This Cottage Cheese Recipe makes a delicious soft cheese that is very easy to make in your own kitchen. It's normally thought of as a diet food but that is about to change! Learn how to make cottage cheese at home.
Like mozzarella and ricotta, cottage cheese is another soft cheese - and it is just as easy to make as those two!
Cottage cheese originated in eastern and central Europe.
Pot Cheese, cottage cheese, Dutch cheese, and Schmierkase are all the same cheese by different names. Cottage cheese, like many of the other soft cheeses, is normally eaten fresh and often with the addition of herbs or fruit. I personally haven't tried it with herbs. But if you have, please tell us about it in the comments!
Cottage cheese has the unfortunate reputation of being a diet food.
This may be due to the fact that cottage cheese is traditionally made with skim milk. It's still delicious and has the texture and taste of milk. But it certainly doesn't have most of the calories milk can contain.
In colonial America, raw milk was used and the pot of milk was set by the wood burning stove.
In a few days, thanks to the bacteria present in raw milk, the lactic acid level would cause the milk protein to precipitate out into a soft curd. These curds were then used to make a variety of cheeses including cottage cheese. That's where the expression "curds and whey" comes from. So Little Miss Muffet was based on something real!
How To Make Cottage Cheese - What's in It?
Here is a list of the 5 ingredients used to for this cottage cheese recipe.
- Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Cheese Salt
- Calcium Chloride
- 1 Packet Mesophilic Culture
Long before I even thought of trying a cottage cheese recipe and making it myself, I began eating it. And, yes, it was in an effort to lose baby weight after one of the children.
I actually found that I liked it! It can take a lot for me to try something new, especially with cheese. Because I make it myself, I can sometimes get stuck in my ways.
Served with pineapple chunks, it tasted like anything but a diet food. That is still my favorite way to eat cottage cheese - with pineapple - crushed or chunks, it doesn't matter. But, it is also delicious with strawberries, blueberries, and almost any fruit.
It is funny how different people eat different foods
John grew up with cottage cheese being served with cinnamon and sugar! I have to admit, this is not appealing to me but, I guess it is all about what you grow up with!
Me, I just love cottage cheese and strawberries. That's the reason why they're the fruit featured in the picture! But I've heard of people having them with blueberries and all kinds of other fruits. One classic pairing that I want to try is cottage cheese and peach slices. Doesn't just sound delectable?
Now, that I have learned how to make cottage cheese using the following cottage cheese recipe, it is part of our everyday diets.
I make ours from whole raw milk that our family milk cow, Emme, gives. Well, she doesn't exactly "give" it, we "take" it at milking times twice a day. But, for all practical purposes, I guess we will just leave it as she "gives" it!
Before getting started, be sure to check out Cheese Making Basics for helpful tips and supplies.
Ways To Serve Homemade Cottage Cheese;
- Serve with cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat
- Serve with fresh fruit
- Cottage cheese makes a great topping for baked potatoes (sweet and regular)
- Add to salads as a side dish
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📋 Recipe
How To Make Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole or skim milk - preferably raw
- ⅛ teaspoons calcium chloride diluted in ¼ c. water - if using store-bought milk
- 1 packet mesophilic direct-set culture
- heavy cream - a few tablespoons to moisten the cottage cheese optional
- Cheese salt optional
Instructions
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Heat the milk to 72 F. Add calcium chloride now if using it.
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Add the starter and stir thoroughly. Cover and allow the milk to ripen for 16 - 24 hours at room temperature.
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After the curds have set, cut them into ¼ inch cubes and let rest for 15 minutes. I use a wire whisk to cut the curd and it gives smaller curd cottage cheese.
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Put the pot on the stove and heat the curds to 100 F very slowly - this should take about 20 minutes. Stir gently once in a while to prevent the curds from matting.
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Once the curds reach 100 F, keep them at 100 F for 10 minutes and stir occasionally.
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Slowly increase the temperature of the curds to 112 F - this should take about 15 minutes. Hold the curds at this temperature for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes at 112 F, check the consistency of the curds. To do this, take a few curds between your fingers and squeeze them. They should feel firm - if not and they are still custard-like, the curds need to cook a little longer. Continue checking until they are firm.
