I have been trying for several years to acquire a taste for goats milk products. But no matter how or what I tried, all goat products just tasted… well… goat-y. I didn’t like the taste, no matter how I used the product. Just couldn’t stomach it. But I kept trying…

And now I am happy to report that something finally shifted for me. I bought some really fresh goat cheese at a farmer’s market awhile back and I was surprised at how mild and creamy it tasted. I began testing out different varieties of goat cheeses and realized it was the aged cheeses that had the too strong taste for me. My favorite is goat feta… the fresher the better… but even older goat feta I now enjoy, as well as some of the more aged goat cheeses, although I use those only on occasion.

But the biggest shift came when I decided to try using goats milk in place of cows milk. I was prepared to be disappointed… but surprise!! I like that now too. And goats milk has the same amount of protein as cows milk with a little less fat and carbs. But it tastes so much creamier… and seems thicker as well. I love the opaque, almost bluish bright white color. And goats milk makes the absolute best hot cocoa I have ever tasted.

I even tried making goats milk ice cream last Fall when my parents were visiting, although I did use cows cream in the recipe too. Everyone loved it… even my parents with their typical midwestern palates. I did a pure goats milk version for my son’s birthday party last month and the kiddos ate every last bit. So easy to make too…. Just 2 eggs, (I always clean the eggs shells very thoroughly when using raw eggs in a recipe), about a half cup of sugar, 3 cups of goats milk, and a nice dollop of vanilla. That’s it. Just put it in your ice cream maker and follow the instructions. Easy. And you can do a myriad of variations from that basic recipe… different sweeteners, flavors… adding fruits like fresh chopped peaches of raspberries and a little bit of lemon. And the best part is the control you have over the ingredients… no avoids like added gums or other emulsifiers…. or the dreaded corn syrup… horror!!

I am happy that I have finally made my peace with goats… and kicked the cow out of my fridge. Now… if I can only find a compliant goats milk yogurt I will really be in heaven….