Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce.............YUM!!!!

When we bought our first goats almost a year and a half ago, we planned for them to mostly just be pets.  Our girls, Aubrey especially, had wanted goats for a while.  But we also wanted to get a breed of goat that would be beneficial for the farm in some way. We started looking into goat milk & found that there are lots of health benefits to it.  So, Jim decided to try to milk our goats. And boy was that an amazing decision.  

We don't drink a lot of milk by itself, but we do use milk to make lots of things.  We use it in baking recipes, we make kefir & yogurt, & we also started making caramel sauce.  OH. MY. WORD!!!  That caramel sauce is the best stuff ever!!  And because we made it ourselves it is so CLEAN & has only the best ingredients in it!!!  So, we first started using it on desserts, but then I used it in my coffee!!!  Let me just say that I am a coffee snob.......now more than ever.  This caramel sauce is the best coffee creamer I've ever used.  

I thought I would share with you how I make my homemade caramel sauce.  I start with 4 quarts of fresh goat milk, organic sugar, baking soda, & a large stock pot.

Into the pot I put the milk, 4 cups of sugar, & 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. I use a wooden spoon to mix it up.  Then I set the burner between 4 & 5 to start with.    I set the timer for 22 minute increments......I know that is a weird number, but it's just what worked for me.  And I have to set a timer or I'll get sidetracked doing something else & forget about my precious caramel sauce.  Trust me, that happened once & I cried when I scorched the caramel to the pot.  :'(  So, take my advice & set a timer.  This whole process is going to take 2-3 hours from start to finish.

We all know that working with raw milk can be tricky.  We have to cook it to a certain temperature to make it safe to drink.  The caramel sauce cooks for so long that it is nothing to worry about.......it will be completely safe for consumption by the time it is done.  Just to keep from contaminating things, it is a good idea after the first few stirrings, to get a clean wooden spoon to finish out the process. 

As the mixture cooks you will notice it changing color.  It will start turning to a caramel color.   After 2-3 hours, your caramel sauce is done........it will have reduced by 1/2 during the cooking process.  I like to pour my sauce into mason jars.  I let it cool a bit on the countertop & then I move it to the fridge.

Now you are ready to enjoy this deliciousness!!!!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a cup of coffee now!!!  YUM!!!