chevre - aging

[scasnerkay]

How long can I hold onto chevre after making it? The recipe calls for one gallon of goats milk, which seems to me like it would make more chevre than we could easily eat in a week or so. Can it be frozen?

[anutcanfly]

Generally you can expect it to last 2 weeks, maybe 3, though it starts getting goaty by the end of three weeks.  I don't know anything about freezing it.  It never lasts that long!  :P

[tinysar]

Yeah, depending on the milk, that would make about a pound or so. You can salt to help preserve it. I also wrap mine in damp cheesecloth (dipped in brine) to stop it drying out.

I have never tried it, but you could probably preserve little balls of salted chevre in oil like you do for labna.

You can also coat the surface with ash, &/or spray with spores to make a mouldy semi-lactic.

[Oberhasli]

Tinysar,

I freeze my chevre quite often when I have too much.  It freezes really well.  I put mine in saran wrap packages about 8 oz each and then put them into freezer bags and into the freezer they go.  When they defrost, they don't look or taste any different. 

You can also roll chevre into small balls and roll in different spices.  I then put them into small jars and cover with olive oil.  They keep like that for months.

Bonnie

[iratherfly]

I would not freeze Chévre, when it defrosts it gets horribly crumbly and moisture separates from curd. It's one of the worst freezing cheese in my opinion.  You can age it if you treat the rind (PC/Geo) or keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator (at 36°F) for a long time - especially if it is vacuumed.