# Milk coming out my ears!



## katie

I am milking four goats and I am getting about 2 and a half gallons a day not including the milk my babies drink. I have so much milk and we make pudding and ricotta. But I would love to see some of you favorite recipes for milk.  So please post your recipes so we can all enjoy them.


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## xymenah

Kefir is great. I love making butter, whip cream, ice cream, sherbert, fudge, sour cream. Caramel and Cajeta really uses some up. Its time consuming but delicious and worth it. You can make some creamy soups or gravies too. Most of the recipes I use are in the cooking corner but some are my moms substituted with goats milk so those are family secret.


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## katie

I don't have a cream remover. is there any other way to do it? Most of your recipes are from cooking corner? I'll search there. I love the taste of goat butter though.


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## happybleats

Jalapeno cheese  (Basically vinegar cheese)
1 gallon milk
1/4 cup juice from a jar of Jalapenos
Bring milk to a soft boil....add juice stir to separate curds and whey
drain in cheese cloth 
salt to taste...
add chopped jalapenos if desired...
completely drain ...squeezing cheese cloth gentle
cool and enjoy...

We also make home made pudding...pudding pops too
Mozzarella
Ice cream


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## liz

I make yogurt and alot of the other things suggested as well as use a good bit in my soapmaking.

You can also make a simple sherbert using an envelope of unsweetened koolaid...... any flavor you like but orange and fruit punch are a favorite here.
3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 envelope kool aid
Blend all together and place in a shallow container, freeze for an hour to an hour and a half, use electric mixer and mix, freeze again for an hour and repeat. Very good stuff!


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## xymenah

You don't need a cream separator to get cream. I don't have one. All you have to do is set a fresh jar of milk in the back of the frig for at least 24 hours undisturbed then skim the cream off the top with a spoon. I bend a spoon then use it to get the cream to stick to it and then scrape it off the spoon into a jar to freeze. I do this once a day untill the milk starts to turn but you don't have to do it that often.


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## katie

OH jalapeno cheese! I personally don't think I'd enjoy that. We have tried yogurt and it didn't taste that great. the scimming seems like a great idea I'll have to try it. I love hearing all you ideas. I misunderstood one of the things about the cream. Did you say that you froze the cream? just wanted to have some clarification.


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## katie

happybleats said:


> Jalapeno cheese  (Basically vinegar cheese)
> 1 gallon milk
> 1/4 cup juice from a jar of Jalapenos
> Bring milk to a soft boil....add juice stir to separate curds and whey
> drain in cheese cloth
> salt to taste...
> add chopped jalapenos if desired...
> completely drain ...squeezing cheese cloth gentle
> cool and enjoy...
> 
> We also make home made pudding...pudding pops too
> Mozzarella
> Ice cream


 I'd love you mozzarella recipe and the ice cream recipe too.


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## xymenah

Yeah I save it up in the freezer and add the new to the frozen untill I get enough to make something.


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## katie

Alright. I will try that! thank you so much.


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## katie

I'd love to hear some more recipes! especially easy quick ones. Any other ideas?


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## 8566

fertilizer -
I read some place that this guy used diluted milk on his field and the field grew wonderfully.

I dilute my goats milk and feed my trees.


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## katie

how do you delute it? I'll keep that in mind when it gets too old or the goat steps in it.


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## peggy

I must try that sherbet recipe, liz!! Sounds delicious. I also heard about milk on the garden, I haven't tried it but would.


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## 8566

with water. I don't even bother to mix it up. I pour the bad/old milk around the tree and then hit it with a hose. If I was doing a field I would mix it up with water in a sprayer.


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## katie

very interesting. I'll have to try that.


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## katie

I'd really like a mozzerella recipe and a ice cream recipe. Can anyone supply me with that?


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## Frosty1

fiascofarm.com Has a mozzarella recipe on their cheese page!  They also have lots of other types of cheese recipes. I LOVE the Queso Fresco and make it almost daily. Lol Try it with garlic and basil mixed in! :d


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## katie

I have made Queso but garlic and basil sounds delicious. I'll have to try that.


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## Terra Mia

YUM!! Jalapeno Cheese sounds great!! We bought an electric ice cream maker so we could use some of our extra milk. We also freeze it and use it for bummer lambs, chickens, and market pigs. I work in a school with an Ag program and I will often give kids milk to feed to their fair project pigs to help them gain weight. 

Cheese...we make chevre and freeze it...(we like the garlic herb the best...yum!!!)


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## katie

What is Chevre? I'd love a recipe. or is it just a fancy word for a common cheese?


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## xymenah

katie said:


> What is Chevre? I'd love a recipe. or is it just a fancy word for a common cheese?


 It is a simple cheese. You can find a recipe here.

http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/chevre.htm


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## katie

that sounds great! I'll have to try it. Is Rennet expensive? we have some right now but I want to know in the future. Where do you get your Rennet?


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## xymenah

katie said:


> that sounds great! I'll have to try it. Is Rennet expensive? we have some right now but I want to know in the future. Where do you get your Rennet?


I get mine from the New England Cheese Making. http://www.cheesemaking.com/


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## katie

I will keep that in mind when we get more. What is your favorite thing you've ever made out of goat cheese?


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## Frosty1

I order my rennet from http://www.dairyconnection.com/. 

I made a killer batch of baked ziti the other day using goat cheese! That was amazing!


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## katie

Baked ziti sounds good. Where did you get your recipe? Can I have it?


