Could be a difficult question-

[PrettyPaisley]

And I don't mean to offend. I just don't know who else to ask!

I want to use real rennet for my cheese. I've bought the stuff online and want some that is clean and pure. I know where it comes from in nature.

We have all these bucklings-5 that I've not been able to sell so far and 4 more does due in July. I figure we will have even more bucklings born then.

So would you use one of these bucklings for rennet? If so, how do I go about doing it?

[ozark_jewels]

We always used vegitable rennet in our cheese, but if I wanted to use animal rennet, I wouldn't hesitate to use it from my own animals. I use everything else from them! As to how to harvest it.......I have no idea.

[BoldViolet]

Maybe this will help?

Please let us know if you do it and please document it. It should be an interesting process.

How To Make Rennet

[PrettyPaisley]

Originally Posted by BoldViolet

Maybe this will help?

Please let us know if you do it and please document it. It should be an interesting process.

How To Make Rennet

YES! Thank you. Now, to muster the guts to get to the gut. I've got no issue processing a chicken. But I'll need to send the family to my MILs house for the day and do a little praying to the Universe for the courage to do the right thing.

That said, is my .380 overkill? I think I need a .22. And some moral support.

I will do this. I will document it and share. I just need to gather myself for a few days.

Thanks for the link!

[Manchamom]

What they don't specify in the link is that it must be the abomasum of a suckling kid, think around 10 days old or so.

[PrettyPaisley]

Originally Posted by Manchamom

What they don't specify in the link is that it must be the abomasum of a suckling kid, think around 10 days old or so.

Really? So an 8 week old buckling won't work? I thought that way back when they would just carry milk in the stomach and get cheese. I didn't know it had to be a wee one. That's fine-we will have more bucks in a couple months ... was just going to use one we already had.

[Manchamom]

I think the main thing is that it is still milk fed. I would do younger just so I didn't have to sort though 4 stomachs to get the right one. The backwoods folk I knew long ago used veal calves for this.

[Elsbet]

yes, as long as it is still on milk- 8 weeks should be fine. Good luck with it! I *want* to do that, but... not sure I have the stomach for it. DH might. I've done a lot of butchering, but the cleaning was always done by someone else.

[PrettyPaisley]

They are still on milk but also eat hay. Is that okay? I'd really like to do it sooner rather than later. I don't want to wait until fall-that's for sure.

[Manchamom]

Yeah, it's fine. You just want the stomach full of milk, not the ones full of hay and hay juice.
I would check the weather to sun-dri if you're going to use the salt cube method.

[steff bugielski]

I bet some one on here knows
CheeseForum.org » Forum - Index

[Cliff]

Not a difficult question at all, you are being very practical.

Just don't waste the meat Bet it would be good on the grill.

Are you sending your family away because it's the first time you killed a goat?

[Sherrynboo]

Boy, I think I will just buy my vegetable rennet. I am too faint of heart to do what you are about to do. Not judging at all, just couldn't do it myself.

Sherry in GA

[Heritagefarm]

I personally would stick with vegetable rennet, on the grounds the I could not kill a young goat kid, and also who knows what else is in that stomach that's going to be growing your cheese?

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by Sherrynboo

Boy, I think I will just buy my vegetable rennet. I am too faint of heart to do what you are about to do. Not judging at all, just couldn't do it myself.

Sherry in GA

I'm sure you could, if you had to. Don't underestimate yourself The time may be coming that we have to provide for ourselves like this.

[KrisD]

If your sun drying it how do you keep the flies off it? How do you measure just how much rennet you need for each recipe? Not judging at all but it seems like a tremendous amount of work just to make cheese. Even after you remove the stomach and clean it and staple it on a board in the sun you still have the rest of the goat kid to process and then dispose of the remains. You must have some serious time on your hands. And you still have to milk the goats and make the cheese. I'm tired just thinking about it lol.

[Cliff]

Yes it's work but some people really want to learn how to do things from absolute scratch. I think that's a good thing. Of course I would because I'm like that. I may not do everything from scratch all the time but I like to know how to.

To the op, there are plants that can be used as rennet also. You'll have to research it because I don't remember details, but I remember thistle flowers, nettle, lady's bedstraw and I think maybe fig leaves can be used.

[Ford Zoo]

[QUOTE=

That said, is my .380 overkill? I think I need a .22. And some moral support.

QUOTE]

Go for the .22. When a kind old gentleman farmer culled my hogs a couple years ago that's all he used. I won't go into more detail unless you want. It stunned my girls then he finished the job with a sharp knife. They never made a sound. He sat there petting their heads and talking to them till it was done. Still brings tears of relief to my eyes knowing that the end was so gentle for them.

[Pony]

Originally Posted by PrettyPaisley

They are still on milk but also eat hay. Is that okay? I'd really like to do it sooner rather than later. I don't want to wait until fall-that's for sure.

From the research I did last year, I recall reading that you should not use a kid if it has eaten hay and/or grain.

You may want to double or treble check that before you butcher a kid only to find out you can't use it for rennet after all.

[mygoat]

I'd give it a whirl. You certainly don't need 5 bucks taking up space, feed, cocci prevention, wormings and your precious time. The sooner sold or in your freezer, the better.