Cottage cheese recipe

This is a very popular cheese you can find on many supermarket shelves today. Often slightly sour, cottage cheese can also be slightly enriched with cream. This is also a great cheese to experiment with herbs and fruits such as apricots.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Gallon Whole Milk
• 4-5 drops of double-strength rennet (animal or vegetable)
• cheese salt
• ¼ tspn Mesophilic culture or 2 tablespoons Mesophilic Starter Solution

PROCEDURE

1. Pour milk into a large pan and warm to 82°F (28°C), then add the starter. Let the milk then cool slowly to room temperature.
2. Dilute 4-5 drops of rennet in a ¼ cup of cool boiled/bottled water and gently stir through the milk for 20 seconds.
3. Cover and set aside overnight, keeping it around 70°F (21°C). Wrap it in a towel to keep the temperature constant.
4. Cut the curd into ½” cubes and heat to 105°F (40°C). Cook at this temperature for 45 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Watch the curds shrivel and begin to take a ‘cottage cheese shape’.
5. Line a colander with a cheese cloth and drain curds for 15 minutes, then pull up the sides and drain further until the curd stops dripping.
6. Take curd and add salt to taste. Eat while it’s fresh, up to one week.