Homa Made Cottage Cheese

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

It's a whole new world. Fresh cheeses are easy to make and are so
much better than what's available in stores, at least in my area.
Aged cheeses are a little more work but they're worth it as well.

One piece of advice I would have is to avoid ultra pasteurized (AKA
UHT, or ultra high temperature) milk products if at all possible. The
difference in flavor in the end product is noticeable. UHT processing
diminishes some of the more subtle flavors. I've settled on a non-UHT
brand called Clover Stornetta.

Good luck with the mozzarella, too. The results are great and it's fun
to make.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

"Reg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

It's a whole new world. Fresh cheeses are easy to make and are so
much better than what's available in stores, at least in my area.
Aged cheeses are a little more work but they're worth it as well.

One piece of advice I would have is to avoid ultra pasteurized (AKA
UHT, or ultra high temperature) milk products if at all possible. The
difference in flavor in the end product is noticeable. UHT processing
diminishes some of the more subtle flavors. I've settled on a non-UHT
brand called Clover Stornetta.

Good luck with the mozzarella, too. The results are great and it's fun
to make.

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in the cottage
cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe people <g>😉.

kili

Reg said:

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

It's a whole new world. Fresh cheeses are easy to make and are so
much better than what's available in stores, at least in my area.
Aged cheeses are a little more work but they're worth it as well.

One piece of advice I would have is to avoid ultra pasteurized (AKA
UHT, or ultra high temperature) milk products if at all possible. The
difference in flavor in the end product is noticeable. UHT processing
diminishes some of the more subtle flavors. I've settled on a non-UHT
brand called Clover Stornetta.

Good luck with the mozzarella, too. The results are great and it's fun
to make.

Actually, I did use UHT 0% milk (feel free to say ew). That's all I had.
So thank you for the recommendations. I am thinking my supermarket might
still sell goat's milk, that would call for an experiment, too.

Is aging cheeses possible in small apartments? I wouldn't know where to
(safely) store the cheese? All I can think of is the fridge, but ti
might be too moist?

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

How much and what kind of milk did you use? Cottage cheese is a comfort
food for me.

Quoted message said:

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

Have you tried making your own yogurt. It's easy to do too.

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in the
cottage cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe
people <g>😉.

Large curd is the best. Well, except when I'm in the mood for small curd.
😉

jake <[email hidden]> wrote in news:430cdfd5$0$755$5fc3050
@dreader2.news.tiscali.nl:

Quoted message said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too.

How much milk is needed to make it? How much of a savings do you see?

jake said:

Actually, I did use UHT 0% milk (feel free to say ew). That's all I had.
So thank you for the recommendations. I am thinking my supermarket might
still sell goat's milk, that would call for an experiment, too.

Hey, homemade cheese made with UHT milk is still a heck of a lot better
than cheese you'll get from a store. Keep looking around for suppliers
and experimenting with different types and brands of milk. Definitely
give the goat's milk a try.

Quoted message said:

Is aging cheeses possible in small apartments? I wouldn't know where to
(safely) store the cheese? All I can think of is the fridge, but ti
might be too moist?

Yes, it's pretty easy. I started out using containers in my garage
but now I use dedicated refrigerators. They're much more convenient
and they're completely sanitary. Using a non-dedicated fridge
(i.e. your regular kitchen fridge) is a problem because the temp
has to be too low, you'll have problems maintaining the right
humidity, plus there can be transfer of food odors. If you're
in a small apartment maybe you could get one of those mini
fridges.

I maintain an average temp of around 50 F and an average humidity
of about 70-80%. I adjust the temp and humidity by setting the fridge
thermostat to it's highest setting and throttling it on and off
using a timer. To monitor everything, a very good, remote
thermometer/hygrometer is available from radio shack.

<http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F010%5F005%5F001%5F000&product%5Fid=63%2D1089>

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

kilikini said:

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in the cottage
cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe people <g>😉.

kili, here's a recipe for large curd cottage cheese. As soon as I
unpack the right moving boxes I'll take a look through my cheesemaking
books and see what else I have specifically for large curd.

http://www.leeners.com/cheesesemi.html#cottage

The mesophilic starter referred to in the recipe can be
substituted with 1/4 C of high quality buttermilk.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

~patches~ said:

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

How much and what kind of milk did you use? Cottage cheese is a comfort
food for me.

I used maybe two thirds of a liter of milk'(0%, UHT), whcih yielded
around 100 grmas of very dry cheese ( I think I overdrained it).
Vinegar: around a tablespoon. These numbersare estimates, though.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

Have you tried making your own yogurt. It's easy to do too.

Nope, I havent. I'm interesetd in it, but temperaure maintenance sounds
liek a drag and I won't buy a machine I'd use only occasionally and that
would block part of my limited storage space the rest of the time.ogf

kilikini said:

"Reg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

It's a whole new world. Fresh cheeses are easy to make and are so
much better than what's available in stores, at least in my area.
Aged cheeses are a little more work but they're worth it as well.

