Okay, I made the heading kind of general.
I have an issue of too much milk.
I am learning cheese making, and am still working on the soft cheeses.
I am also making yogurt and buttermilk.
I do freeze some yogurt for the next culture, and some buttermilk to get new going.
I made some frozen yogurt/peach ice cream in the freezer, yesterday, the family loved it.
I also made some cheese that is a non-melting cheese, that you batter and fry.
But, from the gallon of milk the recipe calls for is alot too much of this cheese. It will spoil before we use it.
I am debating, should I cut it up and freeze it, then batter at point of use?
Should I batter the slices, then freeze them, and simply take them out to fry?
Should I batter the slices, and lightly fry them, and then freeze them, so I can just barely fry them on reheat. (they cook fast anyhow though)
Or should I just cook them like to eat, and then freeze them?
And what about all the soft cheeses like cream cheese and cottage cheese.
All recipes call for a gallon or two of milk... that is alot of soft cheese, we just can't eat it before we lose it.
I get a gallon of milk everyday, 7 days a week, I can't get ahead of it, can't keep the fridge emptied of milk, and have all these containers of soft cheeses, yogurt, buttermilk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, banana milk... give me a break... how do I best store this? Okay I can pressure can it, but a gallon per day is 8 pints daily, it wouldn't take long to have alot too much in that area too.
I do make yogurt for grandkids that like it, and send jugs of milk home with my milk loving grandkids, but still, they aren't using enough!
I really must get started on hard cheeses!
But any suggestions for in the meantime? I need to use up or store large quantities of milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and frying cheese.
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30543
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I don't know anything about it -- I need to say that in advance. But I'm eagerly reading all your goat milk-related threads.
I once had a 1/2 a pan of milk (about 1 cup) set to warm on the stove. I forgot ALL ABOUT IT and remembered it just in time to keep the pan from burning. What was left in the pan was a bare coating -- about 1/4"-- of carmel-like liquid. So... condensed milk?
I once had a 1/2 a pan of milk (about 1 cup) set to warm on the stove. I forgot ALL ABOUT IT and remembered it just in time to keep the pan from burning. What was left in the pan was a bare coating -- about 1/4"-- of carmel-like liquid. So... condensed milk?
Just to add my two cents to an older post...
Have you tried making butter? It's pretty darn easy and can help make raw milk a little more palatable for people who aren't quite used to the full-flavored taste yet.
Assuming you have a cow... Let the milk stand in the fridge undisturbed in a clear container until the cream separates from the milk. Skim off the top layer of the cream, avoiding getting any of the thinner milk with it. Place it into a blender with a "whip" attachment and turn on "low" or "medium low". Now... go bake something, haha. Keep an eye on the forming butter but don't hover--every once in a while just go back with a spatula and scrape down the sides, you're gonna be here for a while. Watch for solids to form and then it will begin to form a big mass. Drain off the liquid and with a spoon, squeeze out any additional liquid. Put your end result in a jar and foist it off on family and friends!
If you have a goat, however, I highly recommend (as in... I can't get enough of the stuff!! Seriously... where do you live... I'll take all the milk off your hands!) making Alfredo sauce with it. Weird. I know. But still, delicious! You'll never go back.
You'll need:
3 c. goats milk, raw and whole (up to 4 c if you like a thinner sauce)
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. parm cheese, grated
Sea salt to taste (for mild flavor... can sub table salt of course)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (don't skimp, either!)
Melt your butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan big enough to accommodate all that yummy milk over medium heat. Just as it begins to bubble, toss in your flour and begin to whisk furiously! You'll want all the flour to mix with all the butter and cook for around one minute to cook off the "flour taste".
Adding 1/2 c. of milk at a time, whisk the milk and flour together until you get the desired consistency. Keep in mind that the slower you incorporate your milk the thicker your sauce will be. If you're going for a thin sauce, be sure to whisk all the globules of flour/butter thoroughly relatively quickly because they will be difficult to whisk out later.
If your sauce is too thick - remove from heat and whisk in enough milk to bring to the consistency that you like. The residual heat should warm the sauce but won't be enough to continue thickening it.
