home made cottage cheese

[Morgan88]

whaz up?

I know they used to make (and some still do) home made cottage cheese. Like most stuff in the fridge it has guar gum maltodextrin mono and diglycerides xanthan gum carrageenan carob bean gum and a bunch of other stuff. Yikes! I am sure someone on here was raised on a farm and made their own cottage cheese without all that crap in it. I am assuming it tastes different and better? I could try and make my own.

Morgan88

Update. Thanks to timjoebillybobs suggestion(below) I did go to Alton Browns recipe. It worked great. Things I was very surprised at. From 1 gallon of milk you get about 3 or 4 cups of cottage cheese. 3/4ths of the gallon is the left over whey. Which after looking on the net is very good for you and a bazzilion things you can do with it. Alton Browns recipe has milk, white vinegar and salt in it. Once you have made the cheese you can add cream or 1/2 and 1/2 to it to make it look like store bought stuff. Very easy. Yes it is easier and may cost less to buy it but I am glad I did it.

 

[Bigtanker]

I'm interested in this also. I've been making my own mayo for a year now and absolutely love it.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

Alton brown did a recipe for cottage cheese on an episode of good eats, think it was just milk, vinegar, and half-and-half. Maybe some salt.Edit- found it. Haven't tried it, but it seems easy Quick Cottage Cheese Recipe | Alton Brown | Food Network

 

[Indy-Mike]

Traders Point creamery makes small batch cottage cheese, totally different from the regular store brands.

from their website....Our cottage cheese is the closest consumers can get to the original recipe that was crafted in cottages hundreds of years ago. Made with organic milk from our 100% grassfed cows, our cottage cheese is handcrafted in a slow and vigilant process that results in cheese curds with a light tartness nestled in the natural buttery creaminess of carefully handled milk.

 

[Cameramonkey]

You could make it like my late grandma did. In a bowl out on the birdfeeder in the sun, covered with cheesecloth. (x2, 1 for the method, 2 for the taste in general)

Granted that was well before even remote control TVs. Maybe even before color TV. But dammit, no preservatives. And mom said it was the best she's ever tasted.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Traders Point creamery makes small batch cottage cheese, totally different from the regular store brands.

from their website....Our cottage cheese is the closest consumers can get to the original recipe that was crafted in cottages hundreds of years ago. Made with organic milk from our 100% grassfed cows, our cottage cheese is handcrafted in a slow and vigilant process that results in cheese curds with a light tartness nestled in the natural buttery creaminess of carefully handled milk.

I prefer my milk still fresh and not lumpy, but I have to say everything else Ive had from them is pretty tasty.

 

[Bennettjh]

You could make it like my late grandma did. In a bowl out on the birdfeeder in the sun, covered with cheesecloth. (x2, 1 for the method, 2 for the taste in general)

Granted that was well before even remote control TVs. Maybe even before color TV. But dammit, no preservatives. And mom said it was the best she's ever tasted.

No disrespect to your grandmother, that sounds terrible.

 

[churchmouse]

No disrespect to your grandmother, that sounds terrible.

My great Gramma and my Gramma made it that way. Pretty darned good as memory serves.

 

[Cameramonkey]

No disrespect to your grandmother, that sounds terrible.

None taken as I agree. Supposedly that was old school. But given the myriad of other EXCEPTIONALLY tasty dishes she taught me to cook like Beef roast and dumplings, turkey dressing, homemade drop biscuits, sugar cream pie, etc, I'll give her a pass on that one.

 

[churchmouse]

None taken as I agree. Supposedly that was old school. But given the myriad of other EXCEPTIONALLY tasty dishes she taught me to cook like Beef roast and dumplings, turkey dressing, homemade drop biscuits, sugar cream pie, etc, I'll give her a pass on that one.

And they cooked with "Lard"

 

[Cameramonkey]

And they cooked with "Lard"

Yep. And like her, I save bacon grease for certain recipes like pan fried cornbread (cornmeal with a bit of bacon grease cut in, salt, and boiling water, fried in more grease in a cast iron skillet) and others.

Yes, I may die earlier than others, but dammit, I'll do so with a full belly and a smile on my face.

 

[Bigtanker]

Yep. And like her, I save bacon grease for certain recipes like pan fried cornbread (cornmeal with a bit of bacon grease cut in, salt, and boiling water, fried in more grease in a cast iron skillet) and others.

Yes, I may die earlier than others, but dammit, I'll do so with a full belly and a smile on my face.

I use about 1/4 cup of bacon fat when I make my mayo. Yep. Real bacon mayonnaise!

 

[churchmouse]

I use about 1/4 cup of bacon fat when I make my mayo. Yep. Real bacon mayonnaise!

Those people worked very hard. The fat did not slow them down. Every one of my elders lived long and active lives. They also ate pretty darn well.
When Gramma made a pie or a cobbler (remember cobblers's) she used lard in the crust and I have yet to find anything that even comes close.

And we save the bacon grease as well.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Just say NO to spoiled milk products
Cottage cheese, mayo.... no spoiled milk for this guy

 

[Bigtanker]

Just say NO to spoiled milk products
Cottage cheese, mayo.... no spoiled milk for this guy

Mayo is dairy free. Egg, oil, apple cider vinegar and salt are the main ingredients.

 

[Bennettjh]

I guess I shouldn't knock it til I try it but it sure does sound bad. My mom uses the bacon grease in pancakes, boy are they good. That stuff is good for all kinds of stuff.

I'll try to get past my leaving dairy outside issue. Lol.

 

[Bigtanker]

Here is how I do my mayo.

[video=youtube_share;K3F3GutbMC8]http://youtu.be/K3F3GutbMC8[/video]

I'll change up the oils once in a while. Avocado is what I use most of the time but I do mix in bacon fat when I have it. Olive oil will work but gives it a strong taste. Walnut and cashew oils are awesome but expensive. Just don't use vegetable or seed oils.

 

[chezuki]

Cottage cheese looks like something you would treat with monistat.

No thanks. I don't eat manglaze either, though BT is correct, there is no milk involved.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Alton brown did a recipe for cottage cheese on an episode of good eats, think it was just milk, vinegar, and half-and-half. Maybe some salt.Edit- found it. Haven't tried it, but it seems easy Quick Cottage Cheese Recipe | Alton Brown | Food Network

Just a slight quibble, but that is not technically "cottage cheese" it is ricottini (ricotta made with with milk instead of whey) with half and half. Although I do like Alton. And that recipe does work. True cottage cheese uses bacteria to acidify the milk and rennet to set the curd.

Also you can just strain the curds and use it as a spread instead of adding the half and half, if you use lemon juice instead of vinegar give is a nice lemony tang that is great on crackers. If you strain and press it, it comes very close to Mexican "crumbly cheese".

ETA If you make it don't dump the whey down the drain. It's great for use in home made breads, pancakes, waffles, etc. Also good if you drink smoothies or even for feeding to the pets as a treat. It's high in protein and contains some other nutrients.

You could make it like my late grandma did. In a bowl out on the birdfeeder in the sun, covered with cheesecloth. (x2, 1 for the method, 2 for the taste in general)

Granted that was well before even remote control TVs. Maybe even before color TV. But dammit, no preservatives. And mom said it was the best she's ever tasted.

Yep, have to let it sit to let the natural bacteria grow and work. Or you can cheat and buy a culture...
How to Make Cottage Cheese | Cheesemaking.com

 

[Morgan88]

Thanks timjoebillybob
Just what I needed. A recipe with less than 5 ingredients and done in 1 paragraph or less

I will give it a shot. Being a bachelor I eat things all the time that are "on the edge" (from the fridge).

Morgan88