WOW!!! What a day we had today!!!
It started out rather normally, with me milking Ruby & Falina. However, after milking, Our routine took a different turn. On the way back to their run, we took a detour to the barn, to weigh the girls, on our new Vet style scale. They had never been in the barn, and I expected to meet with resistance. However, each girl hopped up into the barn fairly easily.
Once that was done, I headed into the house, to filter & pasteurize the gallon of milk I had just gotten from the girls.
When I was finished with that, I decided to attempt my first batch of cheese: Quest Fresco. This is one of the easiest, because all you do is add vinegar, to separate the curds from the whey, let it sit for a while, strain the curds out of the whey into a flour sack cloth placed in a colander, for a while, add salt and press in a colander, to get more whey out. I weighted it down, with a full gallon glass jar, for a couple hours. And what we ended up with was more like Ricotta. But, we were very happy with the flavor.
Something I read, while looking for the recipe, was that I could put the leftover whey over ice & drink it. So, when the cheese was being pressed, I added some salt to the whey, put it over ice, and sat, for a while to get my aching feet up! It was very refreshing!
To say I am pleased, as punch, to have made my first cheese, was an understatement! I am ecstatic!!! As
@Baymule keeps saying, this has been my dream, for a long time, and it is finally coming to pass!
When I finished making the Queso Fresco, I was going to make some Mozzarella cheese, but I couldn't find my Rennet anywhere. I KNOW I bought some, when I bought the different cultures, that I would need, for cheese making. So, now I am going to have to buy more Rennet before I can make Mozzarella cheese. I may just go to the grocery store & buy some Junket (Rennet). I'm pretty sure I have seen it in the pudding section. Or, was it the canning section?
At 3:00 we had to go out and put the dogs in the back of the pickup truck, for their annual trip, to the Vet, for Rabies shots. When we bought the truck, we put a Leer cap over the bed, with side raising Windows (for easy access), into the truck bed, as well as sliding Windows, with screens, for ventilation, since we knew we would be hauling animals in the truck bed. It was a bit spendy, but we have been very happy with it.
Since Violet & Deo spend 24/7 with the goats, getting them into the truck, has never been a fun task. They do not want to leave their goats, and going in the truck scares them. This time was no different. However, we did put a 2x3' wood bench under the tailgate, and that made it a bit easier. We have big eye bolts, screwed into the truck bed walls. DH crawled into the truck bed and hooked each dog to one of them, to keep them contained. We do that with the goats, when we transport them, and it works well.
To say they were stressed, is an understatement. However, once we were on the road, they both laid down and were much calmer. When we got to the Vet, we left the dogs in the truck, and he came out to give them their Rabies shot. They were sweet as you please.
When we got home, the plan was to unhook them, and let them jump down, to run to the gate, which we knew they would do. Before I could let go of Violet's leash, it tangled on my left little finger and twisted it as she jumped down. OUCH! Within 15 minutes, it was starting to swell and get stiff and painful.
So, after we fed the animals and got them all settled in, for the night, we came inside and out of wrapped a comfrey oil poultice on my finger & wrapped it well, to prevent the oil from running all over everything. DH was a big help getting it done. It is bulky, but doing the job. I will have to take it off in the morning, to milk the goats. I'm hoping the comfrey oil will have done the job, of reducing the swelling. Once the milk is processed, I might just have to put another poultice on.
One more cute thing, and then I'm heading to bed. At the end of feeding animals, we take leashes into the goat run, to hook up the kids and lead them over to the barn, so they can spend the night away from their moms. Usually, I have to track them down, to hook the carabeaners onto their collar & lead them out. Tonight I was pleasantly surprised! As I walked into the run, both kids came to the gate and stood there, while I put the leash on them. Then, they walked out without any encouragement, and headed straight for the barn. It was SO sweet!
But, of course by then it was too late.
.......never tried it, don't plan on it either.....
