Chevre Cheese

Chevre is a soft cheese made from goat milk. The consistency is similar to cream cheese, but the flavor is different because it is made from whole milk, not cream.

By itself, chevre doesn't have a lot of flavor. It is good mixed with herbs as a dip or spread. It also makes a very good cheesecake. The flavor is different from a cream cheese cheesecake, but still very good.

One nice thing about chevre is how easy it is to make. 

A standard batch that makes about four cups of cheese is made from five quarts of milk.

Heat the milk to 86 degrees, then add 1/2 cup of cultured buttermilk and three tablespoons of diluted rennet. Diluted rennet is made by adding three drops of rennet to 1/3 cup of cold water. 

Cover the cheese pot and let set for 12 to 18 hours. The cheese curd should be solid and will break when you poke it (like the cheddar cheese). 

Line another pot with a cheese cloth and scoop the curd into it.

Now comes a trick that I learned watching a YouTube. Hold two corners of the cheese cloth in each hand.
Roll the cheese back and forth in the cloth.

This will release a lot of the whey from the curd. The first few times I made chevre there was a lot of whey left in the curd when I finished hanging it (you will see that in a minute). This rolling activity has improved the consistency of the cheese.

Tie the opposite corners of the cheese cloth together so you can hang it to drain.


 

Frank put this hook right under the edge of the upper cabinet just for hanging our cheeses. It works great and is not noticeable when not in use.

Next, hang the cheese and let it drain for 12 to 15 hours. I usually time this so the cheese will hang overnight. This way it won't be in the way during the day. 

There will still be a little whey puddled on the cheese in the morning, but it can easily be poured off. The consistency is semi firm, it will keep it's shape but is very soft.

We like to mix one cup of chevre with one tablespoon of dried onions and one teaspoon of salt. This is good with veges from the garden.

Freezing doesn't change the flavor or consistency of chevre. It will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks.






I think it's about time for another cheesecake. That means we will need to make some graham crackers for the crust. 

Until next time - Fern