If your sauce is too thin - try keeping it over medium heat for an additional 5 or 7 minutes. If it hasn't thickened, in a separate pan melt 1 tbsp. butter and whisk in 1 tbsp. flour, cook for about a minute and then begin to whisk in your too-thin sauce (about a cup of it). Now add this mixture back in with your larger pan of Alfredo sauce.
When your sauce is at your desired consistency, remove from heat.
To season to taste - add your pepper first and don't be afraid if you get almost a tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper in there before you're happy. At this point, I like to add 1 tsp. of paprika and 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper just to add a little depth of flavor.
Add your parm cheese and stir it thoroughly to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
-Now- you're allowed to salt to taste.
Enjoy!
Have you tried making butter? It's pretty darn easy and can help make raw milk a little more palatable for people who aren't quite used to the full-flavored taste yet.
Assuming you have a cow... Let the milk stand in the fridge undisturbed in a clear container until the cream separates from the milk. Skim off the top layer of the cream, avoiding getting any of the thinner milk with it. Place it into a blender with a "whip" attachment and turn on "low" or "medium low". Now... go bake something, haha. Keep an eye on the forming butter but don't hover--every once in a while just go back with a spatula and scrape down the sides, you're gonna be here for a while. Watch for solids to form and then it will begin to form a big mass. Drain off the liquid and with a spoon, squeeze out any additional liquid. Put your end result in a jar and foist it off on family and friends!
If you have a goat, however, I highly recommend (as in... I can't get enough of the stuff!! Seriously... where do you live... I'll take all the milk off your hands!) making Alfredo sauce with it. Weird. I know. But still, delicious! You'll never go back.
You'll need:
3 c. goats milk, raw and whole (up to 4 c if you like a thinner sauce)
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. parm cheese, grated
Sea salt to taste (for mild flavor... can sub table salt of course)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (don't skimp, either!)
Melt your butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan big enough to accommodate all that yummy milk over medium heat. Just as it begins to bubble, toss in your flour and begin to whisk furiously! You'll want all the flour to mix with all the butter and cook for around one minute to cook off the "flour taste".
Adding 1/2 c. of milk at a time, whisk the milk and flour together until you get the desired consistency. Keep in mind that the slower you incorporate your milk the thicker your sauce will be. If you're going for a thin sauce, be sure to whisk all the globules of flour/butter thoroughly relatively quickly because they will be difficult to whisk out later.
If your sauce is too thick - remove from heat and whisk in enough milk to bring to the consistency that you like. The residual heat should warm the sauce but won't be enough to continue thickening it.
If your sauce is too thin - try keeping it over medium heat for an additional 5 or 7 minutes. If it hasn't thickened, in a separate pan melt 1 tbsp. butter and whisk in 1 tbsp. flour, cook for about a minute and then begin to whisk in your too-thin sauce (about a cup of it). Now add this mixture back in with your larger pan of Alfredo sauce.
When your sauce is at your desired consistency, remove from heat.
To season to taste - add your pepper first and don't be afraid if you get almost a tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper in there before you're happy. At this point, I like to add 1 tsp. of paprika and 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper just to add a little depth of flavor.
Add your parm cheese and stir it thoroughly to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
-Now- you're allowed to salt to taste.
Enjoy!
-
lorax
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
- Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude
You really do need to get started on the hard cheeses, OL! Once you've got them going, it doesn't matter how big the batch is because they keep for such a lovely long period of time. Poke me when you want to get started, and I'll give you the recipe for Amalattea, and I might even be able to ship you cheese molds for forming the cheeses up (they're widely available down here)....
For the soft, fresh cheese you use for frying, I'd be freezing it in its batter.
The Alfredo sauce idea is fabulous as well (although the recipe given lacks GARLIC!) - especially since that can be put up in jars the same way you would tomato sauce.
There's also a slightly less lump-inducing way to thicken - take about a big ladelful of your scalded milk and whisk the flour into it in a separate bowl until it's super-thick, then reintroduce it to the pan. Voila, no lumps!
For the soft, fresh cheese you use for frying, I'd be freezing it in its batter.
The Alfredo sauce idea is fabulous as well (although the recipe given lacks GARLIC!) - especially since that can be put up in jars the same way you would tomato sauce.
