Making Valençay Cheese

One of the best parts about having goats has been experimenting with making different cheeses. Recently I set out to make some Valençay cheese -- a soft, mold-ripened goat's milk cheese. Given the time it takes to make and the success of the process, I couldn't help but post some images.

First, the cheeses after draining from the whey. They get sprinkled with ash, which acts as a preservative and helps the skin to dry (along with a sprinkling of salt).

Following a couple of weeks of aging, a white mold (the same type of surface mold you find in camembert or brie) has grown over the ash and the cheese is ready to eat.

We enjoyed our first pyramid with friends amidst a crazy meal with toddlers. The cheese provided at least a moment of focus in an otherwise hectic meal.