Easy Homemade Raw Milk Cottage Cheese
This soft, creamy cheese is rich in protein and incredibly versatile.
Equipment
- glass jar or another large container
- colander
- cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 6 cups (1500ml) raw whole milk
- 1/2 tsp unrefined salt
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a large jar. Milk expands slightly when it sours so make sure that your jar is large enough with some room left in it, otherwise the milk may overflow onto your counter when it ferments. Place the lid onto the jar and leave it somewhere warm and out of direct sunlight for 1 to 2 days until fully fermented.
- Once the milk has thickened and has a yogurt-like consistency and the whey has separated from the milk solids (curds) and looks clear, like a slightly yellowish water, it is time to make the cottage cheese.
- Line your colander with cheesecloth and place it on top of a large stockpot or mixing bowl. Then slowly and gently pour your milk into the cheesecloth to prevent excessive breaking of the curds - which results in less cheese yield. The curds should be large and soft, not broken up into many tiny pieces.
- After the milk has been draining for 30-60 minutes I sometimes tip the colander to one side and then another to facilitate the dripping out of the whey. Or I collect the cheesecloth and let it sit on the side of the colander.
- Let your soured milk drain slowly over several hours (or overnight if your house is cool). The longer you leave the milk to drain, the drier your finished cottage cheese will be, so make it to suit your preferences. If you want to use it in recipes leave it to drain longer - drier cheese works better in casseroles or in cheesecake.
- If your cottage cheese has been sitting in the colander for a few hours and still looks a bit too runny, you could tie the cheesecloth and hang it up. Hang it on the handle of a kitchen cupboard or tie your cheesecloth parcel to a long handled wooden spoon and place the spoon across a mixing bowl to allow more whey to drain.
- Once your raw milk cottage cheese is thick and creamy, remove it from the cheesecloth and place in a large bowl. Add about 1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt and mix it in well with a fork. Taste and add a little more salt if necessary. Salting the cheese is optional but enhances the flavor and makes the cheese last a little longer in the fridge. However, if you want to serve your cottage cheese in sweet dishes, omit the salt.
- You can now place your homemade cheese in the fridge so it can chill well before serving. (If you plan to use it in a recipe straight away, then you do not need to chill it.)
- Serve it with honey and fruit, scrambled eggs or crackers. You can also add it to baked casseroles, baked oatmeal or use it to make cheesecake. For more serving ideas check the serving section of the blog post.
Notes
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- Store your cheese in a covered container (such as a jar with a lid) for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze your cheese. Keep in mind that freezing it may lead to a change in texture (cottage cheese often gets a bit grainy after being defrosted).