There's also a slightly less lump-inducing way to thicken - take about a big ladelful of your scalded milk and whisk the flour into it in a separate bowl until it's super-thick, then reintroduce it to the pan. Voila, no lumps!
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
It is finally the off season!
Actually I just dried them off, because, I hate milking in very, very cold weather. I had planned to milk through all year, but decided not to after all, it is just too hard not to get a break at all. I love to milk, love the goats, and outside, but not when it is 10 degrees, then I want to feed them fast and leave!
I plan to breed the goats this month, however, I did have an issue that the girls kept letting the "future herd buck" out alot and if things went as the goats intended, we could have babies in March. He was capable, just a bit short back then, I don't think that would be a problem now.
I did make awesome butter, but had to skim the cream for several days to get enough to work with.
I did make milk kefir and found some uses for it fresh.
I also did fine on frying cheese.
I had no luck at all on any other cheese.
I used a commercial buttermilk and yogurt to culture some milk, it worked okay, but after about two cycles it went south, and I would need to make a new starter culture.
It was really odd, I never had issues with buttermilk, yogurt or the soft cheeses before.
I have regular cultures for 2011, and will start over and completely re-do my cheese making, I simply must be doing something wrong.
I am blaming the fact that I used raw milk, and didn't pasteurize it at all. I think the natural bacteria must have messed up my efforts.
But, I wanted raw cultured milk products, it worked okay on kefir, but that must be the problem, because years ago, I remember that I pasteurized the yogurt and cheese milk.
It is my understanding that in Arkansas it is only legal to sell "raw" milk as animal food. You can serve it to guests in your own home, but not even give it away for human consumption. However, it is a rumor that a guest may milk for themselves and then it is legal for them to take the milk home? Not sure on that one.
Actually I just dried them off, because, I hate milking in very, very cold weather. I had planned to milk through all year, but decided not to after all, it is just too hard not to get a break at all. I love to milk, love the goats, and outside, but not when it is 10 degrees, then I want to feed them fast and leave!
I plan to breed the goats this month, however, I did have an issue that the girls kept letting the "future herd buck" out alot and if things went as the goats intended, we could have babies in March. He was capable, just a bit short back then, I don't think that would be a problem now.
I did make awesome butter, but had to skim the cream for several days to get enough to work with.
I did make milk kefir and found some uses for it fresh.
I also did fine on frying cheese.
I had no luck at all on any other cheese.
I used a commercial buttermilk and yogurt to culture some milk, it worked okay, but after about two cycles it went south, and I would need to make a new starter culture.
It was really odd, I never had issues with buttermilk, yogurt or the soft cheeses before.
I have regular cultures for 2011, and will start over and completely re-do my cheese making, I simply must be doing something wrong.
I am blaming the fact that I used raw milk, and didn't pasteurize it at all. I think the natural bacteria must have messed up my efforts.
But, I wanted raw cultured milk products, it worked okay on kefir, but that must be the problem, because years ago, I remember that I pasteurized the yogurt and cheese milk.
It is my understanding that in Arkansas it is only legal to sell "raw" milk as animal food. You can serve it to guests in your own home, but not even give it away for human consumption. However, it is a rumor that a guest may milk for themselves and then it is legal for them to take the milk home? Not sure on that one.
-
lorax
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
- Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude
You can make Gouda-style semi-ripened cheeses using raw milk OL, but the crumbly-textured hard cheeses want pasteurization. I think it has something to do with the amount of time you give the culture to age; the natural bacteria of the raw milk can interfere with proper ageing of cheddars, Amalattea, and very hard cheeses like Romano and Fruilano.
I can picture it now...Ozark Lady wrote: It is my understanding that in Arkansas it is only legal to sell "raw" milk as animal food. You can serve it to guests in your own home, but not even give it away for human consumption. However, it is a rumor that a guest may milk for themselves and then it is legal for them to take the milk home? Not sure on that one.
"Thanks for inviting us over! Wow, what a great spread, dinner looks delicious... and so much cheese and butter on the table, how unique!"
"Oh, yes, of course, we love having guests for dinner. Oh? What's that you say? You like the milk? What a coincidence as I have yet to have time to milk my goats today. After dinner... do you mind? Oh, you can keep all the milk you want!"
