Chevre

Chevre means “goat” in French, and so chevre is the name used for the classic soft goat cheese. It’s also a ridiculously easy cheese to make. This recipe comes from New England Cheesemaking.

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: makes 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

Cook Time: 20 minutes  

Ingredients

1 gallon whole goat milk

1 packet direct-set chevre starter

Directions

Heat the milk to 86-degrees in a stainless-steel or glass pot. Add the direct-set chevre starter and stir. Set the pot aside, covered, for twelve hours. It’s a nice thing to do at night–the curds are ready for you the next morning! Using a slotted utensil, remove the curds from the pot. Transfer the curds to a bowl lined with butter muslin. Hang and drain the cheese in muslin up to twelve hours, depending on the consistency you want for your outcome, then remove from the muslin. You can store this cheese in a covered container or wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week. A shorter draining period will give you soft, beautiful, spreadable cheese, similar to a cream cheese, which is perfect for sandwiches and crackers/chips. You can also use it in place of ricotta in recipes like lasagna. You can also make logs and roll them in chopped nuts or herbs and onion. A longer draining time will give you a firmer chevre that will crumble like feta or slice like fresh mozzarella.

Categories: Dairy, Goat Cheeses, Homemade Cheese

Submitted by: suzanne-mcminn on May 21, 2011