Manchego Cheese make (goat milk)

[passedpawn]

Manchego is normally made from sheep milk, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so I used raw goat milk instead - there's a local goat farm that I get it from.

I got this nifty mold for it from cheesemaking.com. I meant to get the 4# mold, but in my Black Friday haste I bought the 2#. Still, I got nearly all of the curds from a 3-gallon make into it. So, it worked out great. After removing from the mould, the cheese weighed 2.94 pounds. So I guess the 2# mould isn't expected to be filled right to the very top.

Below, right out of mould, and then after a little trimming and salting. The salt will dry out the rind for the 3 month aging period.

 

[bernardsmith]

Looks quite delicious. Coincidentally (or not, if you believe in Jung's synchronicity) I found some sheep's milk manchengo, Friday morning (store bought, not home made) and it was so full of flavor. Hope your cheese is even half as good as the little batch I got.

 

[passedpawn]

Looks quite delicious. Coincidentally (or not, if you believe in Jung's synchronicity) I found some sheep's milk manchengo, Friday morning (store bought, not home made) and it was so full of flavor. Hope your cheese is even half as good as the little batch I got.

Coincidentally (or not ), I helped my neighbor move something this afternoon and he told he he had a 3-milk Manchego in his fridge. Made from sheep, goat, and cow milk. Odd that.

 

[jcav]

Looking good Andrew! The wife wants to get into making cheese with me. So I ordered a bunch of cheese making stuff and we shall soon start our journey in this venture!


John

 

[shelly_belly]

Amazing! I hope it tastes as good as it looks.

 

[Staestc]

Nice Andrew! I always wondered about how that mold worked. Your pictures help make it clear. Very pretty indeed!

 

[Oginme]

I had some amazing Manchego cheese made with goat milk this past October at the American Dairy Goat Association annual meeting in MN. As part of the conference, we have a cheese competition and get to sample many of the cheeses afterwards. Of course, most of the cheeses there are pretty amazing.

 

[passedpawn]

In the last picture above, you can see all the salt on that cheese. Now, that salt has been completely incorporated into the cheese - picture below is 4 days later, no salt remaining. Rind is dry.

The rind is also darkening. You can't tell in this picture below due to the flash on my camera.

 

[Staestc]

In the last picture above, you can see all the salt on that cheese. Now, that salt has been completely incorporated into the cheese - picture below is 4 days later, no salt remaining. Rind is dry.

The rind is also darkening. You can't tell in this picture below due to the flash on my camera.

Looks good Andrew. Keep up the pictures during development please!

 

[Yooper]

I made goat's milk manchego several times. I've never had the authentic Spanish sheep's milk one to compare it to, but I loved it. I wish I still had a source for fresh goat's milk.

 

[passedpawn]

Looks good Andrew. Keep up the pictures during development please!

haha, you know I will. I'm going to oil it (with some paprika for flair) in a couple of weeks.

I made goat's milk manchego several times. I've never had the authentic Spanish sheep's milk one to compare it to, but I loved it. I wish I still had a source for fresh goat's milk.

I can't believe you're that close to Wisconsin and don't have a source for raw milk. Seems there must be dairy farms everywhere in your area.

 

[Yooper]

haha, you know I will. I'm going to oil it (with some paprika for flair) in a couple of weeks.



I can't believe you're that close to Wisconsin and don't have a source for raw milk. Seems there must be dairy farms everywhere in your area.

There are- but large commercial operations that will not sell raw milk. And then it's generally ultra-pasteurized. In Michigan, you can't buy or sell raw milk either, so you buy a "share" of a goat/cow, etc. I had a share of a goat, giving me one gallon per week and that was great, but that source dried up (quite literally actually).

My favorite cheese was feta, brined in the fridge, and my favorite soap was a tallow/goat's milk soap so I lost both of those when the goat lady stopped.

 

[passedpawn]

There are- but large commercial operations that will not sell raw milk. And then it's generally ultra-pasteurized. In Michigan, you can't buy or sell raw milk either, so you buy a "share" of a goat/cow, etc. I had a share of a goat, giving me one gallon per week and that was great, but that source dried up (quite literally actually).

My favorite cheese was feta, brined in the fridge, and my favorite soap was a tallow/goat's milk soap so I lost both of those when the goat lady stopped.

I've been making shaving soap lately. I intend on trying goat milk in there, right after I test out gator tallow

 

[Inkleg]

I've been making shaving soap lately. I intend on trying goat milk in there, right after I test out gator tallow

Is there anything you don't make?
What's involved in that? I love my badger hair brush.

 

[passedpawn]

Is there anything you don't make?
What's involved in that? I love my badger hair brush.

This is a can't-miss shaving soap recipe: https://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/ The author of that blog is a member here. I think the process is spelled out there, but if it isn't, PM me. Everything you need there is available either at your local hippy whole foods store, Amazon, or on www.brambleberry.com. I use lard from Walmart in place of beef tallow. Otherwise, I followed it pretty closely. Maybe I should do a writeup here on HBT. Probably some wet-shavers here.

 

[passedpawn]

I just rubbed down the cheese with olive oil, with annatto oil for color and paprika to fill in the pattern and make it look interesting.

 

[passedpawn]

BTW, this is annatto oil, which is different than the annatto you get from the cheesemaking places. Those are water-based and won't mix with the oil. I extracted this stuff myself from the seeds.

 

[Staestc]

BTW, this is annatto oil, which is different than the annatto you get from the cheesemaking places. Those are water-based and won't mix with the oil. I extracted this stuff myself from the seeds.

Just gorgeous!

 

[passedpawn]

Oh shoot, this cheese is goooooood. The rind was just starting to get hard. You probably can't see it there, but just inside the orange skin the cheese was starting to become slightly transparent, losing the white. It's right there that it's a little harder, likely from drying time and the initial salting that I did. That's the best part

Cheese is nice and flexible and not dry, but not soft either. It's got a buttery/nutty taste and isn't too "gamey" like some goat cheeses I've had. Yummers.

 

[shelly_belly]

You have made another great cheese. Congratulations!

 

[bernardsmith]

Looks so good. I think "perfect" might cover it?

 

[passedpawn]

Looks so good. I think "perfect" might cover it?

Probably not perfect (I'm no expert) but the fact that my wife came home from the gym and ate much of that wedge means it can't be too bad. Unlike Marlee the wonderdog, my wife is annoyingly picky.

 

[Staestc]

Oh shoot, this cheese is goooooood. The rind was just starting to get hard. You probably can't see it there, but just inside the orange skin the cheese was starting to become slightly transparent, losing the white. It's right there that it's a little harder, likely from drying time and the initial salting that I did. That's the best part

Cheese is nice and flexible and not dry, but not soft either. It's got a buttery/nutty taste and isn't too "gamey" like some goat cheeses I've had. Yummers.

Just gorgeous Andrew! Just amazing!