My New Guilty Pleasure

[Jyllie63]

I've been overflowing in goat's milk and although I was able to sell some, I still had alot left over. I have discovered caramel . Oh my gosh it is so good and I can now find some room in my freezer!

[CarolynRenee]

Recipe please!

[Backfourty,MI.]

Oh My gosh but who's going to eat all that delicious caramel? Ooooh Carmel apples, carmel apple pie, over ice cream! Yummy! I wonder if you could can it up?

[busymomof7]

Yes! Please share the recipe!

[IndyGardenGal]

I wish I was still overflowing with goat milk. I can NEVER go back to store milk now. I do think you should share this recipe so I can "test it out."

[Jyllie63]

Here ya go.....

In a large pan, put 2 quarts goat milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 cups sugar. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp baking soda that has been dissolved in 1 tbsp of water. This will make the mixture bubble so use a big pan . Let that rest for about 10 minutes or until the bubbles are gone. Put pan back on burner and let it come to a boil at a low temp. I keep my electric stove on a 6 setting until it boils then I turn it down to a 4. It needs to boil for about 90 minutes so stir, stir, stir. You will see it turn color and reduce and when it's the color or caramel, you've got the best tasting stuff you can stand! I now have caramel in my coffee, caramel over icecream, caramel with apples and of course just straight out of the jar.

Here is the exact recipe if mine doesn't make sense LOL

Cajeta
2 quarts of goat's milk, cow's milk, or a mixture of the two
2 cups sugar
1 large, plump vanilla bean, preferably Mexican, split open (or substitute 1 tablespoon pure Mexican vanilla extract)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

In a large, heavy pot (not iron), combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla, and place over medium heat. Stir regularly until the milk comes to a simmer and sugar is dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and add dissolved baking soda; it will bubble up at this point, especially with goat's milk. When the bubbles have subsided, return it to the heat.

Adjust heat so that the mixture is simmering briskly but not boiling. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, about one hour.

You will now need to stir the milk more regularly as it begins to thicken and turns a caramel-brown color. Don't allow the milk to stick to the bottom of the pot. You can drop a few drops into a small glass of water. If a soft ball forms, the cajeta is ready.

If you take the pot off the heat and allow the cajeta to cool, it should be a medium-thick sauce. If it's too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the proper consistency. If it is too thin, return to the heat until it thickens.

When the cajeta is cool, remove the vanilla bean. Strain the cajeta through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or wide-mouthed jar, then scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cajeta. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cajeta is best served warm.

[Jyllie63]

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

Oh My gosh but who's going to eat all that delicious caramel? Ooooh Carmel apples, carmel apple pie, over ice cream! Yummy! I wonder if you could can it up?

I am assuming you can. I probably should try it since I"m sure I'll run out of milk before next year's kids are born.

[wintrrwolf]

SWEET Niblets!! Thank you so much!! Think I will do goats milk caramel for Christmas presents.

[Jyllie63]

Originally Posted by wintrrwolf

SWEET Niblets!! Thank you so much!! Think I will do goats milk caramel for Christmas presents.

That's exactly what I was thinking .

[Heritagefarm]

I didn't know it was this simple. Will have to try!

[Jyllie63]

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

I didn't know it was this simple. Will have to try!

It is very easy and after re-reading the recipe, I realize I've been using 1 tsp of vanilla instead of a tbsp. Well actually I just eyeball it, so who knows what I actually use LOL. Anyway...it turns out every time so I guess it wasn't a big deal. I have found that the whole process takes me at least 2 hours, but it's not 2 hours of standing over a pot. I check it and stir every 10 minutes or so. Maybe it was taking longer because of the lack of vanilla LOL

[IndyGardenGal]

Cajeta and a pregnant lady--not a good combo

[Rockytopsis]

OK what is Cajeta and how is it used? Please, sounds good.
Thanks

[Jyllie63]

Originally Posted by Rockytopsis

OK what is Cajeta and how is it used? Please, sounds good.
Thanks

it's the mexican version of caramel

[Cheryl aka JM]

OH! Christmas presents!!
I already knew how to make this but I called it "Milk Candy" ~ don't cook it as long so it only gets a very light caramel color and use it in my coffee instead of cream and sugar. But I had not thought of Christmas presents!! My understanding is you can keep it for up to a month in the fridge~ so if I start saving every drop of milk I can get now and freezing~ then next month I can start making it thicker and give homemade caramel sauce for Gifts! Fantastic Idea! ....... the pig is going to hate y'all~ no more milk for him.

[Tallabred]

The Cajeta is one reason that I now make soap! Between Chevre and cajeta I gained 12 lbs - making soap I have lost 10!

Now I am going to have to make some. . .presents - yup - I just give it away!

[Backfourty,MI.]

Now I wish I milked my goats! Darn, maybe this next spring I'll have to start!

[Voodoo-Jones]

Oh my goodness! This sounds sooooo good! Can I send you my address

[CaliannG]

Took me some time, but I also found a recipe for fudge that calls for milk, instead of sweetened condensed milk:

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

1 + 1/2 cups milk
4 ounces (or 120g) unsweetened chocolate
4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 + 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Directions

In a mid-sized heavy saucepan over a low heat, melt the chocolate with the milk.
Add in the sugar, corn syrup and salt.
Stir continuously until mixture is boiling.
Reduce heat and continue to cook - without stirring - until mixture reaches 230 degrees Fahrenheit (or 110 degrees Celsius) on a candy thermometer.
(If you don't have a candy thermometer, you will know your mixture is done when a teaspoonful of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water.)
Remove from heat as soon as mixture has reached desired temperature.
Add in the vanilla essence and the butter, but do not stir.
Allow mixture to cool in saucepan until it reaches 110 degrees F (or 43 degrees C) on your candy thermometer.
(If you don't have a candy thermometer, cool mixture until it is lukewarm.)
Once mixture has reached desired temperature, beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to lose its gloss and starts to thicken (approximately 15 minutes).
Pour into a greased square pan (approximately 8in/ 18cm).
Allow mixture to stand until cool and hard.
Turn fudge out of the pan and onto a cutting board.

Substitute flavoring-of-your-choice for the chocolate. My mother made some pumpkin fudge with this recipe that was divine.

[Pony]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!

Heaven, I'm in heaven....

(and I'm laughing over Wintrrwolf's "Sweet Niblets" exclamation - Andi, you crack me up!)