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Once the curds are firm, allow them to rest for 5 minutes - they will settle to the bottom of the pot.
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Pour the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth and tie the cloth into a ball. Allow the curds to drain for a few minutes and then dip the bag several times in cold water. This is to rinse any residual whey out of the cottage cheese that could cause it to sour.
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Let the cheesecloth bag drain for several minutes and then dip again in ice water - place the bag in the colander and allow it to drain for 5 minutes.
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Open the cheesecloth bag and break up any large curds. For a creamier texture, add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream.
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Salt to taste.
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Place the cottage cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate.
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Enjoy!
Notes
Ways To Serve Homemade Cottage Cheese;
- Serve with cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat
- Serve with fresh fruit
- Cottage cheese makes a great topping for baked potatoes (sweet and regular)
- Add to salads as a side
Have fun making this cottage cheese recipe!
How do you like your cottage cheese? Do you like it with cinnamon and sugar like my husband? Or do you prefer it with fruit? Tell us all about it in the comments!
Siobhan says
How long does it keep? I have started making our yogurt and other soft cheeses but am still a little nervous about how long they are good for. Thanks
Dina-Marie says
Siobhan, I have kept mine for over a week in the refrigerator - we just eat it too fast!
Dawn says
How does this compare to store-bought cottage cheese? I tried some that my grandmother made years ago but didn't like the texture. I can't remember how it tasted, just that the texture was all wrong lol. I would like to make my own but if it can't be made very similar to store-bought I'm afraid we wouldn't like it. Which is odd because I make my own of most things. I'm just very lucky about texture.
Dina-Marie says
Dawn, it is similar and if it is not creamy enough you can just add some cream.
Stacy says
Hmm. This intrigues me; I've been wondering how to make it at home for a while. I LOVE cottage cheese when, like the poster above, it's the right texture. And I can't stand it at all if it's not. So far I only know of one brand I can reliably buy. The thing that makes me crazy is that I don't understand the difference in process. It's labelled exactly the same. :(
Shalonne says
Hi - Do you know if this can be done with goat's milk?
Dina-Marie says
Shalonne, I have never tried it - please let me know if you do and how it works and I will update the post to reflect it!
Emily S. says
I have grown up eating cottage cheese with pepper. It sounds strange, but it is really good. I also enjoy it with pineapple. I have tried making cottage cheese with goats milk once. You have to use rennet for the goat milk curds to set up enough. I have had more success with cows milk, but that is because we were making cottage cheese frequently when our goats were dry and we were getting cows milk from a friend. I have been wanting to make it with goats milk again.
Sandy says
My Granny B added salt, course ground pepper and minced onions to her cottage cheese. I was little but my 2 sisters and I devoured it. I finally figured out that her secret ingredient was onions . It is the best! Most people think it would not be good, but I say "try it you will like it"!
Dennise Walling says
I am excited to try my hand at cottage cheese making! I wonder tho how they did it back in the day. Did they use kefir whey or other cultured liquid?
With tomato season here, I will be using mine to eat with them and added salt and pepper...Yum!
Dina-Marie says
Dennise, that sounds great with tomatoes - a combination I have not thought of!
Emily Kemp says
I love cottage cheese but I've always eaten it savoury with salads, so yummy!
Ayo says
I grew up just eating it as is from the package, and I still love it that way, nothing added...so long as it's the right texture. I like mine creamy, as in it can pour itself out, and firm little curds. But something seems to have changed in how they make it now, all I find are thick, sometimes sour tasting cottage cheese that won't even budge upside down without a spoon. My kids love it too, we all miss it and I love to cook, so I'm trying my hand at this. I made a small batch last night just using vinegar, and though the texture needed tweeking, I was pleasantly surprised! I'd like to try this recipe, as it seems calcium chloride and heating the curds after they've separated helps them firm up. I'm late, lol, but thanks for posting this!
Dina-Marie says
Ayo, so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Tina for Thetastyworld.com says
My kids and I LOVE cottage cheese, and I’ve been meaning to try to make it. I didn’t realize it was so easy! I’m definitely trying this!
Dina-Marie says
Tina, it really is easy to make - let me know how it turns out for you!