Whey Caramel Syrup
Sticky, gooey, delictibly smooth. Whey from our chevre is infused into caramel to create a bright and luscious syrup.
Delicious over pancakes, fried chicken and apple galette. Mix it into your chai tea or latte. Drizzle it over any celebration cake. Unique and exquisite accompaniment on a cheese board.
Ingredients: Whey (goat milk, salt, rennet, calcium chloride, cultures), Sugar, natural flavors
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Texture- a light syrup that pours like warm maple syrup. The color of dark amber and smooth as silk.
Flavor - complex, and perfectly balanced profile. Distinct sweetness paired with a balance of acidity evolves into a salty lingering finish.
Aroma - complex and pleasing, driven by lactones, which smell of cream and caramel, and notes of the added flavors.
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Whey Caramel Syrup is a specialty caramel manufactured from goat cheese whey. During the production of cheese, milk is separated into two fractions, curds and whey. Curds contain the bulk of the fat and protein, while whey contains the bulk of water, lactose, minerals, and a small amount of protein and fat. During Chévre cheese manufacture the whey is heavily fermented. This is known as Acid Whey and is largely discarded by the dairy industry because it is difficult to recover protein from. The loss of acid whey represents high cost for water treatment, not to mention the loss of valuable food for our community.
Luckily, Portland Creamery discovered that this complex mixture of salts, lactic acid (from cheese fermentation) sugars, protein, and minerals is the perfect base for a caramel.
The presence of lactose and protein in the whey create a special synergy during the production of the caramel. These two molecules complex in a Maillard reaction, creating a caramelization and savory characteristic which is like Dulce De Leche, but without the heavy fat and protein of true milk caramel. The Maillard reaction is the same reaction responsible for creating the flavor on a perfectly cooked steak (this is why you brown meat for a stew!). Caramelization through the Maillard reaction creates complex flavors without the bitter burnt characteristic that pure sugar caramels suffer, and allows a finished product to be complex, flavorful, and free of bitter off flavors. Furthermore, the natural formulation of Cajeta allows a consistently delicious product to be achieved naturally, without the use of sulfites for preservation. The caramel flavor remains perfect without the use of any preservatives.