Narrator:
GOAT CHEESE TASTES TARTER
THAN CHEESE MADE FROM COW'S MILK
BECAUSE GOAT'S MILK
HAS A HIGHER PROPORTION
OF CERTAIN FATTY ACIDS,
WHICH SHARPEN THE FLAVOR.
THERE ARE HARD AND SOFT
VARIETIES OF GOAT CHEESE.
THE SOFT ONES ARE USUALLY SOLD
IN LOGS OR DISKS
AND OFTEN HAVE A COATING
OF PEPPERCORNS, CHOPPED HERBS,
OR OTHER FLAVORINGS.
THE TEXTURE OF SOFT GOAT CHEESE
MAKES IT IDEAL
FOR SPREADING ON CRACKERS
OR CRUMBLING
OVER PASTA OR SALADS.
GOAT CHEESE
IS ALSO CALLED "CHèVRE,"
THE FRENCH WORD FOR "GOAT."
FARMERS START BREEDING GOATS
WHEN THE ANIMALS ARE A YEAR OLD.
THEIR GESTATION PERIOD
LASTS FIVE MONTHS,
MEANING MILK PRODUCTION BEGINS
AT THE AGE
OF ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
THE GOATS GO FOR A MILKING
EVERY 12 HOURS OR SO.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO MANUALLY
SQUIRT SOME MILK INTO A CUP
TO CHECK THE QUALITY.
IF IT LOOKS GOOD, THEY WIPE
THE TEATS WITH DISINFECTANT
TO REMOVE SURFACE BACTERIA.
THEN THEY HOOK UP
THE AUTOMATED MILK EXTRACTOR.
A MILKING TAKES
JUST TWO OR THREE MINUTES.
IT TYPICALLY YIELDS
2 TO 3 QUARTS.
AT THE CHEESE FACTORY,
THE GOAT'S MILK
GOES INTO A STEAM-HEATED
PASTEURIZATION TANK.
AN AGITATOR STIRS THE MILK
NONSTOP TO KEEP IT FROM COOKING.
THEY HEAT THE MILK
TO 66 DEGREES CELSIUS,
WHICH KILLS OFF ANY BACTERIA.
WITH THE MILK NOW PASTEURIZED,
THEY ADD BACTERIAL CULTURES.
THESE KICK-START
THE FERMENTATION.
THEN THEY ADD RENNET.
DILUTED IN WATER,
RENNET IS AN EXTRACT
FROM CALF STOMACHS.
IT CONTAINS ENZYMES
WHICH CURDLE MILK.
WITH THE CULTURES AND RENNET IN,
WORKERS NOW LET THE MILK FERMENT
FOR 18 HOURS.
THE RESULT -- CHEESE CURDS
AND A WATERY LIQUID CALLED WHEY.
THEY LADLE OUT THE CURDS
AND PUT THEM IN A
CHEESECLOTH BAG TO STRAIN THEM.
AS THEY LIFT THE BAG,
THE SHEER WEIGHT OF THE CURDS
FORCES OUT
MUCH OF THE REMAINING WHEY.
THEY TIE UP THE BAG
AND LET THE CURDS SIT
FOR ANOTHER 18 HOURS,
AFTER WHICH TIME
WORKERS STRAIN THEM AGAIN.
THE GOAT CHEESE
IS FINALLY READY.
THEY WEIGH IT
AND MIX IN JUST THE RIGHT
PROPORTION OF SALT -- 0.6% --
TO SLOW DOWN THE AGING PROCESS.
ONE OF THE FORMATS THIS FACTORY
PRODUCES IS 175-GRAM PACKAGES,
SO WORKERS WEIGH OUT
175-GRAM BLOBS OF CHEESE...
...THEN HAND-ROLL EACH BLOB
INTO A BALL
THEN FLATTEN EACH BALL
INTO A DISK.
THE DISK GOES INTO REFRIGERATION
UNTIL PACKAGING TIME.
THE FRIDGE TEMPERATURE
IS 3 DEGREES CELSIUS --
JUST ABOVE FREEZING.
SOME GOAT CHEESES GO FOR A ROLL
IN SPECIAL FLAVORINGS.
THESE ARE CHIVES.
THEN IT'S INTO CELLOPHANE WRAP
AND A PLASTIC CONTAINER.
ON THE PRODUCT LABEL,
THEY STAMP A "BEST BEFORE" DATE.
UNOPENED, GOAT CHEESE
HAS A TWO-MONTH SHELF LIFE...
ONCE OPENED, ABOUT A WEEK.
ANOTHER FORMAT IS LOG-SHAPED.
THEY ROLL
THIS PARTICULAR VARIETY
IN A FIVE-PEPPER SEASONING.
WORKERS ALSO HAND-ROLL
GOAT-CHEESE BALLS.
THEY GO INTO A CONTAINER
WITH SPICES, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES,
AND OLIVE OIL.
GOAT CHEESE IS A HEALTHY FOOD.
IT HAS TWICE THE PROTEIN
OF COW'S-MILK CREAM CHEESE
YET HALF THE FAT AND CHOLESTEROL
AND 1/3 FEWER CALORIES.