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## Frosty1

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_ziti/ There ya go!  I just substituted all of the cheeses for my cheese. A soft type does well to replace ricotta, etc. The garlic/basil cheese is amazing in it!


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## fivefoldfarms

Make fresh Cheeve. Heat whole milk to 165 add citric acid (spoonful at a time) till it separates, drain in muslim and add what ever flavors you want. I do this in the food processor and then drain a little more to thicken. Makes a great spread for bagels, crackers, toast. One of our favorites is Garlic and roasted red pepper, McCormick spice blend at your grocers. Another good one is to add some Mrs. Dash and sundried tomatoes. Yummy. My hubby loves horseradish and bacon for a bit of a kick. Use your imagination here. Hope this helps. Been making this for over a year now and have many people request my goat cheese. You can then take the whey and add it to cheap all stock and feed to chickens, they love it and all that natural protein will boost egg production!!! Good for pigs as well.


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## katie

so it's like ricotta except you don't heat it to the same tempreture?


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## FarmerJen

You guys are making me hungry!!!  I can't wait to be swimming in goat milk! 3 weeks and counting till the kids come! I'm going to try to wait two weeks after that to start milking moms... but I dont know if I'll be able to or not! LOL 

As for milk diluted on the garden - I've heard that spraying milk is a good, natural way to get rid of powdery mildew on squash and such. Definitely worth a shot! We fight powdery mildew every year around here and thus far I haven't found anything that works well. Good use for older goat milk - or like someone else said - stepped-in goat milk.


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## katie

today we had friends over and made 4 big pots of cheese. One was ricotta one was queso one was chevre and one was cottage cheese. The cottage cheese didn't turn out well We re going to find another recipe. This recipe had you boil it for two minutes and then add vinigar and get out all wetness. Does that sound like what you do if you've done cottage cheese?


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## mjs500doo

katie said:


> today we had friends over and made 4 big pots of cheese. One was ricotta one was queso one was chevre and one was cottage cheese. The cottage cheese didn't turn out well We re going to find another recipe. This recipe had you boil it for two minutes and then add vinigar and get out all wetness. Does that sound like what you do if you've done cottage cheese?


A simple farmers cheese using vinegar can be either cottage cheese (then add cream after done), or pressed to make a nice soft cheese. We use a simple vinegar recipe if we want something quick and easy.


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## katie

I found another recipe that looks good. We used up all of our milk but we are quickly getting more.


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## mjs500doo

katie said:


> I found another recipe that looks good. We used up all of our milk but we are quickly getting more.


Lol have the same problem here!!


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## katie

HOw many goats do you have?


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## mjs500doo

katie said:


> HOw many goats do you have?


Milking 4 FF by hand now, 5 by the end of the month, and 8 by the end of next month. All standard Saanen and Alpine.


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## katie

wow that's a lot. I'm milking a 7 year old a 6 year old a 5 year old and a ff. I feel like I'm getting a lot of milk. I couldn't imagine milking 8 by hand!


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## DDFN

liz said:


> I make yogurt and alot of the other things suggested as well as use a good bit in my soapmaking.
> 
> You can also make a simple sherbert using an envelope of unsweetened koolaid...... any flavor you like but orange and fruit punch are a favorite here.
> 3 cups milk
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 envelope kool aid
> Blend all together and place in a shallow container, freeze for an hour to an hour and a half, use electric mixer and mix, freeze again for an hour and repeat. Very good stuff!


Liz thank you for this. You don't know how horrible this was for me  I now have no room in my freezer :shades: I made about 8 gallons of sherbert so far but had to stop. . . I need a bigger freezer!!! Oh but it tastes better then store bought. I am really getting over loaded with milk right now and I still have some does still nursing kids and not being milked. . . I just ran out of mason jars today and have one "whole" refrigerator full of grade A raw milk and trying to figure out what all to do with it. Looks like this will be a cheese week.

So when you guys freeze your cheese how do you package it and how long does it freeze for?

i need to make soap and lotion with all my frozen milk if anyone has any cool recommendations.

Thanks for the ideas


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## katie

We package ours in bags and old plastic containers. We prefer plastic containers for cheese like ricotta, chevre, and queso. I don't know how long it can stay in the freezer. 
I would like a recipe or whatever you call it for lotion. I'm really interested in making lotion and soap.


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## xymenah

Cheese will last over a year in the freezer if packaged right. Before I had goats I kept a 20lb block of chevre in my freezer and chucked off some when ever I needed it. Chevre can also be substituted for cream cheese for any cheese cake recipe.


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## DDFN

katie said:


> We package ours in bags and old plastic containers. We prefer plastic containers for cheese like ricotta, chevre, and queso. I don't know how long it can stay in the freezer.
> I would like a recipe or whatever you call it for lotion. I'm really interested in making lotion and soap.


Here is one that I have used before but it takes a fair amount of stuff. I have been looking for a more simpler type recipe for lotion but this one works fine if you don't mind having a lot of stuff in your supply cabinet.






xymenah: Thank you. I actually have never frozen the cheese since I am kind of a goat cheese addict. . . sorry it's true, I may need help. Without self control I could eat all the cheese I would make in one day, I love the stuff especially the chevre with garlic and herbs in it!!! It goes great crumbled in pasta or spread on crackers too! Or on pizza's. . .


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## katie

thanks. Does this recipe work well for you?


