Cottage Cheese Recipe

Heat milk

Pour 1.5 liters whole milk into a large heavy pot. Attach an instant-read thermometer. Heat the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until it reaches 32–35°C (90–95°F). Remove from heat.

Add culture

Stir in 120 ml buttermilk (or 120 ml plain yogurt with active cultures) thoroughly. Cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature (or in a warm place) for 1–3 hours to let the cultures slightly acidify the milk. You should notice a mild thickening or a faint tang.

Warm and acidify

Gently reheat the cultured milk to 38–40°C (100–104°F) over low heat, stirring gently. Once at temperature, remove from heat and slowly stir in 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice in two additions, waiting 1–2 minutes between additions. Stir only a few times to distribute the acid — you want the curds to form, not be broken up. After 5–10 minutes the milk should separate into curds (solid) and whey (yellowish liquid). If separation is incomplete, wait another 10 minutes.

Cut curds (optional)

Using a long knife or a slotted spoon, gently cut or break larger curds into bite-sized pieces (about 1–2 cm). This helps release whey for a drier cottage cheese. Do not mash them.

Drain curds

Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Carefully ladle or pour curds and whey into the lined colander. Allow whey to drain for 5–20 minutes depending on the desired moisture. For very creamy cottage cheese, drain less; for drier, drain longer.

Rinse curds

Once drained, gather the cheesecloth with the curds and rinse them under cool running water for 30–60 seconds while gently stirring or agitating the curds with your hand. Rinsing stops acidification and cools the curds, producing the mild taste typical of cottage cheese. Let excess water drain away for a minute.

Salt and cream

Transfer the drained, rinsed curds to a clean bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt over the curds and stir gently to distribute. Add 60 ml heavy cream and fold gently to cream the curds. Taste and adjust salt or cream to preference.

Optional finishing

If desired, season with 0.25 tsp black pepper and fold in 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives. For a lower-fat version, replace heavy cream with some of the reserved whey or milk instead.

Transfer cottage cheese to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will firm slightly as it chills. Consume within 5–7 days for best quality. Reserve whey for other uses (smoothies, baking, soup).