How Do I Make Raw Milk Cottage Cheese

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Cottage cheese makes a delicious light breakfast or lunch when served with fruit or a salad. This dish is so simple to make at home that there's no reason to pick up a tub at the store. Learn how to make cottage cheese using rennet, vinegar or lemon juice.

Ingredients

1 quart whole milk
4 drops liquid rennet
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half

1 gallon (3.8 L) pasteurized skimmed milk
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

1 quart whole milk
1/2 teaspoon citric acid or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half

1

Heat the milk. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Heat the milk slowly, making sure it doesn't boil, until it reaches 85 °F (29 °C). Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. Turn off the heat when the milk is sufficiently warm.^[1]
2

Add the rennet. Place the drops of rennet directly in the milk. Use a spoon to stir the mixture for about 2 minutes.
3

Let the mixture stand. Cover the saucepan with a clean dish towel and let the rennet and milk sit untouched for about 4 hours. The rennet will start reacting with the milk to turn it into cheese.^[2]
4

Slice the mixture. Remove the dishcloth and use a knife to make slices in the mixture and break up the curds. Slice several times in one direction, then make several slices in the opposite direction.
5

Cook the mixture. Add the salt to the saucepan. Turn the burner to medium low. Stir the mixture as it heats to help the curds separate from the whey. Stop as soon as the curds have separated and the whey looks slightly yellow. Don't overcook the mixture, or the curds will be hard.^[3]
6

Strain the curds. Place a piece of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl Pour the curds and whey into the cheesecloth to strain the curds from the whey. Keeping the curds in the cheesecloth suspended over a bowl, cover the curds loosely with plastic wrap and place all of it in the refrigerator to let the whey continue to drain for a few hours. Stir it every once in a while to help it along.
7

Serve the cottage cheese. Place the curds in a clean bowl and add the cream or half and half. Season with more salt to taste.

1

Heat the milk. Place the milk in a saucepan and put it on the stove. Turn the burner to medium and let the milk heat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the milk's temperature. Remove it from heat once it is sufficiently warmed.
2

Add the vinegar. Pour the vinegar into the saucepan and stir the mixture slowly for 2 minutes. Cover the pan with a dishcloth and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.^[4]
3

Strain the curds from the whey. Pour the mixture into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a thin dishcloth. Let the whey drain for about five minutes.^[5]
4

Rinse the curds. Gather the edges of the cloth and hold the curds under a stream of cold water. Squeeze the curds and move them around until they are all rinsed and cooled.
5

Finish the cottage cheese. Place the curds in a bowl. Add the salt and the cream or half and half. Store in the refrigerator or serve immediately.

1

Heat the milk. Place it in a saucepan and heat it until it begins to steam, but does not come to a boil. Remove the milk from heat.
2

Add the lemon juice. Pour the lemon juice into the warm milk and stir it slowly for several minutes.
3

Let the mixture rest. Cover the saucepan with a dishcloth and let the curds separate from the whey for about an hour.
4

Strain the curds from the whey. Place a piece of cheesecloth over a bowl and pour the curds and whey into the cheesecloth. Let the curds drain for about 5 minutes.
5

Rinse the curds. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and hold it under cool water to rinse the curds. Continue until they are completely cooled, then squeeze the cloth to get the curds as dry as possible.
6

Finish the cottage cheese. Place the curds in a bowl and add the salt and cream or half and half.^[6]

Add New Question

Question

Can you just add a little whole milk instead of heavy cream or half and half?

You can use whole milk to substitute for cream. Add a little at a time and cut it in with a fork.
Question

What do the salt and cream do to the cottage cheese? Would it work without these ingredients?

Yes, it will work without any add-ons of creams and salts. The only reason to put salt is to add a little bit of seasoning and the cream is added for the texture, to avoid causing the cheese to be too dry. You can put half/half if you don't like heavy cream.
Question

How many carbs does a cup of cottage cheese contain?

A single cup of cottage cheese contains 8 grams of carbohydrates if it has small curds, and 7 grams if it has large curds.
Question

Will adding vinegar kill the bacteria? Also, is the whey produced in method two with non-pasteurized milk safe?

Jonathan Stelzer

Community Answer

If your are using fresh, organic milk, there should not be bad bacteria to start with. When you heat the milk to make the cheese, you have just pasteurized your milk and, thus, your whey. A good raw milk, when left out, does not typically go bad, but rather clabbers.
Question

Can the whey be used after it's separated from the cottage cheese? If so, how long will it last in the refrigerator?

Yes. It's very healthy to consume, since it's full of proteins and has no fat. Use it as stock or with milkshakes. As for how long it lasts, it depends on the milk. I use pasteurized milk, and both the cheese and whey are good for over 10 days; but if it's fresh milk it may not last as long.
Question

What milk can be use to make home made cottage cheese?

Most people suggest fresh, organic, full-fat milk. You use pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized milk. The higher the quality, and the fresher the milk is, the better.
Question

What if I don't like milk?

You can't make cheese without milk, but you might have a couple of options. First, if you don't like cow's milk but you like other kinds of milk (such as goat's milk or ewe's milk), you could try making it with that, though it would probably taste very different.
Question

Is it okay to start with soured milk? Does it have to be boiled for safety?

You can't use soured milk - in fact, you want to use the freshest milk possible. Heating is part of cheese making, but usually you don't actually boil the milk. Safety comes with using the cleanest possible equipment, pans, bowls, cheesecloth, etc. Wash hands. Bear in mind, it is bacteria that "make" cheese. Think of them as beneficial bacteria, like the ones that make yogurt, for example.
Question

Method 2 says to use skim milk. Is this important or can I use whole milk?

You can use whatever milk you want, but I find it is certainly easier to make cottage cheese with skim.
Question

How does cottage cheese differ from plain cheese?

One, cottage cheese contains fewer carbohydrates, two, cottage cheese doesn't need to be cured, and three, cottage cheese is not very solid.

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Video

Use a knife to cut the curds into very small pieces or leave them large.

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Things You'll Need

6 quart saucepan
Whisk or spoon
Thermometer
Measuring cups
Cheesecloth

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To make cottage cheese with rennet, heat milk to 85°F (30°C) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add rennet to the milk and stir the mixture for about 2 minute. Cover the saucepan with a clean dish towel and let it sit untouched for about 4 hours. After the time is up, use a knife to slice the mixture and break up the curds. Add salt to the saucepan and heat the mixture over medium-low, stirring continuously. When the curds have separated and the whey looks slightly yellow, remove the pan from the heat. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth for several hours, then serve!

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How Do I Make Raw Milk Cottage Cheese

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Cottage-Cheese

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