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## DDFN

I like it and it works well but I like to try to stay a bit simpler if I can. My only reason for not being head over heals crazy about this one is the fact it takes me forever to get supplies in from bramble berry. I don't know if anyone else has had extremely long wait times from them but their supplies are wonderful quality but the last order I had took about 4 months to receive my items. In my opinion, if I have to wait more then 2 weeks to receive my supply order then it's not worth the hassle.


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## katie

wow that's a long time. So you haven't found any other recipe that you like? Well if you do I'd like to know. I'm going to watch it.


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## katie

Oh my goodness that is a lot of stuff that I don't have! Is it really expensive?


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## Abra

I have a fairly simple mozzarella recipe that doesn't take all that long. I will see if I can find it.
HappyBleats, I just made your Jalapeno recipe, and OMG it is AMAZING! Thank you SO much for sharing!

One of my family's favorites is a soft-cheese, spreadable. I think it's like the Chevre, or whatever you guys call it. The cheese is delicious, and also retains all the nutritional value of the milk curd, because it is NOT boiled. Just slightly heated.








Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 Gallon of Milk (GOAT milk ofcourse!) YUM!
4 teaspoons of citric acid

Items needed:
FIRE
Ceramic Pot (large enough for 1 gallon of milk)
Cheese cloth (Or pantyhose)
Teaspoon
Wooden Stirring spoon

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, heat milk to 115 degrees, then remove from heat.
Stir in 4 teaspoons of citric acid and stir for 15-20 seconds, then let stand for 25-30 minutes.
Slowly pour into cheese-cloth, and let drip for 6-10 hours or longer by hanging above the pot (to collect the whey).
Once it has dripped to the consistency you desire, remove from cheese-cloth, put in a bowl, and mix in whatever flavoring you want.
It's ready to serve! (keep refrigerated)

NOTE: The longer you let the cheese drip, the drier, and more 'crumbled' it will become.


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## katie

I'll have to try that recipe too. 
I'd love to have your mozzerella recipe if I can. My main downfall is that I like easy easy recipes and if they take over an hour I start getting impatient.


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## katie

Where do I get citric acid? I am a newbie at making most cheeses that use more than milk and vinegar. 
Can you make cream cheese out of goat milk? How?


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## Abra

I get both my rennet and my citric acid on eBay. Cant beat the prices if there is a good deal.


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## happybleats

> HappyBleats, I just made your Jalapeno recipe, and OMG it is AMAZING! Thank you SO much for sharing!


Glad you liked it...My daughter make it often and even sells to her dads coworkers lol...
now we are trying the soft cheese recipe you shared...Im not patient..I dont like waiting 6 weeks or longer to taste the cheese lol...


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## katie

I am not patient either. Have any of you tried squeeky cheese? If do I've heard it can be dangerous so do you have tips?


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## happybleats

Not heard of squeaky cheese....why would it be dangerous ?? I have a friend who makes hard cheese 3-4 times a week..UGH..she loves it lol


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## katie

I really like hard cheese! I just haven't made it. I've just hear d about how the making process can be dangerous but I may have dreamed it. LOL


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## DDFN

I actually get my citric acid on amazon because it is fair priced and ships fast. Please feel free to share more recipes. . I think I have about 10 gallons in the refrig now waiting to be turned into something nice. How long do you guys keep your milk? In most of my cases mine keeps for about 2 weeks but after that I normally use it on the land (mainly around the trees or in the garden).

I am just running out of room in my refrig's and freezers. I really need to get a deep freeze soon. At least I should have healthy bones as much milk as I drink!


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## katie

I Keep mine for about two weeks too. What types of cheese have you made? The problem Is that I don't drink much milk. I really need to get over my dislike of goaty taste.


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## Abra

Ok, here is the Mozzarella recipe:
(This is not aged cheese, but still turns out to be a type of cheese you can 'slice' and put on sandwiches! Hubby LOVES it on roast-beef or Ruben!)

INGREDIENTS:
1 and 1/2 gallon of milk

1 and 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
1/8 cup cold water

1/2 teaspoon rennet
1/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup of canning, or kosher salt

1 gallon of cold water


DIRECTIONS:
1) Put the milk in a large pot and dissolve the citric acid in 1/8 cup water, then mix into cool milk for 2 minutes.
2) Heat milk to 88 degrees, and dilute the rennet in 1/4 cup cold water. Stir rennet into milk for 15-20 seconds then allow to remain still for 20-25 minutes while milk coagulates.
3) Cut the curds into 1/2 inch cubes with a long knife, then let stand for additional 10-15 minutes. After that, you place the pot over low heat and stir gently so curds stay separated (curds will shrink a bit as whey is expelled)
4) Add about 2 heaping teaspoons of salt to the whey/curd mixture, and heat to 108 degrees faster than 15 minutes, then shut heat off and stir for only 5-10 minutes.
5) Use a cheese-cloth and pour the whey/curds into it when they are done. Let drip above a bowl to catch the whey. The cheese cloth makes it into a ball automatically, but you can squeeze the whey out and roll it into a better ball while in there (that's what I do). 
6) Wait til the dripping is done, then squeeze a couple of times with your hands to see if there is any whey left. Put it in a container, stick it in the fridge, and call it good! LoL


-----------------------------------------

If anyone can share a sour-cream recipe that would be AWESOME!!!!
Oh, and also cream cheese..???
And ice-cream..????
Please please please?


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## katie

Does this always work for you? Is it more like a softer cheese? It sounds pretty good. How long does it usually take you? Does it melt? I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I am a curious cheese maker.