*Gasp!* No butter in the Alfredo! Surely you jest!! Quick, cover the children's ears!The Alfredo sauce idea is fabulous as well (although the recipe given lacks GARLIC!) - especially since that can be put up in jars the same way you would tomato sauce.
There's also a slightly less lump-inducing way to thicken - take about a big ladelful of your scalded milk and whisk the flour into it in a separate bowl until it's super-thick, then reintroduce it to the pan. Voila, no lumps!
But... in all seriousness, I just might try that.
Great idea!-
lorax
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
- Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude
No butter, but then again I normally use whole, unskimmed milk from my neighbour's Guernsey cows when I make Alfredo sauce - lots of yummy fatty cream instead! I find that the flavour is rounder and richer that way. When I make white sauces with goatsmilk, I tend to melt the butter in at the point of scalding, so that some of it comes with into the smaller bowl when I add the flour.
The small-portion flour addition method is from the French school of saucemaking (my dad's a saucier), and it's the best way I've found yet to keep all of my starch-thickened sauces from going lumpy on me. There's nothing worse than lumpy sauce! I've also been completely converted to using a 50-50 mix of Quinoa and Plantain flours as my thickening agents - there's less of that "floury" flavour with an even shorter setting time that way. Plus, since neither of those are glutinous, my Mom can eat the sauce (she's Celiac).
Also, I've been playing around with softening small scraps of dried Suellius luteus boletes in the milk before I start the scalding process. It colours the final sauce somewhat, but the flavour! Oh, the flavour. The boletes bring out the creamiest aspects of the milk and help to accent the other spices and herbs. Next time I make a Gouda-type cheese, I'm definitely going to give it a shot with the boletes and cracked black peppercorns. I think it will be fantastic.
The small-portion flour addition method is from the French school of saucemaking (my dad's a saucier), and it's the best way I've found yet to keep all of my starch-thickened sauces from going lumpy on me. There's nothing worse than lumpy sauce! I've also been completely converted to using a 50-50 mix of Quinoa and Plantain flours as my thickening agents - there's less of that "floury" flavour with an even shorter setting time that way. Plus, since neither of those are glutinous, my Mom can eat the sauce (she's Celiac).
Also, I've been playing around with softening small scraps of dried Suellius luteus boletes in the milk before I start the scalding process. It colours the final sauce somewhat, but the flavour! Oh, the flavour. The boletes bring out the creamiest aspects of the milk and help to accent the other spices and herbs. Next time I make a Gouda-type cheese, I'm definitely going to give it a shot with the boletes and cracked black peppercorns. I think it will be fantastic.
We don't have many flour options around here, although since I love to bake I try to keep an eye out. I haven't had a chance cook with anything other than bleached flour on a regular basis. There's a specialty foods store about an hour away from me that sells rice and whole wheat flour but that's about as exotic as we get around here, haha.lorax wrote: I've also been completely converted to using a 50-50 mix of Quinoa and Plantain flours as my thickening agents - there's less of that "floury" flavour with an even shorter setting time that way. Plus, since neither of those are glutinous, my Mom can eat the sauce (she's Celiac).
Every time I think about ordering flour online I think of how ridiculous it is to order out for flour, sometimes tripling the price because of shipping charges. Oh! Woe is me! Lol!
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
Do some research, there are many companies that sell online, and charge a flat rate for every order... something like:
We ship any order anywhere in the States for $3.99.
I know that I saw some storage foods sites that didn't charge by the pound at all, it is already built into the price probably.
Do some looking you might be surprised to find that the prices are competitive to local stores.
We ship any order anywhere in the States for $3.99.
I know that I saw some storage foods sites that didn't charge by the pound at all, it is already built into the price probably.
Do some looking you might be surprised to find that the prices are competitive to local stores.
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
Apple, I am actually 'lactose intolerant', and usually have lots of issues from store bought milk.
With store bought, I could use fermented products fine, but not fresh milk, I did anyhow, but I paid for it with allergies and digestion issues.
I don't find that to be the case with fresh, raw goat milk. I don't have any issues. I can eat or drink all that I want... Too much does put weight on me, but it does that to anyone.
