Sorrel Goats Cheese, Sorrel Rolled Goats Cheese and Smoked Maldon Salt Topped Cheese
I remember gazing with wonder as the jam jar was passed from hand to tiny hand around the room, whilst we sat cross legged waiting for our turn. My tartan trousers itchy as they strained against my knees, but I wasn’t fidgeting. The magic taking place in the jar required us all to sit still and quiet, but shake the jar when it was handed on. This was going to be butter. Butter made by us. It seemed unlikely, as we’d all seen the liquid cream go in; butter’s solid. As the last jiggle of the jar was done, we watched the blond butter plop out onto the teachers desk. We’d done it. Butter.
Little slices of French bread were passed around our still seated, mesmerised group and I remember that first bite of creamy melting butter that I’d helped to make. No shop bought pat has ever lived up to the recollection, nor has the magic quite vanished. Whilst I’d love to make butter, which unfortunately doesn’t keep long, but I’m the only butter eater in the Glam household, it would be a greed fest of mammoth proportions. So in order to relive that magic moment, I’m making cheese. Soft goats cheese rolled in sorrel from my now burgeoning herb garden.
French bread With Sorrel Goats Cheese
Plain And Sorrel Soft Goats Cheese
- 1 litre full fat goats milk
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 7 leaves of sorrel stalks and ribs removed, finely chopped
Method
- Place the milk in a pan over a moderate heat and bring to just under a boil
- Add the salt at this point if you’re using it
- Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, gently stir to just combine
- Leave the pan to cool, almost immediately the curds (cheese solids) and whey (liquid part) start to separate
- Once cool, gently scoop out the solids and put into a muslin or clean tea towel lined colander
- If you want to add the sorrel gently combine at this point
- Leave the solids to drain for several hours, the longer you leave it the firmer the cheese will be
- Once the curds have drained, you can roll the cheese into a log and (if you haven’t already used the chopped sorrel) roll the log in 1/2 the chopped sorrel, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for one hour
I used two vintage cheese moulds which I lined in the same way as the colander and put about one third of the curds into each of the cone shaped moulds. I mixed 1/2 the sorrel into the curds in one of the cones and left them to drain
Vintage French Cheese Moulds And Plain Goats Cheese
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I need to get myself some goats milk to try this. Homemade tastes definitely better!
You can use the same technique with cows milk too. GG
What a great experiment. We never made butter in my school. And I didn’t realise it would be so easy to make my own goat’s cheese. How lovely this must be especially with the addition of homegrown sorrel xx
It has a lovely fresh flavour, you could use tarragon, parsley or cracked black pepper. GG
Fortunately my hubby loves butter, especially homemade ones! The milk has to pasteurised?
The milk here is almost almost pasteurised, it has to be to be sold. Un-pasteurised milk is only available on farms and can’t be sold. So, yes the milk was pasteurised and available from the supermarket. GG
I didn’t make butter but we did make yeast rolls. I was in amazement at my result and so proud. I still remember the taste and smell so I totally understand your memory.
I didn’t even think about making my own goats cheese what a fab idea GG. Your sorrel one looks so good. I guess the weather in London has calmed down now if your herb garden is flourishing. We still have snow 🙁 in May!
Nazneen xx
The weather here has improved to the point we’re now in T shirts, but you know the UK – It’s a bank holiday weekend!?! Anyway hope you’re out of the snow soon. GG xx
Gorgeous and simple goat’s curd GG! I love the sound of this with sorrel too! 😀 And I wish we had learned about butter making like that-it would have been so much better than what we did make! 😛
At 5 years old it was a revelation! GG
Wow, I would love to try making Goats cheese from scratch, that looks so awesome 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
And so much easier than you think it would be. GG
Keep meaning to make but and will give this cheese a go too, these process amaze me that they are so easy and yet we so often buy.
I know, home made can give you so much more variety. It takes a little patience but it’s not difficult to make. GG
Would love to give this a try. Sounds easier than one may think.
I was amazed how easy it was. Heat is the important factor making sure the milk is hot enough or it wont split when you add the lemon. GG
I keep saying that I want to try making cheese…perhaps this will be the year. 🙂
You have inspired me to try to make my own goats milk cheese. I always think of it as a very complicated process but your recipe sounds very simple. Thanks so much for stopping by my site so that I could find yours. Looking forward to keeping in touch. Take care, BAM
I found you via Nazneen’s blog Coffee and Crumpets. It’s always fun to discover new blogs to read and enjoy. Have a go at the Goats cheese, all you need is patience. GG
I know I could live on butter and I love making my own. It never lasts long enough to go bad. 🙂 I’ve never made goats milk cheese but I’m dying to try.