Learn To Make Cheese

Learn how to make homemade cottage cheese using this simple step-by-step method from Savvy Housekeeping.  A perfect cheese for beginning cheesemakers, all you need to make cottage cheese is milk and vinegar as well as your basic kitchen supplies like a thermometer and cheesecloth.   Freshly made cottage cheese is extremely delicious and as this article points out, a great way to use milk that otherwise might go unused.  You can make it with whole or skim milk if calories are a concern.   Rather than the vinegar in this recipe, some cottage cheese recipes call for lemon juice which also works well.   When you’re finished, be sure to salt your cottage cheese recipe to taste.   Add fresh herbs or other flavorings as you like.   The leftover whey water from this method can also be used for making other cheeses like ricotta so don’t dump it!

Instructions and photos after the jump.

Savvy Housekeeping » How to Make Cottage Cheese.

I used to say the most important thing in making cheese is milk.  Then I starting saying that the most important thing to have is patience.  But one thing I left out is the importance of being able to discuss the trials and tribulations of your home cheesemaking adventures with others.   Whether you can meet in person with other cheesemakers directly, or you congregate at online cheese discussions and websites, it’s great to be able to learn from others’ successes and, um, not successes.

For this reason, we were thrilled to come across Forging Fromage, and their post on cottage cheese making at home.  Readers shared photos of their efforts, all of which looked delicious and rewarding.

forging fromage: Rounding up Cottage Cheese results…from our first Forging Fromage adventure!.

Gourmet Sleuth has dozens of recipes for every kind of cheese.  they’re a good first stop when wanting to make a new cheese.  You can try your hand at blue cheeses, cheddars, chevres, ricotta, yogurt cheeses and more.   Even better, you’ll find that within a section like ricotta, they have six different ricotta recipes so you can compare them and see what works for you.  They also have great cheesemaking videos.

Here’s a sample recipe they provide for Michael Chiarello’s version of ricotta.

Napa Style Ricotta Cheese
This recipe is Chef Michael Chiarello. Visit the Napa Style website.

I N G R E D I E N T S
(Makes about 4 cups)

1 gallon whole milk
1 quart buttermilk
Instant-read or candy thermometer
Cheesecloth or clean muslin, rinsed

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Select a sieve or colander with a wide surface area so the curds will cool quickly. Rinse a large piece of cheesecloth or muslin with cold water, then fold it so that it is 6 or more layers, and arrange it in the sieve or colander placed in the sink.
Pour the milk and buttermilk into a large nonreactive saucepan. Place over high heat and heat, stirring the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula and making sure to cover the whole pan bottom to prevent scorching. Once the mixture is warm, stop stirring. As the milk heats, curds will begin to rise and clump on the surface. As the curds begin to form, gently scrape the bottom of the pan with the spatula to release any stuck curds.

When the mixture reaches 175° to 180ºF, the curds and whey will separate. The whey looks like cloudy water underneath a mass of thick white curds on the surface. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Working from the side of the pot, gently ladle the whey into the prepared sieve. Go slowly so as not to break up the curds. Finally, ladle the curds into the sieve. Lift the sides of the cloth to help the liquid drain. Resist the temptation to press on the curds. When the draining slows, gather the edges of the cloth, tie them into a bag, and hang the bag from the faucet. Continue to drain until the dripping stops, about 15 minutes.

Untie the bag and pack the ricotta into airtight containers. Refrigerate and use within 1 week.

Michael’s Notes: I often make ricotta in winter and use it to fill ravioli for the freezer. Typically, I’ll boil the ravioli straight from the freezer, then simmer them briefly in chicken stock with some chard from the garden.

GourmetSleuth – How To Make Cheese – Cheese Making Recipes.