Chapter 39

Milking Moments

Having goat milk on the homestead is a dedication to a lifestyle. Goats take a good deal of care, and processing the milk into products takes time and, above all, cleanliness.

Chapter 39: Clients

I started out making simple curds and whey.

My first goat cheese. I used an expandable shower curtain rod over my kitchen sink to hang cheeses to drain off the whey.

A goat cheese hanging in the kitchen window was a common sight. It takes two gallons to make less than a pound of cheese.

Leftover whey would be used in the garden or fed to chickens and pigs.

A milk separator uses cone-shaped centrifuges to separate the cream from the milk. There are very few milk separators available in the United States; none is affordable to a small farm. I ordered mine from Ukraine. It came with an electrical adapter and worked wonders!

We would drink the milk and use the cream for butter, ice cream, cooking, and sour cream.

This is my first homemade butter in a butter bell. A butter bell is an old-time homestead butter holder that keeps the butter cool when on the counter. The butter filled cup is turned upside down and stored in the mini-crock. When in use, the butter bell is set on top of the chilled mini-crock to retain a cold temperature. Ice can be added to the crock for summer days or prolonged use. Unlike store butter, raw goat butter has live cultures and can ferment at warm temperatures, turning the flavor sour.

Sour cream and kefir cultures are starting in the rear. Keifer cheese can be cultured and strained in cheesecloth to mimic a very healthy but tart cream cheese.

Goat milk, chilled to near frozen within minutes of the milking, does not taste any different than cow milk. If goat milk remains warm, the caprylic acid (an amino acid) becomes more noticeable, giving off a "bucky" smell and flavor.

Chapter 39: Portfolio