Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

Homemade cottage cheese is simpler to make than you might think! With just basic kitchen tools like a big pot, a strainer, and some cheesecloth, you can whip up a batch in no time. This easy recipe is quick and straightforward, taking only about 20 minutes from start to finish. You’ll have fresh, healthy, and delicious homemade cottage cheese ready to serve for breakfast or as a snack.

What milk to use for cottage cheese recipe?

While the best milk to use would be the freshest one straight from a farm, the store bought natural milk would work just fine. Yes, even pasteurized milk in carton, from Tesco’s, Aldi or Morrison’s would do the trick. “Tastewise” it is better to choose full-fat or whole milk, fat would give more flavour, more value to the cottage cheese. Budget-wise it is better to check reduced items section and buy the reduced milk going to expire today. When I see 2lt Avonmore milk in Tesco’s for 20 cents, I never would pass it by!

Serving suggestions for homemade cottage cheese

Homemade cottage cheese turns out very tasty, tender, and satisfying, you can eat it as it is. If desired, you can add sour cream, fresh berries, dried fruits, honey, jam, or preserves. I whipped this one cottage cheese with sour cream and served it with fresh strawberries.

To make a savoury turn, you can add salt, herbs and various spices to the cottage cheese, mix it and spread on toast or rye-bread cracker. There are a lot of other ways on how to serve healthy and delicious homemade cottage cheese:

1. Fruit Parfait: Layer cottage cheese with your favorite fruits like berries, bananas, or peaches for a delicious and nutritious breakfast or snack.
2. Stuffed Tomatoes: Mix cottage cheese with herbs and spices, then stuff it into tomatoes for fast and healthy appetizer.
3. Cottage Cheese Pancakes: The worlds best syrniki would become more awesome if using homemade cottage cheese.
4. Cottage Cheese Dip: Blend cottage cheese with herbs, garlic, and lemon juice for a creamy dip perfect for veggies or crackers.
5. Cottage Cheese Salad: Toss cottage cheese with chopped veggies, nuts, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette for a satisfying salad.
6. Cottage Cheese Toast: Spread cottage cheese on whole-grain toast and top with sliced tomatoes, avocado, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
7. Cottage Cheese Stuffed Pasta: Use cottage cheese as a filling for stuffed pasta shells or ravioli for a comforting and cheesy meal.
8. Cottage Cheese Omelette: Fold cottage cheese into your eggs before cooking for a fluffy and protein-packed omelette.
9. Cottage Cheese Dessert: Sweeten cottage cheese with honey or maple syrup, then top with nuts or fruit compote for a simple and satisfying dessert.

How to store the homemade cottage cheese?

To keep your homemade cottage cheese fresh, store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. It’s best to consume it within a week for optimal taste and texture. For a little extra freshness, try storing it upside down, with the lid on the bottom to create a seal. This can help extend its shelf life slightly. Keep an eye out for any signs of spoilage, such as a sour smell or discoloration, and use it within 5-7 days, especially if you’ve used milk that’s nearing its expiration date.

What is Milk Whey?

When making homemade cottage cheese by this recipe, you will get the product itself and yellowish liquid, called “whey”. Do not throw it away! Milk whey, the liquid that separates from the curds during cottage cheese making, is packed with nutrients and can be used in various ways. You can add it to smoothies for an extra protein boost, use it as a base for soups or stews to add depth of flavor, or even incorporate it into baking recipes like bread for added moisture and nutrition. Check this recipe for crepes on whey batter. So, not bad outcomes for soon-to-expire milk from reduced section!

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Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

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Make your own homemade cottage cheese! All you need is milk and vinegar, no rennet or other additional cultures needed. Enjoy this creamy cheese that's full of protein and a little sour taste, without needing to buy it from the store!

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 ltr full-fat milk
• 4 tbsp vinegar 9% or 6-7 tbsp vinegar 5%
• FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL): You can use any topping you like or eat this cottage cheese on its own. Try sour cream, vanilla essence, sugar, fresh berries, jams, honey, nuts and seeds.

Instructions

1. Pour the milk into large heavy pot, set on the medium heat and stir regularly, preventing milk to get burnt at the bottom. Watch close for the milk and turn the heat off when milk is about to boil. If unsure, use the thermometer to check the temperature - should be around 90C. Do not let it boil, but do not remove it from heat too early also.
2. Turn off the heat, add vinegar and stir properly. Cover with lid and let it do its magics for 20 minutes.
3. Line the colander with cheese cloth. (I am not using the cheese cloth, I am using the bags for vegetables from any grocery store, not the plastic ones, but made of fabrics with lots of little holes in it - the price was just 1eur for 2 bags and I wash it after the use).
4. Start putting the solid cottage cheese from the pot to the colander and allow it to drain. One of the reasons why I found those veggies bags very comfortable to use - because I gather all cottage cheese in it and then I tie it above the sink, allowing to drain for some extra time.
5. Remove all solid cottage cheese from the pot and let it drip for a while in the colander. Or just hang the bag above the sink. The more time it hangs - the drier cottage cheese would be. I usually just leave it for 10 minutes.
6. For serving, place cottage cheese in a bowl, add sour cream and whisk it together using a mixer. Add vanilla essence, sugar powder and serve with fresh berries, jam or honey.
   

Notes

* Store-bought milk is absolutely suitable for making cottage cheese at home. Use full-fat (3.2-3.5%) milk from the your favourite shop fridge.
* But do not use the sterialised milk - the milk which can be stored without the fridge for a long time. It would not have the needed bacteria.
* Live milk or raw milk from farm can also be used, but only if you trust this particular farmer where you buy it.
* Vinegar - white or distilled vinegar, 9% or 5%. Can substitute for lemon acid, lemon juice.

* The yellow liquid, that separates from cottage cheese is called whey. Do not through it away and bake the crepes! Or add to smoothies and use for porridge instead of milk!