November 4, 2017

A Most Beautiful Gjetost

A couple weeks ago I showed you how I'm learning how to make gjetost, a Norwegian goat whey cheese. I'm really please with my latest one ...


Isn't it pretty? After Mama Pea read that first post and how I had a little trouble getting the gjetost out of the glass bowl mold I used, she went to her cupboards, pulled out this, and sent it to me.

A very nice springform pan with with an extra fluted bottom.

It's just the right size.

The only thing I did differently from my first gjetost, was to cook this batch down a little longer. Also I added a little cinnamon. The spring form pan made it much easier to remove than the bowl, although removing the fluted bottom was a bit tricky. I had buttered it but still had to pry. It was a relief that it came off and left the gjetost in one piece!


I almost hated to cut it, but we were also anxious to taste it. I served it for dessert that night with graham crackers. What a treat! It has a permanent place in our homestead cuisine.

I also tried one that I cooked down less, to make a spreadable version called "primost."

Almost gone! For this batch I added whole
milk instead of cream. This worked very well too

It has a lighter color because it didn't cook as long, but it has the same delicious tangy, nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Such excellent things to do with leftover whey.

Before I close, I have a couple of cheese related thrift store finds too.

A cheese slicer or plane. This is what they use in
Norway to shave off lovely thin slices of gjetost.

A traditional American style cheese slicer.

These were 25¢ each; how could I go wrong with that! The best part about the American style cheese slicer is that it's adjustable.

Thumb screw to adjust cheese slice thickness.

And! It's not plastic!

The most beautiful gjetost would be lovely on any holiday party table, don't you think?

27 comments:

Tippy said...

And here I thought no one outside of MN or the Mother Countries even knew what gjetost was. My first thought seeing this post was BLASPHEMY! A formed, pretty and CINNAMON gjetost kinda misses the point of it, but hey, you'll get there :) And that cheese slicer? It's pronounced shiffle in Norwegian. Spelling it out won't help anyone pronounce it... When you need to know what to do with old white potatoes give a shout - we Scandinavians know what to do with any "waste" product or produce that is past it's prime!

Leigh said...

Unknown, LOL. Gjetost is waaaay too heavenly to be kept a secret! I'm definitely still learning, but my husband and I are absolutely sold on this marvelous treat. I will never complain about having too much whey again. Thank you for the pronunciation for the shiffle cheese slicer. It was first brought to my attention by a Norwegian gentleman who commented on my first gjetost blog post. The thrift store find was a welcome surprise. I would still like to try a more authentic wood gjetost mold, but Mama Pea's gift has me pleased indeed.

Would definitely like to know what you do with old potatoes! Ours were always fed to the pigs.

Theresa said...

Looks positively yummy Leigh...no matter how you cut it! :-)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Oh my, that looks so good!

Dani said...

Hmmm, wonder if it would work with cows milk whey and cream?

Michelle said...

You're sorely tempting me to covet!!!

And bless Mama Pea!

Paula said...

Love the thrift store finds and their prices!

Mrs Shoes said...

I want to know what to do with spoiled veg too - don't keep it a secret. We feed them to our pigs here as well (all I know to do with them) but they make for very happy piggies and very delicious too down the road.

Your cheese is so pretty - almost too pretty to eat, as you said. I admire how you sought out a different solution - you are so clever.

Leigh said...

Theresa, and it is!

Kristina, it really turned out well and is tasty too. :)

Dani, yes! You can make it with cow whey and cream. It's called "mysost." It can even be made without the cream. :)

Michelle, I bet it could be made from sheep milk whey. :)

Paula, me too!

Mrs. Shoes, aren't pigs the most appreciative eaters? :)

Rain said...

It is definitely a beautiful cheese Leigh! I love your presentation! :) We're trying the Camembert tonight...oh I'm nervous... :)

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Lovely looking cheeses although I have never tasted either kind! I have that style cheese cutter like the picture of the second one. I turn my greek yogurt that I buy upside down in a bowl to make it last longer. I don't eat a lot each day and my hubby does not eat it. Quite often there is a little water substance in the bowl from it being upside down. Would that be whey?? Nancy

Living Alone in Your 60's said...

Beautiful looking cheese almost to pretty to eat. Sharing ways of utilising food is fantastic especially with ever increasing prices!

Sam I Am...... said...

Well, as they used to say...'waste not want not' and if I had any whey I would try that myself!

Mama Pea said...

Oh, so glad the spring form pan worked out for the cheese. With those grapes in the center . . . a lovely presentation!

