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Cottage Cheese Recipes, Benefits, and How to Use It Everyday

Making cottage cheese at home is simple and rewarding — all you need is milk and a little patience. This easy recipe is perfect for using milk that has soured, or for clabbering fresh milk yourself.

cottage-cheese

Cottage cheese is delicious served plain with a pinch of salt and pepper, or used in a variety of dishes like lasagna, crepes, pancakes, and stuffed pasta. The following method uses soured milk, which is perfectly safe when heated properly. If you prefer fresh milk, you can clabber it by adding four tablespoons of white vinegar and letting it sit until it thickens.

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How to Make Your Own Cottage Cheese

You’ll need:
2 quarts very sour milk (or clabbered fresh milk)
1 teaspoon salt
1 junket rennet tablet (crushed) or 4–5 drops liquid rennet
1/8 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Steps:

  1. Warm the sour milk slowly and monitor the temperature with a thermometer. Heat to about 195°F (90–91°C) if you are sanitizing soured milk; if following the rennet method below, heat to about 100°F (38°C) before adding rennet. If you’ve clabbered fresh milk with vinegar, heat to 120°F (50°C) before adding acid for the quick method described in the video transcript below.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and, when the milk is at the target temperature for your chosen method, add the crushed junket tablet or liquid rennet diluted in a small amount of water. Stir gently for 1–2 minutes until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Cover the pot and let it sit undisturbed. For rennet-based curd formation, allow about 3–6 hours at a warm room temperature until the milk sets into a soft gel. For the quick vinegar method, allow 20–30 minutes for curds to form after adding vinegar.
  4. When the curd is set and slightly separated from the pot edges, cut the curd gently into squares with a knife or spatula to help whey release.
  5. Sprinkle in the salt and place the pan over the lowest heat setting. Stir very gently for a few minutes to encourage curds to contract and release whey. Be careful not to overcook — too much heat will make the curds tough.
  6. Pour the curds and whey into a cheesecloth-lined strainer placed over a clean bowl. Allow the mixture to drain thoroughly. Fold the cloth over the curds and place the whole package in the refrigerator for about an hour, stirring the curds gently every 20 minutes to aid draining.
  7. After chilling and draining, transfer the curds to a bowl and stir in heavy cream or half-and-half to taste. Adjust salt if needed and season with white pepper just before serving.

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Tip: Save the drained whey — it’s a versatile liquid that works well in bread, pancakes, and other baked goods, or for making ricotta.

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Recipe (Print-Friendly)

Homemade Cottage Cheese

Serves: about 8 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Resting time: ~5 hours | Calories: ~155 kcal per serving

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts very sour milk (or clabbered fresh milk)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 junket rennet tablet, crushed (or 4–5 drops liquid rennet)
  • 1/8 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed saucepan
  • Digital thermometer
  • Cheesecloth or clean cloth bag
  • Strainer
  • Large bowl
  • Knife or spatula

Instructions

  1. Heat sour milk slowly. For the rennet method heat to ~100°F (38°C) before adding rennet; for sanitizing already soured milk you can heat to 195°F and hold briefly.
  2. Remove from heat and add the crushed rennet tablet dissolved in a small amount of water. Stir for 2 minutes until dissolved.
  3. Cover and let the milk set for about 4 hours (or 3–6 hours) until it forms a soft gel.
  4. Cut the curd into several diagonal slices to help release whey.
  5. Add the salt, then place the pot over extremely low heat and stir very gently for a couple of minutes until curds separate from the whey. Avoid overheating to keep curds tender.
  6. Pour curds and whey into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and allow to drain. Fold the cloth over the curds and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring gently every 20 minutes to aid draining.
  7. Transfer drained curds to a bowl, stir in cream or half-and-half, taste and adjust salt, and add white pepper if desired. Serve chilled.

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Notes and Tips

  • Clabbering fresh milk: If using fresh milk, add 4 tablespoons white vinegar and let sit about 1 hour to sour before starting.
  • Texture tip: Keep heat very low when separating curds and whey. Overcooking makes curds rubbery; gentle warmth yields tender cottage cheese.
  • Use the whey: Don’t discard whey — it’s excellent in breads, pancakes, soups, or for making ricotta.

homemade cottage cheese

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / robynmac