Homemade Cottage Cheese

3.42 from 17 votes

A fabulous recipe for homemade cottage cheese that's simple to make at home with just three ordinary ingredients.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cottage cheese

Cook Time 15 minutes

draining and resting 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 344kcal

Author Rebooted Mom

Pour milk into a heavy bottom stock pot. Heat slowly to 175 degrees F, stir continually so that the milk doesn't scorch the bottom of the pot.
Remove from the heat. Add the vinegar and stir thoroughly for 10-15 seconds. Cover the post and push aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Line a colander with a towel or a tightly woven cheesecloth. Place the colander over a large pot or bowl to catch the whey.
Pour the solids from the pot into the colander. Allow it to drain for at least 30 minutes (or longer if desired).
Tie up the ends of the cheesecloth very tight and form a tight ball - dip the ball into a clean bowl of cold water. This will help chill the curds quickly and evenly. Squeeze out the excess liquid.
Turn out the cheese into a large bowl. Use your hands to break into small curds. Stir in the salt, more or less to taste.
Optional: add heavy cream for an additional level of creaminess. Check the taste - add more salt as needed.
Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.

Homemade cottage cheese can be made with raw milk.
Don't discard the whey: the whey can be used for so many things! Use in it place of water when making rice, as a hair rinse following a shampoo and to make homemade probiotic soda.
Homemade cottage cheese will keep for up to one week when properly refrigerated.
Recipe makes 2 C. of cottage cheese, 1/4 C. per serving.