Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Prolific milkers

I'm milking the two LaMancha goats that I purchased from Feral Nature Farms this winter. They each have one kid, and they are making about 2 1/2 quarts each per day, above what their kids get. Doing that easy math word problem means that I'm having to deal with 5 quarts of fresh milk every day!

We drink some of the goat milk, cook with some, give some away, and I make cheese at least twice a week. I've been alternating between chevre (easy to make) and cheddar (more labor intensive.)

The cheddar isn't aged, so it's very mild, but it can be used like regular cheddar. It's lovely and white because it has no food color added, and it squeaks on your teeth. That's how you tell whether the curd is at the right point before you press it.