UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BERKELEY 4, CALIFORNIA GOATS-MILK CHEESE C. A. PHILLIPS" Almost any variety of cheese made from cow's milk may also be made from goat's milk. The re- sulting cheese will possess, however, certain new characteristics, chiefly because the goat's milk is whiter (fig. l) and has a different mineral content. of undesirable flavors at a curing temperature of 60°. If milk is to be held longer than 1 hour before setting, it should be cooled rapidly to 50° or lower — temperatures that do not favor the growth of bacteria. It may also be pasteur- ized to destroy undesirable organisms and to make Fig. 1. — The cut surface shows the white color and close texture of Romano cheese. Readers not already familiar with the princi- ples of making cheese with cow's milk would do well to consult a publication on this subject. 2 Production of the Milk Care should be taken to produce milk of high quality. The chief requisites of milk ready for the cheese vats are desirable flavor, low acidity, freedom from extraneous material, and absence of undesirable bacteria. Though all these are im- portant, the presence of objectionable bacteria seems to cause the most difficulty in cheese mak- ing and curing. Gas-forming types often gain en- trance into the milk — from the animals, from the feed during milking, or from utensils not proper- ly sterilized. They multiply rapidly in warm milk at 70° to 100° F, the range of temperature within which the cheese is made. They will also cause "huffing" of the cheese and the development Associate in Dairy Industry and Associate in the Experiment Station. information for the beginner is contained in: Greaves, Vera D. , and Katharine E. Bennitt. Home cheese making. 4 p. Agricultural Extension Serv- ice, Univ. Calif. Berkeley, Calif. 1943. a more uniform cheese. Pasteurize at 140° to 145° , hold the milk for 30 minutes , and then cool it to the setting temperature. White Goat's-Milk Cheese Of the hard varieties, granular and Romano (white goat's-milk cheese) are desirable ones to make. Up to the time of salting, the two are made in the same way. Liquid rennet may be used in both, although rennet paste is preferable in Romano. In small-scale manufacture, rennet tab- lets may be used. These products may be pur- chased from leading dairy-supply companies. The use of starter (as discussed in publications on cow's-milk cheese) is advisable. Method of Making Liquid rennet is diluted 1 to 40 in pure, cold water. Enough is added to the milk at 88° to 90° F to obtain a firm coagulation in 30 min- utes. Rennet paste, if used instead, is added to the water, mixed until completely suspended, and filtered through layers of cheesecloth and [1] absorbent cotton to remove extraneous matter. With 100 pounds of milk, 12 cubic centimeters of concentrated rennet (measured before dilution) will be needed; or 1 ounce of rennet paste may- be used instead. The curd is cut into cubes (l/4 to 1/2 inch) , and sufficient heat is applied to firm the curd and to give proper moisture content in the cheese. Heating slowly to 100° F and holding at ■ that tem- perature for 1 hour should suffice. After firming of the curd, the whey and curd are cooled to about 86° F, and then the whey is drawn off. The curd is stirred at intervals to keep it in granular form. When it is suffici- ently dry (after 15 to 30 minutes) coarse salt is added — 3 per cent by weight for granular cheese, and 2 per cent for Romano. 'When the salt has dissolved, the curd i's placed in hoops and pressed for several hours. After being taken from the press, Romano cheese is rubbed on the outside with dry salt every third day until it contains about 6 per cent of salt (by weight). The total period required is about 3 weeks. Granular cheese, whether bandaged or not, when sufficiently dry on the surfaces is dipped in hot paraffin at 220° F, or in special wax according to directions of the manufacturer. Romano cheese is rubbed with a mixture of cotton- seed oil and black pepper. (In small-scale manu- facture, olive oil or other vegetable oils may be used.) Curing the Cheese Granular cheese is cured for 2 to 3 months at about 60° F in a moderately moist curing room, with some air circulation. Romano cheese is cured in much the same way, but for 6 to 12 months and at 50° to 60° F, preferably in cellars or cool buildings without .aechanical refrigeration (fig. 2). 'The applica- tion of oil and pepper' must be continued at in- tervals (about every 3 weeks) to minimize mold growth and to prevent the cheese from drying out- and cracking in the surfaces. Soft Cheese Neufchatel is a desirable variety of soft cheese. The goat's 'milk is pasteurized at 145° F for 30 minutes and then cooled to 72°. Starter or cultured buttermilk is added, 35 cubic centi- meters (1-1/6 ounces) for each 100 pounds of milk. A little liquid rennet is desirable — about 2-1/2 cubic centimeters to 100 pounds of milk. After 12 to 16 hours the coagulation should be sufficient , and a thin layer of whey may be present on the surface. The whey should taste sour. The curd is then dipped into sterile cloths, is drained in a cool room, and may also be pressed. It is salted to taste and may be eaten immediately. A Cheese-Whey Product Low-acid whey from granular or Romano cheese may be boiled down to make a brownish-colored product known as whey cheese (Primost or Mysost). Whey from Neufchatel is too high in acidity for this purpose. Whey contains about 7 per cent of solids, 5 per cent being milk sugar, and the remaining 2 per cent largely milk protein and minerals. It is high in riboflavin, one of the essential vita- mins. After being boiled down to the consistency of very thick sirup, the product is cooled, being agitated to give a smooth texture. It may be enriched with a little cream. After solidifica- tion it can be sliced and may be eaten immedi- ately. Fig. 2. --Romano cheese on the curing shelves. [2] 5m-May, '44(429)