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## Abra

Does this always work for you? - It has each time I made it! 
Is it more like a softer cheese? - Nope, it's hard, like mozzarella.
It sounds pretty good. - It is!
How long does it usually take you? Anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours. But NOT all at once!
Does it melt? - It sure does!  Just like mozzarella!


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## seren

Where do you guys buy your cultures? I am looking for easy cultures, we love goat cheese but I have 3 kids and don't have tons of time.


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## Overplugged

We get our cultures at getculture.com, which is part of the Dairy Connection. Recipes are on the Resources page. I love the feta.


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## Abra

The first ones I ever bought I bought on eBay, but lately we have been buying at the local health food store.
They have both rennet, and citric acid, and that is pretty much all we use...


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## goathiker

katie said:


> I am not patient either. Have any of you tried squeeky cheese? If do I've heard it can be dangerous so do you have tips?


 The first time I tried to make cheddar, my kids came in and ate all the curds kinda like locusts. They didn't die or anything.

Cathy, I need your Jalapeno cheese recipe, please please please


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## katie

Abra said:


> Does this always work for you? - It has each time I made it!
> Is it more like a softer cheese? - Nope, it's hard, like mozzarella.
> It sounds pretty good. - It is!
> How long does it usually take you? Anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours. But NOT all at once!
> Does it melt? - It sure does!  Just like mozzarella!


Great I'll have to try It!


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## gmn11

When we had chickens we used to make chicken-cheese. Just let the milk sour in 5 gallon buckets until the milk would clabber and then tip it over in the chicken yard. Our eggs were very nice. They would peck up every little piece. It really gets rid of a lot of milk and saves on chicken feed.


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## katie

It sounds disgusting. :chick::chick::chick::chick: But I will remember that. Last night we discided to clean out our fridge and I guess we haven't kept up wit milk because we had four whole gallons that had soured.


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## mjs500doo

Chickens love clabbered milk!


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## katie

hmm . :chin: Just kidding I believe that they like soured milk. Next I will make sure to let it sour more.


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## Rev144

If you go to http://www.cheesemaking.com/ you can buy NON GMO citric Acid and Organic Rennet. She has all the cultures you could want. Also, if you get the book " Goats Produce Too" it is very easy to follow and will get you off and running making goat cheese.

I have been making Colby Cheese, its suppose to be aged for 5 months but we have been digging into it as soon as it comes out of the press. I am in the process of saving my $$ for a small chest freezer and will hook up a Thermostate ( http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/93-Refrigerator-Thermostat.html ) to override the controls and keep it at 50 degrees for curing.

I have been freezing the Colby cheese. I put it in a vacuumed sealed bag, date it and throw it in the freezer. I did this last year with Farmers Cheese and its still eatable. Colby does not take any special cultures. It does call for buttermilk, but I use my kefir instead.

Farmers cheese is a fast cheese to make. It takes me about total 30 minutes total. Its my run to cheese when there is not enough time but too much milk in the fridge. Last night I used 3 gallons of milk and got 3.1 lbs of Farmers cheese. (also called Blanco) Sometimes I mix in some garlic salt and Parsley and get a nice tasting cheese crumble that goes great over salads. Farmers cheese does not melt too well, so its not good for like a grilled cheese sandwich.


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## katie

How do you make colby? How did you get the book _Goats Produce Too_? How do you make farmers cheese? I ask a lot of questions if you didn't notice.


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## katie

Oh yes. You mentioned the chest freezer and although this has nothing whatsoever to do with cheese I use old broken down ones to put grain in. It works great and the animals, if they get out, can't eat it.


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## HonestOmnivore

We make extra milk (the few tones we've had extra) into yogurt and feed it to the chickens. They LOVE it. We also give them whey. Free feed!


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## katie

the chickens like whey? Hmm I didn't know that. 
I have another question. Is it legal to sell goat cheese? Well I'd love to here from you people.


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## xymenah

katie said:


> the chickens like whey? Hmm I didn't know that.
> I have another question. Is it legal to sell goat cheese? Well I'd love to here from you people.


Check your local laws. I believe it is illegal to sell any food or drink product containing dairy without a license.


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## katie

that's what I thought.
Hello,
So Saturday I tried squeaky cheese. And it turned out well and if any of you want the recipee I would be willing to post it but I am in a hurry and have to go.


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## adriHart

I would love a recipe for your squeaky cheese


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## katie

O.K. Here it is.
Take 1/4 rennet tablet and delute it in a little less then 1/4 cup water. Take 2 and 1/2 gallons of milk and heat them too 10 degrees Farenheit and turn of stove or use new milk that you have not cooled yet. Pour in the deluted rennet and stir four about 30 seconds to make sure that it is completely mixed. Let it sit for an hour. cut the curds using a knife or your clean finger wait 5 minutes for the whey to rise to the top. next pour off most of the whey. This is the hardest part and it might take awhile. Let it sit for another hour then pour it into cheese clothe and let it drain anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour and 1/2. Then salt it with as much as you feel necisary. Next put it into a cheese mold and cover it with clothe. You then have to find some heavy item or items to put on top I used two half bricks. I forgot to say that it is very important to put the mold in a pan or on a plate before pressing it. Let it press for 12-24 hours. Then take it out of the mold and place in the refrigerator or freezer. 
How to eat squeaky cheese: put a little oil or butter in the bottom of pan put thin slices of squeaky cheese on the pan and the stove on. Wait until the other side of the cheese gets rather brow or tan and then flip it over and repeat except that after that it goes on a plate. You can eat it warm which is what I like to do you cold or with something on top. It's all up to you.


