get her down there to help me research. 

Thanks!

mark

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Thanks Mark! I agree...I must find me some goats milk. Its my new goal! I love the tangy feature in goat cheese products...one o f the reasons I love the fresh/soft varieties. I can really sense the 'tang'. Great Mark...now I am itching to make a cheese plate from my variety in the fridge (ever since I discovered my goat cheese love affair I have a daily, sometimes twice daily, plate of goat cheeses...with an average of 7-8 kinds on my plate. Yes, you heard that right. I have already had such a plate with my lunch, and then I had a small snackling (made up word) of cheese about an hour ago...and now YOU are making me want more! I spread some of each cheese on baguets or sourdough bread, and eat some of each plain...all creamy and crumbly mmmmmm....

I have an O'banon (wrapped in bourbon soaked leaves), a pyramid of goat cheese that is dusted with ash, one that is dusted with paprika, 4 varieties in little tupperwares (these 4 are really really soft/spreadable...but I still eat these plain!), and a few logs of goat cheese...of yeah and that little ball of garlic goat cheese, with whole cloves of soft roasted garlic right in it! I love all the cheese shops we have here in Chicago:

-Pascal on Braodway

-Sams Wine Depot ( i just discovered this one thanks to a shopper at my farmers market...it has fabulous goat, sheep, cow and even elk milk cheeses. Great Bries and Blues/Gorgonzoles as well!

-Binny's Wine depot

-Fox and Obel

-The Farmers Markets (many of them w. diff. vendors at each!

-Whole Foods

-Trader Joes

-Treasure Island

Edited September 2, 2006 by LindsayAnn (log)

[bigkoiguy]

I live in rural Alaska and actually milk my own goats -- though I don't sell the milk and keep it only for my household. In my experience, what you do with milk depends on the type of milk and its freshness.

VERY fresh, raw goats milk is sweet and rich, rarely with any tang though the diet of the animals will affect the overall flavor (floral overtones, oniony/garlicky, etc). I use it anywhere I use cow's milk and it is indistinguishable for most of my guests. I love goat's milk in ice cream as I find it smoother.

Pasteurized goats milk or goat's milk that is a week or so old will begin developing the characteristic goaty flavor that many people don't like. Hence, virtually all goat's milk you buy in the store will have that flavor. Some suggestions are cream or cheesy soups where the tang adds a bit of complexity (especially with smoked items), using it in baked goods, or making a sweet fruit smoothie (really interesting flavor).

I find canned goats milk awful. It shoudl be reserved only for those poor souls who cannot digest cow's milk but can't get fresh goats milk.

[markemorse]

thanks bigkoiguy!

I don't think I've had any raw goat's milk yet, but as Chufi posted above, there's apparently a goat farm 10 minutes from my apt where it sounds like I might be able to taste this.

What i'm drinking comes out of a 1-liter carton like any other milk you'd buy at the supermarket. One of it's great characteristics is a really fresh taste, it seems much more complex and "active" than cow's milk.

All of your suggestions sound good, I haven't coooked much this week, so haven't done anything newly interesting with it.

When my wife returns from holiday I imagine we'll get to some 'sperimentation with the goaty goodness.

thx

mark

[Andrew Fenton]

Sounds like you're maybe not so into desserty things. But if you change your mind, Philadelphia's Capogiro Gelato makes a rosemary goat milk gelato that is out of this world. You could give that a go.

[markemorse]

I'm totally into eating desserty things, I just don't cook them at all...my wife is the pastry chef/ice cream maker. That gelato sounds amazing...in fact, most of their flavors look devastating. Are they as good as they sound?

Regardless, the rosemary goatcheese gelato is going on the missus' "To Prepare" list* when she gets back....

thanks!

mem

* o, if there were acutally such a list....

Edited September 6, 2006 by markemorse (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

I'm totally into eating desserty things, I just don't cook them at all...my wife is the pastry chef/ice cream maker. That gelato sounds amazing...in fact, most of their flavors look devastating. Are they as good as they sound?

Better.

Oh, another totally natural combination is goat cheese and truffles. Goat milk isn't exactly the same, of course. But I bet you could figure out a clever way to pair it up...

[bigkoiguy]

I also forgot to mention one thing about goat's milk. Extremely "goaty" tasting fresh goat's milk could indicate that the milk was poorly handled during processing - either by contaminated milking vessels, failure to chill the milk quickly, dirty teats, or other means. Federal regulations also allow a certain bacterial concentration prior to pastuerization -- I suspect that this is often enough contamination to begin essentially fermenting the sugars in the milk, producing the off taste often found in commercial goats milk.