One piece of advice I would have is to avoid ultra pasteurized (AKA
UHT, or ultra high temperature) milk products if at all possible. The
difference in flavor in the end product is noticeable. UHT processing
diminishes some of the more subtle flavors. I've settled on a non-UHT
brand called Clover Stornetta.

Good luck with the mozzarella, too. The results are great and it's fun
to make.

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in the cottage
cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe people <g>😉.

kili

I didn't regulate it, I did stir during cooking. I presume more or less
stirring will give different result. My curds were about the same size
as the stuff from the store.

ScratchMonkey said:

jake <[email hidden]> wrote in news:430cdfd5$0$755$5fc3050
@dreader2.news.tiscali.nl:

Quoted message said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too.

How much milk is needed to make it? How much of a savings do you see?

You can use any amount you like, I didn't measure it. A slong as you put
something acidic in there: vinegar, lemon juice, somthing like that.
Just a little bit is enough. If it doesn't work, you can always add a
little extra.

I think it's about 50-70% cheaper than store bought ( I didn't weigh
my results and different brands have different prices, so Ican't be very
precise).

"Reg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

kilikini said:

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in the

cottage

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe people <g>😉.

kili, here's a recipe for large curd cottage cheese. As soon as I
unpack the right moving boxes I'll take a look through my cheesemaking
books and see what else I have specifically for large curd.

http://www.leeners.com/cheesesemi.html#cottage

The mesophilic starter referred to in the recipe can be
substituted with 1/4 C of high quality buttermilk.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Thanks, Reg! I appreciate it.

kili

Reg said:

jake said:

Actually, I did use UHT 0% milk (feel free to say ew). That's all I

had. So thank you for the recommendations. I am thinking my supermarket
might still sell goat's milk, that would call for an experiment, too.

Quoted message said:

Hey, homemade cheese made with UHT milk is still a heck of a lot better
than cheese you'll get from a store. Keep looking around for suppliers
and experimenting with different types and brands of milk. Definitely
give the goat's milk a try.

Quoted message said:

Is aging cheeses possible in small apartments? I wouldn't know where

to (safely) store the cheese? All I can think of is the fridge, but ti
might be too moist?

Quoted message said:

Yes, it's pretty easy. I started out using containers in my garage
but now I use dedicated refrigerators. They're much more convenient
and they're completely sanitary. Using a non-dedicated fridge
(i.e. your regular kitchen fridge) is a problem because the temp
has to be too low, you'll have problems maintaining the right
humidity, plus there can be transfer of food odors. If you're
in a small apartment maybe you could get one of those mini
fridges.

You know what, if I ever live somewhere where this is feasible, I'll
give it a try. Because it does sound like great fun.

Quoted message said:

I maintain an average temp of around 50 F and an average humidity
of about 70-80%. I adjust the temp and humidity by setting the fridge
thermostat to it's highest setting and throttling it on and off
using a timer. To monitor everything, a very good, remote
thermometer/hygrometer is available from radio shack.

<http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F010%5F005%5F001%5F000&product%5Fid=63%2D1089>

I live in The Netherlands, so the next Radio Shack inst around the
corner. But I'll have a look at that link.

Quoted message said:

jake said:

~patches~ said:

Have you tried making your own yogurt. It's easy to do too.

Nope, I havent. I'm interesetd in it, but temperaure maintenance sounds
liek a drag and I won't buy a machine I'd use only occasionally and that
would block part of my limited storage space the rest of the time.ogf

No need for a machine. Heat any dairy product to 180°F, let it cool to
110°F and stir in some plain yogurt (125 ml to a liter). Put that into a
container and keep warm overnight. I do that by various methods
including wrapping the bottle in five or six layers of towels and
putting it into my turned-off oven. Next morning, yogurt.

Temperature regulation isn't critical, it just dictates the speed of the
fermentation. It will continue to ferment (much more slowly) in the fridge.

The reason for heating the milk/cream is to kill competitive bacteria
that would affect the fermentation and, thereby, flavor, texture, etc..

Pastorio

Quoted message said:

No need for a machine. Heat any dairy product to 180°F, let it cool to
110°F and stir in some plain yogurt (125 ml to a liter). Put that into a
container and keep warm overnight. I do that by various methods
including wrapping the bottle in five or six layers of towels and
putting it into my turned-off oven. Next morning, yogurt.

Temperature regulation isn't critical, it just dictates the speed of the
fermentation. It will continue to ferment (much more slowly) in the fridge.

The reason for heating the milk/cream is to kill competitive bacteria
that would affect the fermentation and, thereby, flavor, texture, etc..