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## HerdQueen

I did a pink pickled beet cheese that turned out wonderful. I do it just like the jalapino cheese. It's a simple cheese and tastes wonderful. I'm going to try a sweet pickle cheese next, if I can get out of the yogurt making. I'm making yogurt every other day. My last batch I strained for 24 hours (I got distracted), and holy moly it was WONDERFUL. I used honey in some and strawberry freezer jam in the other, and it's more like a dip then a sit down and eat your yogurt. It would be a wonderful fruit dip, or mix some dressing mix/herbs in it for veggies. I can't keep homemade yogurt on hand. It's nice when your kids think what you made is better then that nasty trix yogurt.


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## katie

Question about the homade yogurt. I have herd that by straining yogurt for 4 hours you can make greek yogurt. Do you think you could do the same thing with goat yogurt?


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## HerdQueen

katie said:


> Question about the homade yogurt. I have herd that by straining yogurt for 4 hours you can make greek yogurt. Do you think you could do the same thing with goat yogurt?


Absolutely! It is awesome.


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## katie

Great! I also found a frozen yogurt recipe so I will also use that. I will definatly make greek yogurt.


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## HonestOmnivore

I just want to say that I'M SOOOOO JEALOUS!!! I'm practically wringing out the udders of my two does to get a quart a day and when my husband uses half that on his morning cereal I see red!


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## lanafana

HonestOmnivore said:


> I just want to say that I'M SOOOOO JEALOUS!!! I'm practically wringing out the udders of my two does to get a quart a day and when my husband uses half that on his morning cereal I see red!


I am right there with you!! Yogurt, cheese, ice cream...yeah right! I am known as the milk miser in this house. "hey, don't touch that milk...I'm making bread today"!!! My oldest daughter does the same. When I'm pouring it in my tea she looks like she's gonna cry. LOL!

Oh, and yesterday my little runt baby whose mom rejected her apparently figured out how to latch on and really drink (at 8 weeks old!). So when I brought mom in to milk last night one side was emptied...completely! Who would have ever thought a breastfeeding mother of six would get vexed about a baby drinking her mamas milk. I've gotta get more goats!!!


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## katie

HonestOmnivore said:


> I just want to say that I'M SOOOOO JEALOUS!!! I'm practically wringing out the udders of my two does to get a quart a day and when my husband uses half that on his morning cereal I see red!


What type of goats do you have?


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## katie

lanafana said:


> I am right there with you!! Yogurt, cheese, ice cream...yeah right! I am known as the milk miser in this house. "hey, don't touch that milk...I'm making bread today"!!! My oldest daughter does the same. When I'm pouring it in my tea she looks like she's gonna cry. LOL!
> 
> How many goats do you have? What kind? WE had someone who bought one of our goats and they had boers so even though they were milking 4 they weren't getting enough.


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## HonestOmnivore

I have 2 Nigerian Dwarfs- one is just tiny and a FF, the other had a good udder but she's milked through, and only producing about a cup a day. The little doe had been nicknamed "coffee creamer" for the size of her udder =) I'm getting a doe this weekend!


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## lanafana

I have two Nigerian dwarves and they just don't produce that much. At one point the two combined produced a half quart per milking, but that's gone down a lot. And with the baby drinking we get barely anything from the one who used to produce the most. I am in the city and allowed only two mini/dwarf goats by law. So if they don't freshen well next year, I think I will try and trade or sell these two and get two mini lamanchaa or mini saanens. Idk, may have better odds at getting milk.


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## katie

HonestOmnivore said:


> I have 2 Nigerian Dwarfs- one is just tiny and a FF, the other had a good udder but she's milked through, and only producing about a cup a day. The little doe had been nicknamed "coffee creamer" for the size of her udder =) I'm getting a doe this weekend!


That's great! I'm glad you found a doe. WE are going to sell another one of our milkers because we are getting so much. We'll be down to 2.


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## katie

lanafana said:


> I have two Nigerian dwarves and they just don't produce that much. At one point the two combined produced a half quart per milking, but that's gone down a lot. And with the baby drinking we get barely anything from the one who used to produce the most. I am in the city and allowed only two mini/dwarf goats by law. So if they don't freshen well next year, I think I will try and trade or sell these two and get two mini lamanchaa or mini saanens. Idk, may have better odds at getting milk.


 Our friends have Nigerian dwarves. They don't even bother to milk theirs they let the babies nurse.


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## lileomom

lanafana said:


> I have two Nigerian dwarves and they just don't produce that much. At one point the two combined produced a half quart per milking, but that's gone down a lot. And with the baby drinking we get barely anything from the one who used to produce the most. I am in the city and allowed only two mini/dwarf goats by law. So if they don't freshen well next year, I think I will try and trade or sell these two and get two mini lamanchaa or mini saanens. Idk, may have better odds at getting milk.


Awww don't give up on nigerians quite yet. Find a breeder that selects for milk production. Do this even if you switch breeds. Right now I have a nigerian ff giving over a quart a day for the house on once a day milking. She is dam raising triplets! My other two girls give a half gallon a day between them. I am relatively new to goats, but I grew up milking cows and have even worked on a sheep dairy. I am amazed at the amount my girls produce on very little input. A larger breed may give more milk, but a bigger body mass equals a bigger feed bill. There are many breeders out there selling pet quality animals. Find someone selecting for dairy production and conformation, no matter what breed you choose.