I don't have allergies to beef, so it is something they are doing to the milk before I can buy it at the store. Even medicines containing lactose, trigger my issues.
I would suggest anyone with milk issues... fast from all milk for a week or two, then try a raw milk, cow or goat... not holstein though. Holstein has a defective gene that is deadly for most folks. Introduce your raw milk in small quantities, because anything new in a diet can be hard on you.
But, you just might find, you can tolerate all milk that does not have that holstein gene in it!
Google milk types A and B.
With store bought, I could use fermented products fine, but not fresh milk, I did anyhow, but I paid for it with allergies and digestion issues.
I don't find that to be the case with fresh, raw goat milk. I don't have any issues. I can eat or drink all that I want... Too much does put weight on me, but it does that to anyone.
I don't have allergies to beef, so it is something they are doing to the milk before I can buy it at the store. Even medicines containing lactose, trigger my issues.
I would suggest anyone with milk issues... fast from all milk for a week or two, then try a raw milk, cow or goat... not holstein though. Holstein has a defective gene that is deadly for most folks. Introduce your raw milk in small quantities, because anything new in a diet can be hard on you.
But, you just might find, you can tolerate all milk that does not have that holstein gene in it!
Google milk types A and B.
-
Green Mantis
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:52 pm
- Location: Alberta, Canada zone 1a
Ozark Lady, My husband found he couldn't drink cows milk, and we went over to goats milk. We had our own goats then. He had no problem with un-pasturized milk. Cows milk pasturized, on the other hand really bothered him. We don't have goats now, and possibly that's why he is having some stomach issues again. Just not sure I could sneak on in here! 
Would love to though! I miss them badly. We can't get raw milk here either. I have no idea if someone could milk the goat and take home the milk though????
Would love to though! I miss them badly. We can't get raw milk here either. I have no idea if someone could milk the goat and take home the milk though????-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
In either a goat keeping magazine, or maybe the Mother Earth News.
I slept many, many nights since reading this article... it is a very old one, likely older than many of you!
But, a lady kept a female goat in her garage, I am talking a full-sized goat. She kept her well-fed, and cleaned up immediately, no fuss, no odor, and she sneaked her out at night to go breed for more kids. But, she milked through for as long as she possibly could sometimes a couple years!
But the thing is: She had that goat for years and years, in a city, in her garage, and only had a can of goat berries to deposit on her roses!
It would be my luck, the goat would escape, or get noisy.
I do have issues, the future herd sire keeps escaping, seems he wants in the house, so I have this half grown, smelly, billy kid who stands at the door and hollers wanting in! Sheesh. I like pets, but come on, some belong outside, and he never was in the house at all.
If any of my goats escape, I know it really fast, they stand at the door and holler for me! I have La Mancha goats, and in goat packing journals, it is often said, you don't have to tie La Manchas out, they get into the sleeping bag with ya... I believe it! It is just their nature to be friendly. I do need to add, does, and withers do not have odors, but a herd buck in rut... oh yeah, quite ripe.
But, a garage would be warm, not 10 degrees!
I slept many, many nights since reading this article... it is a very old one, likely older than many of you!
But, a lady kept a female goat in her garage, I am talking a full-sized goat. She kept her well-fed, and cleaned up immediately, no fuss, no odor, and she sneaked her out at night to go breed for more kids. But, she milked through for as long as she possibly could sometimes a couple years!
But the thing is: She had that goat for years and years, in a city, in her garage, and only had a can of goat berries to deposit on her roses!
It would be my luck, the goat would escape, or get noisy.
I do have issues, the future herd sire keeps escaping, seems he wants in the house, so I have this half grown, smelly, billy kid who stands at the door and hollers wanting in! Sheesh. I like pets, but come on, some belong outside, and he never was in the house at all.
If any of my goats escape, I know it really fast, they stand at the door and holler for me! I have La Mancha goats, and in goat packing journals, it is often said, you don't have to tie La Manchas out, they get into the sleeping bag with ya... I believe it! It is just their nature to be friendly. I do need to add, does, and withers do not have odors, but a herd buck in rut... oh yeah, quite ripe.
But, a garage would be warm, not 10 degrees!
