Adventures in Powell River: Milking goats and making cheese
Meet Wendy.
Wendy: a self-described chicken hobbyist, but she has goats and other critters too.
Wendy has a farm in Wildwood. It’s pastoral, prolific, and park like.
She’s lived there since 1991 but the land has been a homestead since 1907. Back then it was logged and farmed by a man named Smarge, at one time supplying goat milk to the hospital.
These days there are still goats, plus ducks, bees, farm cats, and my favourite, chickens.
Chickens!
When it was suggested that as a Powell River Adventure I should milk something and then follow up by making cheese, Wendy was the natural choice to contact.
And so on a warm spring day, I headed across the Wildwood bridge with friends Bad Karen (BK) and Suzan to milk us some goats!
Suzan, BK, and I along with Baby (in white) and her daughter, Patches. (Wendy Devlin photo)
It’s a funny thing: I thought milking would be easy (squirt, squirt, squirt) but once I sidled up to a living thing, in this case a goat named Baby, I worried about hurting her. This despite Wendy’s very clear instructions to grasp an udder in each hand, make a ring with my fingers and pull down firmly, alternating between udders. No need to be gentle, Wendy said, but that’s exactly how I was. And so, no milk. Nothing. It took several attempts before there was the satisfying sound of spurting milk hitting the pail. BK and Suzan took to milking much more easily and of course Wendy’s a pro.
How do you milk a goat? Firmly and with confidence.
Fast forward several weeks to an evening of cheese making at BK’s place. Prior to this, BK, our friend Mel, and I did a test run using cow’s milk, making mozzarella and queso fresco.
And here we go, heating the milk. Next we’ll add citric acid and then rennet (the coagulant, and a new word for my vocabulary).
There are a lot of steps but BK kept us on task.
Hot! Hot! Hot! These mozzarella curds are almost too hot to handle.
The great thing about mozzarella and queso fresco is that they can be eaten immediately.
Mozzarella balls! (Mel Edgar photo)
And there’s room to be creative.
Queso fresco: seasoned with garlic, chives, apple cider vinegar, salt, and olive oil.
So after our successful test run, BK and I set about to make feta using goat’s milk.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of cheese-making kits, information, and recipes available, and really, it all boils down to chemistry.
Key step: slicing the curds in a grid pattern to release the whey. (Mel Edgar photo)
It’s important to follow the recipe, paying close attention to timing, water temperature, and techniques like the “cheese-maker stir” – stirring from the bottom up to even out heat distribution.
Feta: gently stirring from bottom to top with a slotted spoon.
You can eat feta fresh but it’s better if it’s aged in a brine solution.
Feta, draining away the whey before it’s left to age for a few days. There are a zillion uses for the leftover whey: in baking, soups, smoothies, marinades, some people even recommend it for hair care!
While I like instant gratification as much as the next person, there’s something about waiting to enjoy something you’ve made yourself, especially if you’re sharing the experience with friends. It’s the anticipation and then the celebration of the accomplishment.
This adventure taught me that many things you buy in the store can be made at home. Sure, it takes some time and effort but Powell River has a wealth of resources and skilled and knowledgeable people who are happy to share. That’s community.
A little cheese, some crackers, a little beer…a great way to relax on a sunny afternoon. (Mel Edgar photo)
Angie Davey
Latest posts by Angie Davey (see all)
- Adventures in Powell River: Desolation Sound in a Kayak Made for Two - August 16, 2016
- Adventures in Powell River: Milking goats and making cheese - July 26, 2016
- Adventures in Powell River: Patricia Theatre’s gardens and ghosts - July 4, 2016