Homemade Goat's Milk Cheese

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make homemade goat's milk cheese? You only need two ingredients: milk and lemon. Add the rest to taste, as you wish and prefer.

2. Step 2:

   

   Pour the milk into a saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot and heat it over low heat. The longer it takes, the better. And the fresher the milk, the better!

3. Step 3:

   

   Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Bottled lemon juice won't do — you need freshly squeezed! Ideally the lemon should be ripe and juicy.

4. Step 4:

   

   When the milk boils, add the squeezed lemon juice, stir gently, and boil for a few minutes. The whey will separate during this time.

5. Step 5:

   

   It'll look about like this.

6. Step 6:

   

   Pour the resulting mass into a colander lined with cheesecloth (muslin or other suitable cloth) and let the whey drain off. Don't dump it out — pour it into another suitable container.

7. Step 7:

   

   This whey is good for okroshka, pancakes, or sauerkraut. The main thing is, don't pour it down the sink.

8. Step 8:

   

   Now gather the future cheese into a cheesecloth bundle and tie it so it won't come undone by accident.

9. Step 9:

   

   Hang it over the pot for 30–60 minutes to let the remaining liquid drain and the cheese firm up. You can shape the cheese with your hands as you go.

10. Step 10:

    

    Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth.

11. Step 11:

    

    Here's what you get.

12. Step 12:

    

    At this point the cheese is ready to eat — it slices beautifully, has a nice creamy aroma, a pleasant texture, and the lovely flavor of soft white cheeses.

13. Step 13:

    

    On bread or just for a cheese board — perfect.

14. Step 14:

    

    If you want to take it further, add spices and salt. Chop everything and mix it into the soft cheese. Press the cheese with the same cheesecloth or in a special mold. The result is a savory appetizer.