Fresh Herbed Goat Cheese from Raw Goat Milk
A simple, from-scratch fresh chèvre made from naturally soured raw goat milk. Creamy, tangy, and finished with fresh garden herbs. Zero waste cooking at its best.
Equipment
- 1 colander
- 2 mixing bowls large and medium sized bowls
- 1 whisk
- cheesecloth cut a piece the is 24inches x 24 inches and fold over into triple.
- kitchen twine approx. 12 inches to tie off cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 6 cups goats milk slightly soured (10 days old)
- 9 tbsp lemon juice fresh (juice of 2 lemons)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp parsley freshly rinsed and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro freshly rinsed and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp chives freshly rinsed and finely chopped
Instructions
Gather:
- Gather your materials, tools and ingredients
Setup:
- Line your colander with cheesecloth folded into 2-3 layers
- Set the colander over a deep bowl to catch the whey.
- Set aside.
Heat Milk:
- Pour 0.5 liters soured raw goat milk (half gallon) into a heavy bottomed pot. Approx. 6 cups.
- Heat slowly over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until it reaches 180°F on your thermometer.
- You'll see steam rising and small bubbles forming around the edges — do not let it boil.
Add the acid:
- Remove from heat
- Add 8-9 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons).
- Stir gently just once or twice.
- You'll see the milk begin to curdle and separate into white curds and yellowish liquid (whey) almost immediately. If it doesn't curdle within 2 minutes add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
Rest:
- Leave the pot completely undisturbed for 10 minutes
- Don't stir. This lets the curds fully form and firm up.
Strain:
- Gently ladle or pour the curds into your cheesecloth lined colander.
- Don't squeeze or press — just let gravity start the work.
- Gather the corners of the cheesecloth up and tie with kitchen twine or a rubber band.
Drain:
- Let drain at room temperature for 150 minutes (approx. 3 hours)
- For a softer spreadable cheese drain 2 hours. For a firmer cheese drain up to 4 hours. The longer it drains the denser it gets.
Season and finish:
- Unwrap the cheese into a bowl.
- Add 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Add 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Add 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Add 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- Mix gently to combine.
- Taste and adjust salt. Shape into a log or ball, or leave rustic in the bowl.
Serve or store:
- Serve immediately at room temperature with crackers, crusty bread, or fresh vegetables.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
If your milk is already very thick and cultured it may curdle faster than expected — that's fine.
Parsley gives a mild classic flavor. Cilantro adds brightness. Chives add a mild oniony note. All three together is perfect.
This recipe works because the milk has already naturally soured and begun to culture — the acid and heat simply finish the process.
Don't waste the whey — give a few tablespoons to your dogs over their food, use it to water your herb garden diluted with water, or freeze in ice cube trays for later use in baking.
Save the whey — the yellowish liquid that drains off is full of protein and flavor. Use it in place of water in bread, biscuits, pancakes, or soup. It keeps in the fridge for a week.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!