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COTTAGE CHEESE




Source of Recipe


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List of Ingredients





1 gallon skim milk
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon mesophilic-M
1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride
1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet
1/4 teaspoon cheese salt



This is an old fashioned large curd cottage cheese with a clean acid flavor which will keep under refrigeration in an air tight container for up to a week.
Combine milk and cream then pasteurize the milk by heating in a double boiler until the milk reaches 161oF. Place the milk pot into a sink of cold water and cool to 85oF. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of Mesophilic-M. Let the milk set at 85oF for 30 minutes.
In a glass dish combine 1/2 teaspoon of calcium chloride with 2 tablespoon of cool distilled water. Add this mixture to the milk and stir gently for 30 seconds. Keep the temperature of the milk at 85oF.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid rennet to 5 tablespoons of cool water. Stir the diluted rennet gently into the milk. Cover and allow the milk to set undisturbed for 30-45 minutes at 85oF. The milk will become a solid mass that shows a clean break. To test if the curd is done insert your thermometer into the curd at an angle. If the curd breaks cleanly around the thermometer, the curd is ready to be cut. If the curd is more like a soft yogurt you need to wait longer before cutting.
Cut the curd into l/2 inch slices with a long bladed stainless steel knife. Turn the pot 90 degrees and repeat the process. The top of the curd should look like crossword puzzle. Take a large spoon and gently break up the curd into 1/2" cubes. Be very gentle and do not make the pieces to small. Avoid mashing the curds together.
Slowly heat the curd in a double boiler to 115oF by increasing the temperature of the curd 2 degrees every five minutes up to 115oF. Cooking the curd shrinks the size of the curd pieces by forcing water from the cheese. The entire process can take from 1 to 1-l/2 hours.
Line a colander with fine cheesecloth and pour the curds and whey into the colander. Allow to drain for 5 minutes. Take the bag of curd and rinse in cool water. This removes some more of the whey reduces the acidity on the cheese. Hang the curd to drain the curd for one hour.
Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and place in a bowl. Break up the mass into small pieces with your hands but do so gently. Mix in 1/4 teaspoon salt and a little fresh cream if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.


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