American•gourmet

Goat Cheese Made With Lemon Juice

If you want to make a very simple version of homemade goat cheese, this recipe using just lemon juice and goat's milk is the one.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1
Gather the ingredients.
2
Slowly heat the milk in a nonreactive pot on the stove until it reaches 180 F to 185 F. Using a thermometer to check on the temperature is best. Gentle bubbles should be forming, and the surface will look foamy. Turn off the heat once the milk has reached this temperature.
3
With a long-handled nonreactive utensil, stir in the lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. The milk should curdle and become slightly thicker on the surface.
4
Line a colander with 2 layers of damp cheesecloths. Gently pour the milk into the cheesecloth. Gather the cheesecloth up around the curds and tie it into a bundle. A rubber band or butcher's twine is also a good way to hold the cheesecloth together at the top.
5
Hang the bundle over a pot or jar so the liquid can drip out. Do this by attaching the bundle to a wooden spoon or a ladle and setting the spoon over the top of the pot.
6
Untie the bundle and transfer the cheese to a bowl. Stir in salt to taste.
7
Use your hands to pat and shape the cheese into a small wheel or log. Alternatively, use a cookie cutter as a mold to shape the cheese. The flavor and texture of the cheese will improve if you refrigerate it for a few hours before serving.
8
Enjoy.