Chevre is a white, creamy fresh cheese made from goat’s milk. It is an easy cheese to make, making it a great choice for beginners in cheese making. Here is how you can make this delightful fresh cheese.

Yield

450 grams cheese

Aging

none

Ingredients

4 liters of Goat’s Milk (not ultra-pasteurized)

¼ teaspoon Danisco MM100 Mesophilic Starter Culture

2 drops of liquid animal rennet

2 tsp noniodized salt.

Use Calcium Chloride for pasteurized milk

Equipment

large pot

thermometer

ladle or spoon for stirring

colander

large bowl

butter muslin/ cheese cloth

cheese hoop (optional)

Instructions: 

Reminder: Sterilize all your utensils before making cheese.

1. Heat the milk at a temperature of 27⁰ C to 30⁰ C. Stir the milk in an up and down motion.

2. Remove the pot from the heat.

3. Sprinkle the mesophilic culture on the milk. Let it set for 2 minutes to rehydrate.

4. Stir the milk gently in an up and down motion to thoroughly mix the culture with the milk.

5. Add the rennet. Stir again.

6. Cover the pot and set it aside for 20 to 24 hours. Keep it in a warm area in your house.

7. After the setting time, a good curd mass should form. You will also notice a thin layer of whey over the curd mass. Test for a clean break. Poke the surface with a knife. If you can move the curd without the whey filling the space immediately, you’ll know you have a clean break.

8. Put the colander in a large bowl and line it with the cheese cloth/ butter muslin.

9. Gently ladle the curds into the muslin.

10. Pull up the sides of the cheesecloth to cover the curds. Tie up the cheesecloth with a kitchen twine.

11. Hang the curds over a large pot and drain it for 6 to 12 hours. The time of draining affects the final quality of the Chevre. A shorter draining time will result in a moist cheese, but its shelf life will be shorter.

12. Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, add in the salt. You can also mix in fresh herbs and spices.

13. Store it in a bowl with a lid cover and refrigerate the Chevre ASAP. Refrigeration will slow down the bacteria activity in your cheese. Since Chevre is a fresh cheese, it is best to consume within 7 to 10 days.

Molding the Chevre

After salting, you have the option of putting the curds in a cheese hoop so you can have a cheese with a compact shape. You can also form it into a cheese log by hand. You can mix in the herbs or put it on the cheese’s crust.

Best Herbs and Spices for Chevre

Chevre is delicious and makes a very good spreadable cheese. It is also very versatile when it comes to herbs and spices you can add to it.

Here is a list of the best herbs and spices to add to your chevre cheese.

1. basil

2. black pepper

3. cardamom

4. cinnamon

5. cloves

6. cumin

7. dried Merey lemon rind

8. ginger

9. ground corriander

10. marjoram

11. parsley

12. rosemary

13. sage

You can mix and match herbs and spices depending on your desired flavor.