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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Goat Milk Gouda



Unlike many fancy European cheeses the cheeses of Holland are pleasingly mild. Gouda has a light clean buttery taste that everybody seems to love. When you're in the mood for something different hot pepper flakes or caraway seeds offer just two variations of this agreeable cheese.

If you are just getting started with cheese making you’ll notice that all recipes basically have the same ingredients, Milk, Rennet, Salt (or brine) and either Mesophilic (requires low temps) or Thermophilic (requires warmer temps) Culture.

For any recipe you can substitute Buttermilk for Meso and Yogurt for Thermo at a rate of 1/4c per gallon of milk. After you master the recipe you can order the more sophisticated cultures and enjoy the difference in flavor and texture.

What makes different types of cheese have their characteristic flavors is the process you take it through. Changing temperatures and times will make a huge difference in flavor and texture. Gouda is a mild, creamy cheese. To achieve proper texture you need to keep your temps low. So watch it really watch it close. To attain that mild Gouda flavor you will wash the curds with cool tap water to halt the progress of acidification.

Remember to sterilize everything with boiling water and/or bleach water (1/4 c bleach per gallon of water) I put everything into my cheese pot (stainless steal, not aluminum) and boil it. You can maintain low temps by placing your cheese pot in a sink of warm water but always check the temp of the sink water. I start with it 3-5 deg. Warmer that I need. So for this recipe which calls for 85* my sink water would be 90* This all sounds a lot more complicated than it is, I promise!

Goat Milk Gouda

Warm 2 gal goat milk to 85*
Add 1/2 tea Mesophilic culture. Stir with an up and down motion, not breaking the surface of the milk
Dilute 3/4 tea rennet to 1/2 c cool water, Stir well into cultured milk
Hold temp at 85* for 30 min. or until clean break
Cut curd into ½ inch cubes, let rest for 5 min., stir 5 min., let rest 5min.
Allow curds to sink to the bottom of the pot
Remove 6 cups of whey and add 6 cups of 140* water, stir 10 min.
Allow curds to sink to the bottom of the pot
Remove whey to level with the surface of the curd
add enough 110* water to bring the level back up to where it was
Stir 20 min. let rest 10min.
Allow curds to sink to the bottom of the pot
Drain curd

Place curds into a lined press (I use PlyBan instead of cheese cloth in my press, I love it)
Press
20lbs 20 min
flip and rewrap (so it won’t stick to the cloth or plyban)
30lbs 30min
Flip/Rewrap
Overnight at 30lbs

Submerge cheese in brine overnight
Air dry for a few days, ripen at 53* and 85% humility for a week or more, then wax or seal with a food sealer and age for 6 weeks or longer.



8 comments:

katlupe said...

I never thought of making Gouda. You are one busy lady! I will have to try this one too.

Marissa said...

I ought to try a food sealer for my aged cheeses. I've struggled with keep the cheese cave at the right humidity and the cheeses dry to much (even with waxing). I'm assuming this wouldn't be a problem with the sealer, right?

Christy said...

When I started cheese making I waxed my cheese but I thought it was messy, expensive and not worth the effort. I moved on to natural rinds. Even though they require more work they are soooo worth it. But still, any cheese over a year old was very dry. With much encouragement from fellow artisan cheese makers, I finally left my purest ways and tried the food sealer. WHY oh why did I wait so long?!? I still develop a natural rind but I seal the cheese within a few months. It's a no brainer for me now, lol!!

Pam's Pride said...

You make this sound so easy to do! I can't wait until I have more milk than I know what to do with! 4 more weeks and more goaties will start popping!! :)

Abby Jo @ Homesteaddryingracks.com said...

I just found your blog thru a friend, and I am in love! We live off grid and grow, bake, work with are hands. I went thru all your past posts and was inspired. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes and ideas.
- Abby Jo @ Forgotten Way Farms

Christy said...

Welcome aboard, I'm so glad you've joined us!!

What's Up with the Luthers said...

I have loved hands on farm living for a long time and we have had dairy goats for more than 10 years. For that entire time I have searched for a reliable gouda recipe that was easy enough to make. I look forward to giving this a go!

Alisha said...

forgive me, but i just can't get my "humility" level up to 85% for that long :) thanks for the recipe. i'll know in about 3 months if it tastes as good as i hope!