Making Goat Milk Products

Goat's milk is used in a variety of products. It's used to make yogurt, butter, cheese and ice cream. It's found in soap and lotion products because it's gentle on the skin. Moreover, the caprylic acid in the milk helps lower the skin's alkalinity, improving the skin's ph value. And goat's milk is rich in vitamins.

  1. Cheese

    • Pour a gallon of goat's milk in a stainless steel or enamelware pot. Slowly heat the milk to 185 degrees F. To this, add 1/4 cup vinegar. Occasionally stir the milk during the next 10 to 15 minutes while you wait for soft curds to form. In the meantime, use a cheesecloth to line a colander or strainer. When the curds have formed, pour them into the colander/strainer and sprinkle them with salt. Draw together the cloth's corners and tie them. Then hang the salted curds over a pot or sink and allow them to drip for a few hours. Open the cloth and add seasoning (dill, pepper or garlic) and refrigerate the mixture. Be sure to eat the cheese soon and keep it refrigerated. Don't keep it any longer than a week.

    Rebatch Soap

    • Start with a store soap you like. Rebatching lets you create a soap with your own scents without having to go through the entire lye process. Perhaps start with a simple and unscented soap. Shred the soap into a double boiler or slow cooker. Add in the goat's milk and heat until the soap has melted. Make sure not to get the mixture too hot; it should not bubble or foam. Add in any essential oil fragrances you may desire. Likewise, you could add in coloring or cocoa butter or aloe vera, etc. Whatever you add in, keep stirring to mix thoroughly. Then pour the soap mixture into molds. They will need to sit for a few weeks to firm up.

    Goat's Milk Lotion

    • Pour 1/4 cup of goat's milk into a pot. Add in 1/8 teaspoon of borax, bring the mixture to the point of scalding, then remove it from stove. Melt 1 tbsp. of beeswax with 1/2 cup of coconut oil. Slowly pour in the milk/borax mix, using a whisk to keep the mixture smooth. Next, optionally, add in 1 tsp. of vitamin E oil and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Finally add in 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel and whisk the mixture well.