Fresh cheese
Cottage cheese
Various (UK, US, Europe). A farmhouse cheese of many countries; no single documented origin.
Profile
- Milk
- Usually skimmed cow's milk.
- Pasteurisation
- Commercial cottage cheese is made from pasteurised milk.
- Texture
- Loose, moist, soft curds in a creamy dressing.
- Flavour
- Mild, lightly sour.
- Aroma
- Fresh, lactic.
- Rind
- None.
- Typical maturation
- None
Tasting & pairing
Notice curd size (small vs large) and the tang of the dressing. Use the tasting wheel.
Food
- Fruit (pineapple, berries)
- Chives
- Toast
- Syrniki and pierogi
Drinks (non-alcoholic)
- Apple juice
- Herbal tea
Storage: Refrigerate; a few days once made.
How it's made
- Method
- Milk is soured by culture (sometimes with a little rennet), cut, cooked slowly to firm the curds, then washed and dressed with cream.
- Cultures
- Mesophilic lactic cultures.
- Coagulation
- Acid with a little rennet
- Curd handling
- Curds are cooked gradually, drained and washed in cold water.
- Pressing
- None.
- Salting
- Lightly salted in the dressing.
- Ageing
- None.
At home: Beginner home make
A slow but simple make.
Recipes on FriendsPantry that use it
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.