I have MADE goats cheese from scratch

[Carmenere]

I am very pleased with myself. It is yum and was really easy and I will be making it regularly from now on.

i am so impressed - so you get a goat and squish it then what?

Recipe please.

Ok so I diddn't use a recipe but I will be able to write down what i did.
I heated up a litre of goats milk and mixed in a carton of goats yoghurt and half a carton of butter milk. I added some veggie rennet and some salt and mixed it up for a minute. It then started to seperate so I took it off the heat and allowed it to cool. when it was room temp I mixed it up a bit (this is called cutting hte curd and if you are making hard cheese or ricotta you cut them small and for soft cheese you don't cut them too much).
So then I lined a colander with a muslin (left over from dd but which I had previously boiled) and poured the mixture into it. It drained for a bit and then I gathered up the corners of the cloth and tied them around a wooden spoon handle and suspended it over a basin and left it to drain for about 4 hours.

then I crushed pink peppercorns and with clean hands shape the cheese into a log shape and rolled it in the peppercorns. Then I wrapped it in clingfilm and left it in the fridge for an hour or two.
Voila!!

Wow - you've inspired me!

OMG you clever thing. I had no idea it was so straightforward. Can you leave it to age at all?

What size carton on yog did you use, and where do you get buttermilk from? How much cheese does it produce?

I'm in awe!

I don't count this as from scratch unless there was a goat involved at the beginning

oh alright then
[grudging]
you are v clever lady

I am glad you had clean hands btw
I would have worried if you hadn't have said that bit

Lol @ Franny - i am now tempted to get a goat. It was a carton of about 200g of yoghurt and about 100g of buttermilk (I got all the ingredients in Asda btw)
Things I would have done differently - more salt, it is a bit too bland despite the external flavourings, I also did a lemon thyme and garlic coating and a cumin, chilli and smoked paprika coating.
I suspect if I had the time, paitence (for that read self control) and space to mature them they would be much nicer. but as a first attempt I am very pleased indeed.

Ah now if I had slept with a married man this thread would have 500 posts - making cheese is much more clever and much more important.

• You are so right, much more clever and important and so much more interesting

Blimey! I am stunned!

LOL at AdamAnt "I had no idea it was so straightforward" as sounds like it took at least 5 hours! I obviously have a lower straightforward threshold...

Really though that's amazing.. You actually made a real cheese with your bare hands!

Going to give it a go...

But in truth it only took about 10 minutes to make but 4 hours to drain and then I spent about half an hour poncy-ing around making the coatings. It was really, really easy, even the most basic cook could do it and it is very satisfying.

Are you Nigella?

The poncifying of the cheese must have been a real pleasure! Have shown DH this thread and my excited and keen little face. We are going to make goats cheese! (Once I've sobered up )