Homemade cottage cheese. Interesting? That is what I thought. So I decided to try it. It was really quite easy, and the end product was DELICIOUS. Once you try this, you won’t ever go back to store bought cottage cheese.
First the milk goes into a pot…
Then warm it up, dump in the vinegar, and strain it into a tea towel (yes I know it looks kind of icky – bear with me here)…
Let it drain for a few minutes, then take up the towel and work it under cold running water for 3-5 minutes or until it is cool. Squeeze as dry as possible.
When you open the tea towel, the squeezed curd will look like this:
Then simply salt and sugar the curd…
Then pour on a little heavy cream, and your ready to eat. Doesn’t it look wonderful? It is, trust me. I’m eating it right now.
Homemade Cottage Cheese
- 1 gallon pasteurized skim milk
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup half-and half-or heavy cream
Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Heat to 120 degrees F. over medium heat. Remove from the heat and pour in the vinegar. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes. The curd will separate from the whey. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then pour the mixture into a colander lined with a tea towel and allow to sit and drain for 5 minutes. Gather up the edges of the cloth and rinse under cold water for 3 to 5 minutes or until the curd is completely cooled, squeezing and moving the mixture the whole time. Once cooled, squeeze as dry as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar and stir to combine, breaking up the curd into bite-size pieces as you go. If ready to serve immediately, stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream. If not, transfer to a sealable container and place in the refrigerator. Add the half and half or heavy cream just prior to serving. I’ve made this twice now, and the first time it was kind of tough. The second time I made it, it was much better and tenderer. So if its not perfect at first, don’t give up! Try again.
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