The minute you fall in love with raising goats, you probably ask yourself, what is goat milk used for? Because you’re most likely thinking of adding a few (or 20) goats to your herd.
But what can you do with their milk to turn a profit, or even just as a hobby or provide for your family?
There are a ton of things you can do with extra milk.
But, we’re breaking down the most popular ways goat milk is used. Read on to learn about the most popular uses for goat milk.
Goat Milk
Goat milk provides many nutritional and health benefits that cows’ milk may not.
According to Nourish by WebMD, “Goat milk may help reduce cholesterol levels in people with high blood cholesterol.
Studies have shown that goat milk can help reduce cholesterol in the arteries and gallbladder. This can help people with high cholesterol control their cholesterol more efficiently.”
Studies have also shown that goat’s milk may be easier to digest than cow’s milk, and some who are lactose intolerant may be able to digest goat milk easier. (Note: there is still lactose in goat’s milk).
Furthermore, those with allergies to certain foods may not struggle with goat’s milk as they would cow milk.
If this is you, check with your doctor before making any switches, though, because everyone is different.
While goats are much smaller than cows, a good dairy goat can provide around 3 quarts of milk per day while they’re lactating.
And if you’re wondering, goat milk does have a slightly different taste than cow’s milk. In some cases, you can describe it as grassy, but some don’t even notice a difference.
Goat Milk Butter
Goat and cow butter may have a similar consistency, but the flavors are different, the melting points are dissimilar, and the nutritional benefits differ.
Additionally, goat milk butter is white or translucent compared to cow’s milk. Some say goat butter has a grassier flavor than what they’re used to with cow butter.
One of the most incredible things about goat butter is its lower melting point. This means it takes less heat to melt the butter, making it more spreadable right out of the fridge. Yum!
When used for frying, or cooking in general, the flavor difference between goat butter and cow disappears.
When used for baking, goat milk butter may provide a different texture to cookies and cakes.
Goat Milk Ice Cream
You can’t talk about any milk without talking about ice cream, and goat milk ice cream is no exception.
While some say goat milk ice cream has a “goat-like” taste, others say it’s no different from cow’s milk.
Some of the differing opinions on this might be due to the way the ice cream is made, the recipe used, and the goat it is harvested from.
One thing that most agree on is the texture of goat milk ice cream. It’s intense and thick compared to cow’s milk. And more often than not, goat milk gelato is considered a luxury ice cream.
Additionally, the health benefits we’ve mentioned may translate into the ice cream from goat milk. So those who have difficulty digesting cow’s milk ice cream may not have trouble with goat milk ice cream.
But again, always check with your doctor.
Goat Yogurt
You’ve probably noticed that everything you can make with cow’s milk can also be made with goat’s milk. And in many cases, the taste isn’t all that different.
The same goes for goat milk yogurt.
Plus, you can use it the same way you would use “regular” yogurt. For example, you can make smoothies and use them in dressings and marinades.
Doing so gives you a similar flavor and texture with less fat than using sour cream, for example.
Goat Milk Cheese
Goat cheese, often called chevre, is a decadent, full-flavored cheese with a deep, creamy texture.
Aside from chevre, you can also make different cheeses, like cheddar!
Often, goat milk cheese is mixed with other milk cheeses, like cows milk, to reduce some of the “goaty” flavors that are usually identifiable in whole goat milk cheese.
Chevre has the consistency of cream cheese and pairs well with crackers, bagels, and wine.
Chevre tends to run a bit higher in price than cow’s milk cheese, and this is simply because it takes more milking to make the cheese.
In other words, you can get a lot more milk from a cow than a dairy goat in a single sitting. So it stands to reason that the effort involved (and supply and demand) lends to the price difference.
Then again, some specialty cow’s milk cheeses will always be more pricey than goat’s milk cheese.
Cajeta
Cajeta is the caramel of goat’s milk!
Yes, of course, there’s a sweet treat to talk about when addressing the different ways you can use goat milk.
It’s similar in flavor, but the color is lighter, and the texture is thicker.
Cajeta is used for making candies and baking in many of the same ways caramel is used in cooking and candy making.
Goat Soap
Goat milk soap is touted as more moisturizing than regular bars of soap and more natural.
With that being said, many of the benefits of goat milk are lost in the chemical process used to make soap (aka during the saponification process).
Still, there’s been research that shows goat milk soap does have some benefits over regular soap (soap used with water instead of a milk product).
Goat Lotion
Goat milk lotion is a fantastic type of lotion because the chemical process to make the lotion is nothing like the one used to make soap. This is why the benefits of goat milk remain intact.
That being said, preservatives are necessary for goat milk lotion because, as you might guess, goat milk can and will go wrong.
Goat milk lotion is typically less greasy than other kinds of cream, and it’s not as harsh on the skin. In other words, goat milk lotion is quite gentle.
Goat Milk What Is It Used For Conclusion
In conclusion, goat milk is pretty amazing. It’s often interchangeable with cow’s milk and, in some cases, has a few added benefits.
So if you’re raising goats and find yourself with a surplus of milk, there are many ways you can utilize it!