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## lanafana

lileomom said:


> Awww don't give up on nigerians quite yet. Find a breeder that selects for milk production. Do this even if you switch breeds. Right now I have a nigerian ff giving over a quart a day for the house on once a day milking. She is dam raising triplets! My other two girls give a half gallon a day between them. I am relatively new to goats, but I grew up milking cows and have even worked on a sheep dairy. I am amazed at the amount my girls produce on very little input. A larger breed may give more milk, but a bigger body mass equals a bigger feed bill. There are many breeders out there selling pet quality animals. Find someone selecting for dairy production and conformation, no matter what breed you choose.


Wow, that's a good amount of milk. I just can't seem to find does like that here! Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. And yes you are right I have to look for does that were bred for milk production. I didn't know all of these things when I bought them. And, they are soooo sweet, I just love them and don't want them to have to be rehomed....BUT...the reason we got goats was for milk and to try and get a little closer to self sustainability. Right now that can't happen. I love the nigis, I just want more milk, that's it. I haven't given up on them though


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## lanafana

Does anyone here make vinegar from their whey, and if so can you share the process. thanks!!


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## HonestOmnivore

Cheevre made with buttermilk-

What you need:
1 gallon of milk
Heavy non-reactive pot to heat the milk (I use stainless steel)
1/4 butter milk
3 or 4 drops Rennet diluted in 1/3 cup water
Linen tea towel or a clean pillow case (you can always bowl your towels in a pot for ten minutes if you're not convinced they're super clean- I like to start with a wet towel anyway!)
Large Mixing bowl (that will hold a gallon of liquid)

Directions:


Heat (or cool if you just got a gallon from milking) milk to 80F - try not to rush it - use a medium or lower setting on your stove.
Stir in the buttermilk using a out and back stirring style rather than circles.
Stir in the diluted Rennet same as above
Cover the pot and leave it alone for 12 hours.
After the 12 hour rest, place your mixing bowl and pot of (now) curd, beside each other on the counter - BE CAREFUL NOT TO JIGGLE THE CURD.
Spread out your linen cloth (not a cheese cloth - it would be too thin) so that it's lining the mixing bowl, with the extra draping out over the bowl. If you're using a pillow case you can arrange it so you can easily ladle a scoop of curd to the bottom of the sack, and that the whole thing will be sitting in the mixing bowl.
slowly and gently, scoop the yogurt like curt and place it into the lined mixing bowl, directly onto your cloth.
When your cloth is full, or the curd is all in the lined bowl, pick up the ends of your cloth and tie the opposite corners across the top (I make a bundle of cloth and wrap a big rubber band around the neck a few times. The pillow case just gets lifted and the contents kinda shaken down to the bottom.
Hang this bag of curd from a cupboard knob keeping the mixing bowl positioned under it to catch the dripping whey.
You can leave it here for the day (if you start the cheese at night, then put it up to drain before you leave for work or school for instance). If you ARE around, it only needs to hang until the dripping stops.
Set the bag on a cutting board or some other clean water safe surface and open it up. The cheese will be wet near the center but pretty drained where it's against the cloth. Break it in half or chunks and turn them so that the insides are not against the cloth and hang it back up again. and let it drain a little more. You can kinda wring it to rush it along but you'll lose some of the milk solids if you do.
Open the towel as above, and crumble up the cheese with your (clean!) fingers. If you want to save some this is the stage where I put a pound or so into heavy quart freezer bags, smush them flat and remove as much air as I can, then layer them flat in the freezer (write the date and a use by six months out - then label it "unsalted chevre"). For the rest of the cheese, sprinkle it with cheese salt or sea salt or in our case some low sodium fake salt, tasting it and tossing the curds as you go. This is the perfect time to add in herbs, garlic, chilies etc... but we like it just strait up.
Place crumbles into containers and refrigerate for up to three weeks.
It's fabulous on mixed green salads, it's also wonderful with a little honey drizzled over it, served with apple or pear slices! It melts onto a goatcheese pizza, It's amazing on top of a grilled meat... YUM!


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## liz

lanafana said:


> I have two Nigerian dwarves and they just don't produce that much. At one point the two combined produced a half quart per milking, but that's gone down a lot. And with the baby drinking we get barely anything from the one who used to produce the most. I am in the city and allowed only two mini/dwarf goats by law. So if they don't freshen well next year, I think I will try and trade or sell these two and get two mini lamanchaa or mini saanens. Idk, may have better odds at getting milk.


I currently have 2 Nigerian Dwarf does in milk... freshened mid February with a set of triplets and a set of quads, I get 3 cups in the morning from one and 4 cups from the other... afternoon, I get another 3 cups and the other gives me a cup... she's also got her daughter with her from 5 am to 8 pm, I'm in agreeance with advice on not giving up on Nigerians, though most breeders do sell as pets, those with the milk genetics behind them will sell as pets and milkers  
Capacity and production most often improves with each freshening but if your does are experienced and still not producing what they should be, I'd be looking into how they were managed before you bought them...if they were never milked and only raised their kids then dried off, their bodies are trained to a short lactation.... not their fault at all. I am one who believes that in order to get the most production and potential from a doe is to take the time and patience to take from them as often as possible during their first 2 months of lactation, regardless of wether they're feeding kids or not... the more often milk is taken from them, the more they will produce...and good feed and water is also very important.


