Homemade Cottage Cheese
Making cottage cheese couldn't be easier. Just two ingredients and about an hour and a half of your time.
1/2 gallon whole milk
6 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream or sour cream
Pour milk into a large, heavy bottomed pan. Heat slowly on medium-high heat to 190°F/88°C stirring occasionally so that the milk doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot.
Remove from heat, pour in vinegar and stir a few times. The milk will immediately start to separate. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a colander with a clean tea towel.
Pour the solids from the pot into the lined colander. Let drain completely.
Rinse gently with cold water until the cheese starts to cool.
Gather the ends of the cloth tightly and squeeze out the moisture.
Turn the cheese out of the cloth into a bowl and use a spoon to break it into small curds. Stir in salt to taste.
For creamy cottage cheese, stir in the heavy cream or sour cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Check taste and add more salt if needed.
Chill for at least 1 hour then stir before serving. Use within five days.
Note: I used 2% milk because that is all that I can get. It works just fine. I get about 2 cups of cottage cheese. The yield will be a bit more with whole milk.