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,
Your Gjetost looks interesting, I've not had a whey cheese. I've used whey in a protein drink years ago. Mana Pea is just an awesome friend!!

The Wykeham Observer said...

Wow, this brings back memories. My grandpa Holum always would get the Norwegian "Ski Queen" gjetost for Christmas. I now have all his ostehoveln (literally "cheese shovels"), some fancy ones in silver and a modern one with a teak handle. The cheese wreath you made is so fancy, perfect for Christmas Eve. Thanks!// Phil, Eagle Bend, MN

M.K. said...

That's a beautiful cheese - I thought it was a cake at first! Lovely presentation, and how nice to find something you make yourself that will be a permanent, delicious addition to your home meals! Great job.

Leigh said...

Rain thanks! And congratulations on your successful Camembert! I was away from the computer most of yesterday so first thing this morning I had to rush to your blog to see how it turned out!

Nancy, yes! That is whey! It would be considered "acidic whey" because it comes from cultured milk, but it's definitely whey. It can be eaten or used in baking.

Tania, thanks you! Considering that a gallon of milk makes more whey than cheese, something this delicious from the cheese "waste" product worthily stands on it's own merit! For us, it's the perfect substitute for peanut butter on our breakfast sandwiches. :)

Sam, exactly! And if you tried it, you'd love it!

Mama Pea, thank you so much! That smooth blank circle in the middle just begged to be filled. And I think being so pretty makes it taste better! LOL

Sandy, thanks! Whey was very popular as a protein drink once. I suppose it still is. Whey contains albumin, the same protein as in egg whites. So it's wonderful to be able to reclaim a nutrient that would otherwise be lost.

Phil, welcome! And thank you for the comment. I love hearing memories like that. I don't have a drop of Norwegian blood, but I love being the recipient of the gifts of another cultural heritage. :)

M.K. It does look like a cake! Actually, the form is for cheesecakes so your first thought was spot on. All I need now is a year-round supply of milk! I don't get to make cheese when the does are dry, and I'm certainly going to miss this one. I did read that it can be frozen, so next milk season I'll be sure to do that.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Thank you for the info about the whey. Since there is only a little at a time when I use the yogurt does it keep quite awhile in the refrig or can I freeze it until I get enough to use in baking? I was just throwing it away! Nancy

Leigh said...

Nancy, absolutely. I find that as little as 1/4 cup with a teaspoon of baking soda is just as good as baking powder!

Susan said...

That is almost too beautiful to eat! Almost... I love the cheese slicer - I have one, but it has a wooden handle. Isn't it nice to find utensils that are not plastic and not made in China. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us frugal folks) they are pretty much only found in thrift stores.

Ed said...

We have a Mennonite community nearby and when I go into their grocery store, I can find food related things like those cheese slicers for sale. They are always made entirely of metal and made to last my lifetime. I have yet to find another single store that sells such things anymore.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

That is beautiful! Like Ed, I've found lots of lovely goodies at the local Amish and Mennonite stores. There's always Lehman's as well.

Leigh said...

Susan, but thank heaven for those thrift stores!

Ed, that sounds like my kind of store! We have a number of "antique" and "vintage" stores around, but their prices are outrageous. I don't think it occurs to them that people want to do something other than hang them on their wall.

Sandra, Dan used to drive by an Amish store in Ohio with lots of second hand stuff. He brought me back a number of hand tools for the kitchen plus several stoneware gallon crocks. The prices were fantastic. I used to get Lehman's catalog, but I thought they priced things kinda high.

Katha said...

This whey cheese sounded amazing, so we tried with some cow milk whey and whole milk. It turned out so salty one can barely eat it... how can that be? Is yours salty too?

Leigh said...

Katha, no! I don't notice saltiness, mostly a slightly sweet, nutty tanginess. And I'm such a beginner at this cheese that I have no idea why yours would turn out so salty. According to Ricki Carroll, cows milk contains about 0.7% salts, with goats milk averaging about 0.6%. So I wouldn't be surprised if this whey cheese from cows (mysost) was a teensy bit saltier, but not inedibly so. The only thing I can think of is that the cow whose milk and whey you used has an above average amount of salts in her milk. Individuals do vary quite a bit in the taste plus protein and butterfat contents of their milks, so maybe that's it(?) I'd try it with the milk and whey from another cow and see if there isn't a difference. Do let me know!

Leigh said...

Katha, one other thing comes to mind. When were the curds salted in the cheesemaking process and was the whey from the salted curds added back into to the whey pot? That would make for an overly salty mysost.