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## lanafana

liz said:


> I currently have 2 Nigerian Dwarf does in milk... freshened mid February with a set of triplets and a set of quads, I get 3 cups in the morning from one and 4 cups from the other... afternoon, I get another 3 cups and the other gives me a cup... she's also got her daughter with her from 5 am to 8 pm, I'm in agreeance with advice on not giving up on Nigerians, though most breeders do sell as pets, those with the milk genetics behind them will sell as pets and milkers
> Capacity and production most often improves with each freshening but if your does are experienced and still not producing what they should be, I'd be looking into how they were managed before you bought them...if they were never milked and only raised their kids then dried off, their bodies are trained to a short lactation.... not their fault at all. I am one who believes that in order to get the most production and potential from a doe is to take the time and patience to take from them as often as possible during their first 2 months of lactation, regardless of wether they're feeding kids or not... the more often milk is taken from them, the more they will produce...and good feed and water is also very important.


Thanks Liz! Can they now be trained to do otherwise. Like, if I milk them in the way you've described the next freshening do you think I could get more milk? This is like their third or fourth freshening so they are experienced, but...I think they were raised exactly like you mentioned. I think they were milked, but maybe not consistently or regularly. So...is there hope for turning that around if I milk them properly next freshening?? And can you tell me how to do that exactly...please .

Right now I am milking every 12 hours because that's what I've been told to do, but I got one doe 3 weeks after she freshened and the other about 2 mo. after. I don't think they were really milked after they kidded, just fed babies. Any advice would be appreciated because everyone has really grown to love these two girls and they are easy to manage and quiet (except feeding time ) and sweet. Keeping them would be my ideal, but not if there are no chances in increasing milk. They are said to come from good milking lines, so I am hoping something will give next time around. Seriously, I need some girls like yours!!!


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## Abra

I am milking out 2 standard does, and getting 3 gallons a day. The 3 babies are drinking about a gallon and a half, but the rest is for us to use...
I just made PICKLE CHEESE! OMGoatness it was a HIT!
And SUPER fast and easy too!
My kids ate almost ALL of it! LoL

Also, I am taking some of the cheese I make, cutting into cubes, putting in a jar with dill seasoning, pepper corns, and a bay leaf. Then covering with olive oil....
OMGoatness it's AMAZING!


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## katie

OH MY Goatness! I love that! What type of cheese do you take? I am milking three doe and getting almost 4 gallons a day. WE are going to sell our nubian. We just can't handle it.


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## katie

lanafana said:


> Does anyone here make vinegar from their whey, and if so can you share the process. thanks!!


I've never heard of this. I'd be interested in the process too.


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## lanafana

katie said:


> I've never heard of this. I'd be interested in the process too.


I saw a man once a while back in a YouTube video that was making "raw" mozzarella cheese using vinegar which he made from whey that he poured off from yogurt he also made. It sounded really interesting, easy and like something I would really want to do, but he didn't give too many details as the vinegar wasn't the topic of the show. He pretty much said he collected the whey and let it age for weeks in a dark cabinet and voila....vinegar!! I was just wondering if anyone here has tried it. I am always looking to make my own EVERYTHING, so why not vinegar. That would be awesome.


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## katie

Me too. I always want to do everything. Because if we have goat milk we might as well use it. I tried butter but we don't have a cream seperator so it takes awhile.


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## katie

I made yogurt but it seems to watery to be made into Greek yogurt. Does anyone have a recipe that does not turn out very watery?


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## lanafana

katie said:


> I made yogurt but it seems to watery to be made into Greek yogurt. Does anyone have a recipe that does not turn out very watery?


When I make my yogurt I usually wrap it in towels and put it in a big container and let it sit in the oven. It isn't super thick but not watery either. The last few times I've kept the oven light on and that heat made a difference in the consistency. It got much thicker faster. I know some people have warmers or yogurt makers with special cups. But this method really helped thicken my yogurt. Haven't tried Greek yet.


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## Gunsmith48

xymenah said:


> Check your local laws. I believe it is illegal to sell any food or drink product containing dairy without a license.


It depends in what state your in. If you're in maybe Colorado you can sell a milk share for a fee and it's legal. No license. If I'm not mistaken


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## katie

I put it in the dehydrator. It wasn't runny like I thought but I don't think I could make it into greek yogurt and that's what I really want.


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## katie

Is there any way to make mozzerella without citric acid?


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## vlinealpines

I put a package of instant pudding in my yogurt for flavor. Vanilla is my husband's favorite. When you serve, put a spoonful of homemade jam and it flavors and sweetens it. I prepare the yogurt and them put it in an ice chest surrounded by jugs of boiling water, close the lid and 16 hours later, I have yogurt.


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## Frosty1

To make the yogurt thicker, you can add dried milk.


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## katie

great! have any of you tried subsituting citric acid?


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## lanafana

katie said:


> Is there any way to make mozzerella without citric acid?


I made mozzarella cheese using apple cider vinegar and it came out great. We even grated it and used it on pizza, melted great...tasted so good.


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## katie

Can I have your recipe? I am very interested.


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## lanafana

It was actually an accident. I was trying to make a soft cheese (first time making cheese). I followed the directions, but came out with mozzarella. The recipe is 1 gallon of milk and 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. Doesn't get easier than that. I use raw cows milk, I've never made cheese with store bought milk. 