-
lorax
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
- Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude
In Alberta, it's illegal to sell unpasteurized milk products, but it's not illegal to trade them or give them away. So, if you know somebody with goats, you can offer to milk them in exchange for some/all the milk - that's a barter exchange, and thus excluded from the laws. Goofy, but there it is.Green Mantis wrote:We can't get raw milk here either. I have no idea if someone could milk the goat and take home the milk though????
I used to barter apples for goatsmilk all the time in Alberta.
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
Here is a great barter idea, offer to help the goat farmer with chores.
You learn how to feed, how to groom, how to clean and care for goats, before you ever have one.
I bought a pair of twin Nubian doelings. They were adorable.
I asked at the local feed store and found a woman who had milk goats. I asked her to teach me about them, including how to milk.
I would volunteer to help her with chores one afternoon per week in exchange for teaching me. And I often swapped bags of goat food for goat milk (for my animals). But it was clean enough for my kids. Legally it was still animal milk, but it was in the fridge, our normal milk.
I still absolutely couldn't get any milk out, when my girls grew up. We had to load her up and take her over there to be taught to milk her, it seems, my girl had 4 teats, not the traditional 2. This was a defect, but she did fine with it.
And my wages for helping with the chores were: milk, eggs, and knowledge! I also got buckets of goat berries, and rabbit berries for my garden. So, it was a win/win situation for us.
Rabbit, and goat berries are not "hot" manure like chicken, cow, or horse, but it is still possible to overdo the manure use. But often, we simply side dressed about 2" from stems with these and covered with hay. Sometimes we got too much, and got all lovely green and no fruits in the garden! So, moderation is needed.
The berries, are handy pellets, pretty much odorless, unless, you make manure tea, then, well, it is manure.
You learn how to feed, how to groom, how to clean and care for goats, before you ever have one.
I bought a pair of twin Nubian doelings. They were adorable.
I asked at the local feed store and found a woman who had milk goats. I asked her to teach me about them, including how to milk.
I would volunteer to help her with chores one afternoon per week in exchange for teaching me. And I often swapped bags of goat food for goat milk (for my animals). But it was clean enough for my kids. Legally it was still animal milk, but it was in the fridge, our normal milk.
I still absolutely couldn't get any milk out, when my girls grew up. We had to load her up and take her over there to be taught to milk her, it seems, my girl had 4 teats, not the traditional 2. This was a defect, but she did fine with it.
And my wages for helping with the chores were: milk, eggs, and knowledge! I also got buckets of goat berries, and rabbit berries for my garden. So, it was a win/win situation for us.
Rabbit, and goat berries are not "hot" manure like chicken, cow, or horse, but it is still possible to overdo the manure use. But often, we simply side dressed about 2" from stems with these and covered with hay. Sometimes we got too much, and got all lovely green and no fruits in the garden! So, moderation is needed.
The berries, are handy pellets, pretty much odorless, unless, you make manure tea, then, well, it is manure.
We had two Lamanchas and two Nubians. The Lamanchas (wethered male, and female) were incredibly vocal while the two wethered male Nubians were less into making noise and more into making trouble. I'm not sure if this was because of temperament or because of how we raised them. We raised both Nubians (Jack and Andy) from the same litter when they were about a week old. We had bought one goat from the seller before the babies were born and at a week old the mother refused our boys so in exchange for taking our goat early the seller gave us both boys to hand-raise. We got the male Lamancha (ET) at 4 months old and the female (Miss Priss) soon after at around the same age.
The Lamanchas were always "outside" goats but the Nubians were mostly "indoor" pets.
We had a weird cold spell when we first got Jack and Andy so we kept them inside and treated them mostly like puppies. We house trained them... to a point. We could get them to pee outside but no matter what we tried we couldn't get them to "do number two" outside. It wasn't really a big deal, though. They'd usually do it where we could see, it didn't really stink and as long as you didn't step on them first you could get them up very easily. They got baths like puppies do, once or twice a week and we didn't notice any smell at all, really. They were wethered by our vet at 2 weeks old (he put a very tight-fitting rubber band around the top of their testes and eventually the testes fell off). We installed a large-breed doggie door in the door leading from the house to the garage and that's where they slept and ate (unless they could convince someone to let them sleep in the bed which happened with us kids... a lot!).
