Cutting the Cheese- Cottage Cheese That Is! 
I absolutely love cottage cheese. Ask any of the my children and they will tell you they do too, since it was fed to them as toddlers and children. Over the years though it has become very expensive. Thank goodness the children have grown and left home and have to buy it themselves! I, on the other hand, decided to learn to make if from the non-instant skim milk powder that I purchase from our Whole Sale Food and Grain order every fall and use in baking. It keeps for up to 5 years and it makes great yogurt, buttermilk, cream cheese and especially cottage cheese.
Somehow making your own produces a better-tasting cottage cheese at a fraction of the cost and you have control of the fat and salt content in the finished product. It is easy to do and will keep in the fridge up to 2 weeks, although mine never lasts that long. The basic ingredients is either whole, 2% or skim milk or the non-instant skim milk powder, a little buttermilk or yogurt (which you can also make from scratch) and rennet.
Is Making Cottage Cheese or any Cheese Difficult?
No! Cheesemaking is a very rewarding and simple process. The most basic cheeses require only a few ingredients and tools. Basic cheesemaking is surprisingly forgiving, and most cheesemaking failures are still edible. So enjoy whatever cheese you create and make adjustments on the next attempt. Making your own cheese will not only be healthier and more nourishing to your family, but the world of cheesemaking is so wide and diverse, you may find yourself with a new and very addicting hobby.
What is Rennet?
Traditionally rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in stomach of ruminant mammals which isused in the production of most cheeses (from Wikapedia) The rennet tablets we use and sell are a vegetable based product that does the same thing as the traditional rennet. It is used to separate the milk into solid curds used in cheesemaking and liquid whey. The liquid rennet is an animal bi-product from New Zealand and is the more traditional way to make cheese. I prefer the tablet form or rennet as you can cut the tablets in half to make smaller amount if you wish and they store in the freezer for up to 3 years. A little goes a long way!
 The liquid animal rennet is a single strength non GMO Veal rennet for cheesemaking from New Zealand. .Half of a tsp. will set up about 2 gallons of milk. It will keep the fridge for up to 5 months.
Equipment Needed
The milk needs to be heated to 90 degrees F so you will need a big, heavy pot and a thermometer to measure the temperature of the milk. A sharp knife with a long blade, to cut the curds once they form would be helpful but any good knife will do. A cheese cloth or cloth bag like we use for making Almond milk helps to drain the curds easily.
Basic Cottage Cheese- 7 Easy Steps
1. Dissolve 1 rennet tablet in a little warm water (1/4 cup)
2. Pour 1 gallon ( 4 litres) Basic Rehydrated Non-Instant Skim Milk powder (or regular m
ilk) into theheavy pot and heat slowly to 90 Degrees F.
3. Add 1 pint (2 cups) of buttermilk or basic non-sweetened yogurt, stirring to mix. Then add dissolved rennet. Cover pot and leave overnight in a warm place.
 4. Next day, a gelatinous, almost solid mass, like firm yogurt, has formed in the pot. This is the curd. With a long bladed knife, cut through this curd to break it into small pieces. I cut across first at 1/2 inch increments and then up and down with the same spacing.
5. Set the pot with the curd in you kitchen sink that has hot water in it, to bring the temperature of the curd up to 110 degrees F. (Use the thermometer again to get an accurate temp.) Shake the pot gently while it is being heated up to help distribute the heat more evenly throughout the curd. I sometimes choose to move the curd into a stainless bowl for this part of the process. I then heat the bowl up in a larger pot of water on the stove.
6. When the curd temperature reaches 110 degrees F. let the pot or bowl sit in the water as it cools down for 30 min. Now pour the cheese into a cloth bag or several layers of cheese cloth and hang it up to drain. (I like to keep the whey that drains off for bread making the next day)
7. When the curds have drained, mash the cheese with a fork, and work in a little sweet or sour cream if you have used skim milk, or moisten it with a little of the basic yogurt you may have used to make it, if you don't want any extra fat. You now have a delicious Basic Cottage Cheese.
Seasoning Alternatives
You can season the cottage cheese with a little (or a lot) of kelp, salt, caraway seeds, chopped chives, dill, or parsley to vary the flavour and taste.
Cream Cheese
You can put the Basic Cottage Cheese in a blender and chop it for a few seconds and it makes a delicious cream cheese- with or without the seasonings.
This recipe makes the best tasting cottage cheese that you have ever tasted. It is hard to go back to the store-bought version, once you have tasted this.
Printable Directions for Making Cottage Cheese |
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4. Next day, a gelatinous, almost solid mass, like firm yogurt, has formed in the pot. This is the curd. With a long bladed knife, cut through this curd to break it into small pieces. I cut across first at 1/2 inch increments and then up and down with the same spacing. 
