Cheese Type & Number: Parmesan: #5

Description: This Parmesan is different from my previous one in that it uses 1 gallon of whole goat milk and 1 gallon of skim cow milk. It did not set up well, but I hope I rescued it…we’ll see.

Source of Recipe: Making Great Cheese at Home page 98

Date: 1/4/04

Milk Used: 1 gallon 2% cow (Colorado Proud) plus 1 gallon whole goat (Meyenberg)

Bring to Temperature: 90

This cheese never did dry well. I had great yield and the flavor and odor was great, so I had high hopes for this cheese, but it never did form a dry firm rind. Eventually, the rind cracked badly and the cheese was very ugly.

So, I had the clever idea of cutting the cracked rind off the cheese, rebrining it for a while, and allowing it to dry at room temperature again—basically start over as if I was just pulling it from the press.

I cut the rind off (and in the process tasted the cheese—it was great tasting!). Then, I placed the cheese round on a cheese mat on the kitchen counter while preparing a brine. Sometime later Lynne asked me where my cheese was because the mat was on the floor. One or more dogs had “counter surfed” and eaten the entire round of cheese!

I was really mad, but it was my own fault. So, this cheese is done. The dog’s loved it, there wasn’t a crumb left. I guess I’ll start over with this recipe and try again this weekend.

I just realized something today as I started a new batch of this cheese. The Meyenberg goat milk that I’ve been using is ultra-pasteurized! This might be why I had so much trouble with this cheese. I’m trying again, but cutting the goat milk in half (I bought Meyenberg again, unfortunately) and I’m substituting 1/2 gallon of whole cow milk instead.

I cut into this cheese last night, a couple of months ahead of schedule. I did it because I was worried that it might be all rind by now. It is a small cheese because of the low yield resulting from use of ultra-pasteurized goat milk (I guess). And, I had noticed on my other natural rind cheeses that a pretty thick rind tends to form.

Anyway, it has a thick rind and is dry, but excellent in flavor and will make a great grating cheese. I’m very, very happy with the consistency and especially the flavor.

I just need to find a good source of goat’s milk that is not ultra-pasteurized. A Whole Foods is opening soon, maybe they will have something. I’ve contacted a number of family goat farms in Colorado, but none will sell me milk because of licensing and various restrictions.