I think the only concern you may have with keeping your goats indoors in a "suburban area" is finding a vet that would be able to take care of your goats. They do require quite a bit of maintenance as compared to a dog or cat. Dogs or cats can get away with a single vet visit a year for heart worm pills or well-check-visits but goats need attention every three or four months to trim hooves, grind down horns and, of course, vaccinations.
Many large animal vets nowadays have gone to the "mobile service", preferring to do most of their work out of a truck with specialized equipment in the bed rather than from an office. If you're trying to keep the neighbors from being suspicious than a visit from a mobile vet three times a year may be a bit too high-profile for you. Just something to keep in mind.
However, I think goats are great pets as long as you keep in mind the expenses and issues that come with them and can be kept relatively easily like a dog would.
The Lamanchas were always "outside" goats but the Nubians were mostly "indoor" pets.
We had a weird cold spell when we first got Jack and Andy so we kept them inside and treated them mostly like puppies. We house trained them... to a point. We could get them to pee outside but no matter what we tried we couldn't get them to "do number two" outside. It wasn't really a big deal, though. They'd usually do it where we could see, it didn't really stink and as long as you didn't step on them first you could get them up very easily. They got baths like puppies do, once or twice a week and we didn't notice any smell at all, really. They were wethered by our vet at 2 weeks old (he put a very tight-fitting rubber band around the top of their testes and eventually the testes fell off). We installed a large-breed doggie door in the door leading from the house to the garage and that's where they slept and ate (unless they could convince someone to let them sleep in the bed which happened with us kids... a lot!).
I think the only concern you may have with keeping your goats indoors in a "suburban area" is finding a vet that would be able to take care of your goats. They do require quite a bit of maintenance as compared to a dog or cat. Dogs or cats can get away with a single vet visit a year for heart worm pills or well-check-visits but goats need attention every three or four months to trim hooves, grind down horns and, of course, vaccinations.
Many large animal vets nowadays have gone to the "mobile service", preferring to do most of their work out of a truck with specialized equipment in the bed rather than from an office. If you're trying to keep the neighbors from being suspicious than a visit from a mobile vet three times a year may be a bit too high-profile for you. Just something to keep in mind.
However, I think goats are great pets as long as you keep in mind the expenses and issues that come with them and can be kept relatively easily like a dog would.
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
I have rarely taken a goat to a vet. Normally, I do the vaccinations.
I like horns, so I don't want them damaged. And I do the hooves myself.
I want to get a new microscope and then I will be able to do fecal counts, to see what parasites they have and treat them accordingly. Right now, I just worm them on a schedule, with a scatter gun effect. Seems to work, mine are fat and healthy. I don't wether, I just butcher them when they are optimum sized for the freezer. I think the male hormones in the meat are important for human health.
Most folks find they can either learn to care for the goats themselves, or get out of the livestock business.
A few backpackers get into the vet thing, and treat them like dogs...
But heck, I vaccinate my dogs too, except rabies must be done by a vet to prove you did it. I can't remember ever taking these dogs to the vet for anything other than rabies shots, when they have clinics.
I did have to have a couple "C" sections done on pygmy does that snuck in with the full sized Nubian buck and had babies they couldn't deliver.
They would walk past the pygmy buck and go for the big guy, every time, so I had to concede defeat and no longer keep pygmies.
If you want milk, don't go pygmy, they are wonderful pets, but very difficult to milk, we have had to do it. But there are mini's that are not much bigger, and they are developed and bred for milking. Pygmy sized, pygmy temperment, and an udder you can actually milk! Not huge, but large enough to get hold of.
In goat forums folks talk about Nubians being loud and La Mancha's being quiet. I have had both, and both can be really loud, if they want something, or want you! Even pygmies can be heard from a long distance. I did find Oberhasli were quieter goats, and beautiful.
I like horns, so I don't want them damaged. And I do the hooves myself.
I want to get a new microscope and then I will be able to do fecal counts, to see what parasites they have and treat them accordingly. Right now, I just worm them on a schedule, with a scatter gun effect. Seems to work, mine are fat and healthy. I don't wether, I just butcher them when they are optimum sized for the freezer. I think the male hormones in the meat are important for human health.