I brought the milk to scalding, added the vinegar and stirred it in. It separates rather quickly. I let it sit for a bit and them drained off the whey in a strainer. Keep some salt water (to your taste) hot to work the cheese and give flavor. The first time I made it I just worked the salt in as soon as I separated the curds from whey, but it got hard quickly so I prefer the other method. In a bowl work the cheese in the salt water. stretch it, shape it, etc. 

You can store it in the whey, but here we are big pizza lovers and like to melt cheese on just about everything so I prefer the "harder" mozzarella. I made mine into rectangular blocks by shaping them in sandwich bags so they would be easy to grate (didn't have plastic wrap or would have used that). I then put them in the fridge, but we finished all the cheese the same day. And it usually always happens that way, as cheese doesn't last long in my house.

When I made this recipe I actually made it several times back to back to make sure it wasn't a fluke.


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## lanafana

I must add though, I am not a "cheese maker", so while I am calling this mozzarella, real cheese people out there may have a different name for it. So forgive for my ignorance, but with my unrefined pallet it tastes the same (well better) and serves the same purpose.


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## aceofspades

I got the 30min mozzarella cheese making kit. 
It was fast easy and so GOOD. 
Although It takes us about 45min but were getting faster. 
We also got the chèvre cultures from 
From the New England cheese making website

They have lots of beginner kits that are great but I highly recommend the 30min mozzarella and chèvre

www.cheesemaking.com


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## katie

lanafana said:


> I must add though, I am not a "cheese maker", so while I am calling this mozzarella, real cheese people out there may have a different name for it. So forgive for my ignorance, but with my unrefined pallet it tastes the same (well better) and serves the same purpose.


It's true they probably don't call it that but I want to try it anyway. What tempreture is scalding?


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## lanafana

katie said:


> It's true they probably don't call it that but I want to try it anyway. What tempreture is scalding?


Scalding is around 180 f or when bubbles start to form around just the edges of the pot. I have made it at scalding and at tepid and both work out fine. Tepid is around 110 I think, when the finger is inserted it can stay in there for a few secs without burning. Forgive me if the temps aren't exact. I usually don't use thermometer. But if you look for these signs you should be spot on.

I made it with tepid milk because the milk is raw and I didn't want it to get so hot that it destroyed all the good bacteria. Anyway, both ways worked. Let me know how it goes!!


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## HonestOmnivore

I doesn't matter if the yogurt is runny, just station it through a coffee filter. You'll get more whey, that's all!


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## katie

Oh.
Have any of you guys heard of Kefir? It is like a fermented milk drink. It doesn't taste great but It really good for digestion. So if you want to do it find someone in your area maybe a friend that has kefir grains or I'm sure that there is a way to make them grow yourself. Then you strain it and dd more milk to the kefir grains and drink the day old stuff.


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## xymenah

I've heard of Kefir. With a bit of vanilla or other flavoring I think it taste awesome. I have not started making my own yet but I will once I move because I don't want the grains to die on the trip.


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## Rev144

Kefir is a good way to use up extra milk. I cant drink straight milk , but I can drink all the kefir I want to. We make 1.5 gallons of kefir every day and half. I use it in all recipes that call for milk or butter milk. This web site has goat kefir grains you can buy. http://www.yemoos.com/index.html Sometimes grains dont do well when you switch from cow milk to goat milk. make sure you get goat grains. This is Dom's web site. It has tons of info and recipes on how to make other kefir stuff .. http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#microflora


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## katie

xymenah said:


> I've heard of Kefir. With a bit of vanilla or other flavoring I think it taste awesome. I have not started making my own yet but I will once I move because I don't want the grains to die on the trip.


Your moving? Where? I hope it goes well.


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## xymenah

You can also find people selling started kefier on Etsy for pretty cheap and its good quality.



katie said:


> Your moving? Where? I hope it goes well.


I'm moving in July to North Carolina. Don't worry my goaties are all coming with me too. Thanks I need the well wishes its going to be a long stressful trip.


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## aceofspades

Rev144 said:


> Kefir is a good way to use up extra milk. I cant drink straight milk , but I can drink all the kefir I want to. We make 1.5 gallons of kefir every day and half. I use it in all recipes that call for milk or butter milk. This web site has goat kefir grains you can buy. http://www.yemoos.com/index.html Sometimes grains dont do well when you switch from cow milk to goat milk. make sure you get goat grains. This is Dom's web site. It has tons of info and recipes on how to make other kefir stuff .. http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#microflora


Thanks for the web sites


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## katie

xymenah said:


> You can also find people selling started kefier on Etsy for pretty cheap and its good quality.
> 
> I'm moving in July to North Carolina. Don't worry my goaties are all coming with me too. Thanks I need the well wishes its going to be a long stressful trip.


I believe it. Do you have any children? Moving 45 minutes away was hard enough with children but I can't imagine moving that far.


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## Rev144

xymenah said:


> You can also find people selling started kefier on Etsy for pretty cheap and its good quality.
> 
> I'm moving in July to North Carolina. Don't worry my goaties are all coming with me too. Thanks I need the well wishes its going to be a long stressful trip.


That reminds me of the time I moved from Missouri to Idaho. I had one human kid, 5 dogs, 3 goats, 5 sheep, 1 jersey cow, 10 chickens and a turkey. It was kind of funny pulling into gas stations with a mooo, baaaa, maaa, cluck gobble gobble, arf .


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## katie

old mcdonald had a farm eeii eeii oh


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