Cottage cheese
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A gallon of milk cultured, set with rennet, cut, cooked gently and drained into fresh cottage cheese, dressed with cream.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon milk
- 1/4 tsp mesophilic culture
- Optional: 1/4 tsp calcium chloride, diluted in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
- 1/4 tsp liquid rennet or 1/4 tablet rennet (pulverized) diluted in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp non-iodized salt to taste
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk or cream
Equipment
- stockpot
- chef’s knife
- fine sieve
Directions
- Warm the milk to 75F in a stainless steel pot.
- Rehydrate the culture, then stir it into the milk.
- If you like, add the diluted calcium chloride to the warm milk.
- Stir in the diluted rennet.
- Cover and leave for 3 hours at room temperature (set the pot in a warm water bath or a cooler if the room is cool).
- Cut the curds into pea-sized pieces with a large whisk. Let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Warm the curds slowly to 105F, stirring gently.
- Once the curds are firm, pour them into a strainer lined with cheesecloth to drain.
- Rinse with cold water until the curds are cold.
- Put in a bowl, mix in salt, then add milk or cream until it is as creamy as you like.
Notes
Best eaten fresh; refrigerate up to 10 days. Safety: keep to the stated temperatures and use a thermometer.