Pastorio

Well, there's my new project for this weekend 🙂

kilikini wrote on 25 Aug 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

"Reg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

kilikini said:

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in
the

cottage

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe
people <g>😉.

kili, here's a recipe for large curd cottage cheese. As soon as I
unpack the right moving boxes I'll take a look through my
cheesemaking books and see what else I have specifically for large
curd.

http://www.leeners.com/cheesesemi.html#cottage

The mesophilic starter referred to in the recipe can be
substituted with 1/4 C of high quality buttermilk.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot)
com

Thanks, Reg! I appreciate it.

kili

http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/cheese2.html

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

kilikini wrote on 25 Aug 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Thanks, Reg! I appreciate it.

kili

This easy cheese Might appeal to BBQers.

NO-RENNET QUESO BLANCO (LATIN AMERICAN WHITE CHEESE)

Heat-acid or no-rennet Queso Blanco is a white, semi-hard cheese made
without culture or rennet. It is eaten fresh and may be flavoured with
peppers, caraway, onions, etc. It belongs to a family of "frying cheeses"
which do not melt and may be deep fried or barbecued to a golden brown
for a tasty snack. Deep fried Queso Blanco may be steeped in a sugar
syrup for a dessert dish or added to soup as croutons. The procedure
given here is similar to the manufacture of Indian Paneer and Channa
which is made by adding acid to hot milk. Ricotta cheese is also made by
heat-acid precipitation of proteins from blends of milk and whey. Latin
American white cheese is also made by renneting whole milk with little or
no bacterial culture. Rennet Queso Blanco is also useful as a frying
cheese because its lack of acidity gives it low meltability.

Procedure -

1. Heat milk to 80C for 20 minutes.

2. Add vinegar (5% acetic acid) at the rate of about 175 ml per 5 kg of
milk. Vinegar should be diluted in two equal volumes of water and then
added slowly to the hot milk until the whey is semi-clear and the curd
particles begin to mat together and become slightly stretchy. You should
be able to stretch a piece of curd about 1 cm before it breaks. It may
not be necessary to add all of the vinegar.

3. Separate the curd by filtering through a cloth bag until free whey is
removed.

4. Work in salt (about 1%) and spices to taste.

5. Press the curd (high pressure is not required).

6. Package curd in boilable bags (vacuum package if possible) and place
in boiling water for 5 minutes to sterilize the surface and prevent mould
growth.

7. Queso Blanco may keep for several weeks if properly packed but should
be eaten as fresh as possible.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Reg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

kilikini said:

This is making me want to try! How do you regulate curd size in the

cottage

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cheese? Both my husband and I love large curd (yes, cringe people
<g>😉.

kili, here's a recipe for large curd cottage cheese. As soon as I
unpack the right moving boxes I'll take a look through my cheesemaking
books and see what else I have specifically for large curd.

http://www.leeners.com/cheesesemi.html#cottage

The mesophilic starter referred to in the recipe can be
substituted with 1/4 C of high quality buttermilk.

I really can't recall what my grandmother did to make cottage cheese, but
there was no such thing as temperature gauges, gauges on a wooden stove,
weather and humidity outside gauges, nor probably even the store-bought
rennets of today -- no stores -- I wish I remember more, but all I recall
was that she hung a big flour sack of curds on the line to drain. This
grandmother was not interested in cooking and I'm sure if it was complicated
at all, she did NOT do it; i.e., no cake at this grandmother's house! Of
course there were cows aplenty to fulfill any failures.
Dee Dee

"jake" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

~patches~ said:

jake said:

I just made it (simmer milk with a splash a vinegar, drain when it
curdles). It tastes different from the 2 store brands I know, but it
tastes good. Much cheaper than buying it, too. And I suppose I could
add flavors before heating it, letting them infuse beforehand. Spices,
herbs, vanilla, all worth a try.

How much and what kind of milk did you use? Cottage cheese is a comfort
food for me.

I used maybe two thirds of a liter of milk'(0%, UHT), whcih yielded around
100 grmas of very dry cheese ( I think I overdrained it). Vinegar: around
a tablespoon. These numbersare estimates, though.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It has made me want to make my own ricotta and mozzarella. I've looked
up how to do it, but it means I'll have to buy a suitable thermometer
and cheese cloth.And rennet, ti seems. But I will when I get a chance.

Isn't it fascinating that some cheeses are so easy to make you can
easily do it at home?

Have you tried making your own yogurt. It's easy to do too.

Nope, I havent. I'm interesetd in it, but temperaure maintenance sounds
liek a drag and I won't buy a machine I'd use only occasionally and that
would block part of my limited storage space the rest of the time.ogf

I was interested myself in making yogurt over many decades. I never did get
it right. Some people have a knack for this sort of thing. Perhaps its in
the genes. Now I'm happy to get my favorite brand of yogurt that tastes
better than anything I've ever had before or tried to make. After a long
day yesterday, yogurt was just the right ticket to get me back together
again. P.S. I tried Edy Slow Churned Vanilla "this last Monday" -- Yogurt
is BETTER! IMO.
Dee Dee