Goat cheese (aka Chèvre) is a common ingredient in European cuisine. Many get hooked on it for its diverse texture. But the food is somewhat tricky, and not everyone knows how to crumble goat cheese.
Chèvre is also a food with anti-inflammatory abilities. Sour foods like chèvre help reduce hunger, making them a great snack. They are also a solid substitute for farmer’s cheese when in need.
This post will cover the background of this cheese. We will also provide instructions and tips to swiftly and correctly prep goat brie.
About Crumbled Goat Cheese
Animal-based fermented foods have played a crucial role in the evolution of Western cuisine. Goat cheeses (or chevre) are usually products with protected designation of origin.
Though goat milk products are also from mammals, they are less irritating to the human digestive system than cow milk.
Goat brie is an excellent source of probiotics. It has a high-fat content and a firm texture. These properties help to preserve the good bacteria from outside influences.
Is Goat Cheese Supposed To Be Crumbly?
Yes, people do produce cheese that crumbles. Typically, retailers will sell chevre in smooth, silky blocks.
Since the curd is still soft and malleable when the cheese is formed, the cheesemaker must put the curd into a mold to make packaging and fermentation simpler. The final product will be a smooth, firm block.
After that, the cheese may go through the aging process. Then the acidification will continue. The taste and texture will improve over time. Finally, the chevre may be chunky and crumbly at this point.
If you don’t like aged chevre, you can purchase fresh ones in pieces and break them up to your liking. Some brands now sell pre-crumbled goat cheese too.
Do Goat Cheese Crumbles Melt?
No, it does not. When exposed to heat, goat cheese crumbles softens. However, unlike cheese made from cow’s milk, chevre will not melt.
During the production process, cheesemakers use rennet to coagulate goat cheese. Rennet is an acidic protease. The protease forms an extra-strong connection between the casein proteins. As a result, it is nearly impossible to break the link.
When you heat parmesan or cheddar with loosely bonded proteins, they quickly melt and make the lovely, smooth pizza toppings. Chevre does not work similarly because these proteins have a secure link. Rather than melt, it crumbles.
How To Crumble Goat Cheese
With Bare Hands
If you do not know how to make goat cheese crumbles, it is best to try with your hands first.
Step 1: Thoroughly wash your hands and prepare a zip bag.
Smashing cheese by hand may be messy. And all it takes is a ziplock bag to avoid that!
Step 2: Take the product out of the fridge and remove the package.
Keep in mind that cold and hard goat cheese is best. If the cheese is creamy, freeze it for 15 minutes before crumbling.
At room temperature, soft or semi-soft chevre will be relatively malleable. This means it would be more difficult to fall to pieces.
Step 3: Put the chevre in a plastic bag and begin crushing it.
With two hands, hold the bag and gently push with the tips of your thumbs. Continue until the chevre is crushed to your satisfaction.
This method is also the most straightforward answer to the problem of “how to crumble cheese.”
With A Fork
Step 1: Remove the cheese from the package and prepare a fork.
You may pre-cut the block into slices if you want to make it simpler to operate. Also, as said above, remember to pick low-temp cheese.
Step 2: Smash the cheese into tiny pieces with a fork.
Using a fork allows you to avoid the heat generated by your hands. Body heat makes the cheese mushy and harder to crumble. To crumble it, push the tines of the fork firmly against it.
With A Colander
This approach might be handy for individuals who struggle to find how to crumble creamy goat cheese.
Step 1: Remove the cheese from the package and place it in a colander.
The procedure will be identical to using a fork but with a colander instead.
Step 2: Press the cheese down in the colander with your hand.
Keep pushing as if there’s no tomorrow. Your crumbly goats cheese should be ready to enjoy after a few minutes!
How Do You Soften Crumbled Goat Cheese?
Method 1
Place the crumbled cheese in a vacuum-sealed bag in a basin of warm water between 100 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow 30 minutes for it to soften. Make sure you do not use too hot water. Doing this will change the texture of the food.
Method 2
Put the crumbly cheese in the food processor. You can season and add a little cream to soften the chevre faster. Then process it for a few minutes until it is as soft and smooth as you want it to be.
Can You Grate Goat Cheese?
Yes, and it would taste amazing for mac and cheese. You can spray a few drops of cooking oil to lubricate the grater. Then grate chevre the same way you would with any other cheese.
Grated chevre may give your foods a unique taste. Making mac & cheese sauce with it, however, might be a challenging task. Yet, there’s always a solution to thicken Mac & Cheese if you have an issue with the sauce being too runny.
Comparison: Crumbled Goat Cheese vs. Feta
The first thing these two have in common is that they are both fermented dairy products. These dairy products are high in beneficial microbes and are thus highly healthy.
The two include probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus Plantarum. These good bacteria defend you against harmful germs like E. coli and Listeria.
Feta has higher cholesterol and carbs than its competitor on nutritional value. Chevre cheese, in contrast, is richer in calories and saturated fat.
Some people find similarities in the flavor and texture of feta and goat cheese. Feta is usually chunkier. And the other tends to crumble.
Goat cheese has a somewhat bitter flavor and a similar aftertaste to cream cheese. The brine in feta gives it a salty taste. Crushed feta, however, can make a great crumbled goat cheese substitute.
Because except for cheese experts, most people can hardly tell the difference between them.
Conclusion
Goat cheese is one of the most loved probiotic foods. Probiotic-rich diets are beneficial to digestive health. It can alleviate inflammation while increasing immunity.
We hope you found a satisfactory solution on how to crumble goat cheese. And some crumbled goat cheese recipes would make an excellent choice for your dinner, so try them out now!