Most folks find they can either learn to care for the goats themselves, or get out of the livestock business.
A few backpackers get into the vet thing, and treat them like dogs...
But heck, I vaccinate my dogs too, except rabies must be done by a vet to prove you did it. I can't remember ever taking these dogs to the vet for anything other than rabies shots, when they have clinics.
I did have to have a couple "C" sections done on pygmy does that snuck in with the full sized Nubian buck and had babies they couldn't deliver.
They would walk past the pygmy buck and go for the big guy, every time, so I had to concede defeat and no longer keep pygmies.
If you want milk, don't go pygmy, they are wonderful pets, but very difficult to milk, we have had to do it. But there are mini's that are not much bigger, and they are developed and bred for milking. Pygmy sized, pygmy temperment, and an udder you can actually milk! Not huge, but large enough to get hold of.
In goat forums folks talk about Nubians being loud and La Mancha's being quiet. I have had both, and both can be really loud, if they want something, or want you! Even pygmies can be heard from a long distance. I did find Oberhasli were quieter goats, and beautiful.
-
WinglessAngel
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:51 pm
- Location: NE Ohio
Hi there Ozark Lady!Ozark Lady wrote:Okay, I made the heading kind of general.
I have an issue of too much milk.
I am learning cheese making, and am still working on the soft cheeses.
I am also making yogurt and buttermilk.
I do freeze some yogurt for the next culture, and some buttermilk to get new going.
I made some frozen yogurt/peach ice cream in the freezer, yesterday, the family loved it.
I also made some cheese that is a non-melting cheese, that you batter and fry.
But, from the gallon of milk the recipe calls for is alot too much of this cheese. It will spoil before we use it.
I am debating, should I cut it up and freeze it, then batter at point of use?
Should I batter the slices, then freeze them, and simply take them out to fry?
Should I batter the slices, and lightly fry them, and then freeze them, so I can just barely fry them on reheat. (they cook fast anyhow though)
Or should I just cook them like to eat, and then freeze them?
And what about all the soft cheeses like cream cheese and cottage cheese.
All recipes call for a gallon or two of milk... that is alot of soft cheese, we just can't eat it before we lose it.
I get a gallon of milk everyday, 7 days a week, I can't get ahead of it, can't keep the fridge emptied of milk, and have all these containers of soft cheeses, yogurt, buttermilk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, banana milk... give me a break... how do I best store this? Okay I can pressure can it, but a gallon per day is 8 pints daily, it wouldn't take long to have alot too much in that area too.
I do make yogurt for grandkids that like it, and send jugs of milk home with my milk loving grandkids, but still, they aren't using enough!
I really must get started on hard cheeses!
But any suggestions for in the meantime? I need to use up or store large quantities of milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and frying cheese.
Something I do with cheese when I buy in quantity, is I do freeze it, I cut it up into manageable block sizes and then either wrap in celophane or vacuum pack it (when I had a vacuum sealer) and it kept just fine, when ur in need of the cheese just take it out and defrost it, works great.
I think u can freeze cream cheese, I've done it before and never had a problem with it, only problem is it takes a long time for it to come to room temperature enough to be spreadable, the only downfall for that.
Cottage cheese I am not sure would freeze well as it still contains a lot of liquids in it.
As far as battering and freezing, I would go ahead, make it easier on yourself the next time you want to fry some cheese up! Just lightly spray some cookie sheets with cooking spray and layer them with parchment or wax paper, batter your cheese chunks and carefully lay them on the paper. I don't know what type of batter u use, but sometimes sprinkling corn meal on the paper also helps the batter not to "pool" out, kinda gives it a roadblock effect. freeze trays individually and when they are fully frozen, peel them carefully off the paper and then just throw in zip top bags and pull out as many as u need when u want them. I do this method for a lot of things I know I use a lot of in the house...like when I make egg rolls, I usually make a hundred or so at a time, I just freeze individually and then throw in bags. When u need them, don't defrost just put straight into hot oil and go, but be careful u don't burn urself bec the ice crystals from them being frozen can make ur oil pop.
Hope this helped (sorry for my long winded-ness)
