Goat Cheese 101

Goat Cheese 101

What are the benefits of goat milk and how is it made into our award-winning goat milk cheese?

Health Benefits of Goat Milk

  • Goat milk is similar in nutritional composition to cow milk
  • In comparison to cow milk, goat milk is a better source of protein, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C
  • The smaller fat globule size of goat milk makes it more easily digested
  • Goat milk is lower in lactose (milk sugars)
  • Goat milk is high in omega 3-fatty acids, which function in the body to promote a healthy heart
  • It is also a higher source of taurine, which is an important amino acid in human metabolism
  • Many individuals who experience lactose intolerance are able to enjoy goat milk and other goat dairy products

Read on to learn how our goat milk Chèvre is made…

Chèvre Process

Raw Milk Receiving

  • Before goat milk is unloaded, it is graded. This means it must meet all regulatory requirements including being free of inhibitors.

Milk Pasteurization and Standardization Process

  • From the cooled storage tanks, goat milk is standardized and pumped into a pasteurizer.
  • Pasteurization is the process that destroys pathogenic bacteria that may be present in raw milk by heating milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time.
  • Standardization refers to the process of adjusting the fat content of milk to standardized values while maintaining both cheese quality and cheese composition specifications.

Cheese Setting

  • After the milk has been pasteurized, standardized and cooled, it is sent to the cheese vat for curd production.
  • Select cultures and animal free rennet (a tiny amount of microbial enzyme) are added to create the personality of the cheese. The culture and microbial enzyme work in tandem with a controlled temperature and specific time period to create the curd, which will become the soft unripened chèvre cheese.

Cheese Pressing

  • Curds and whey are pumped into the special bags. The bags are pressed in order to drain out the whey.

Cheese Mixing

  • Once the cheese has been pressed and unloaded, it can now be salted and flavoured.
  • In the mixer, the bulk cheese is weighed and the optimum moisture for each cheese type is maintained.
  • After the cheese has been mixed and flavoured, it will be portioned.

Cheese Packaging

  • The packaging machine creates a plastic pocket into which the cheese log is placed. It is then vacuum sealed and labelled on the top and bottom.

Quality Check

  • A last quality check is performed as it leaves the packaging dept and gets boxed and ready for shipping.

Shipping

  • Product is palletized and prepared for the trucks that will take it to our customers for distribution.