The Quiet Rise

I absolutely love cottage cheese — but only the Slavic kind: large curds, firm texture, and no salt. It’s an acquired taste, but it’s the only kind I eat. So I learned to make it myself. There are many recipes out there; this is a simple method that works for me every time.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon 2% milk
• 2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt (I use 0% or 4% plain Siggi’s. Both work.)

Instructions

1. Pour the milk into a large pot and add the yogurt. Stir to combine.
2. Warm the mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
3. Cover and leave at room temperature for 48 hours to culture.
4. After 48 hours, heat the milk until very hot but not boiling:
   • On the stove, heat gently until the whey separates (don’t boil, boiling makes the curds rubbery), or
   • Place in the oven at 250°F for about 50 minutes.
5. Once the whey separates from the curds, pour the mixture through a sieve.
6. Transfer the curds into cheesecloth (I usually divide into two portions).
7. Tie the cheesecloth with a rubber band and hang over a bowl to drain.
8. Leave to drain overnight.

1. In the morning, transfer the cottage cheese to a container and refrigerate.

Notes

• I save the whey and use it to make pancakes instead of buttermilk.
• Cottage cheese freezes very well. I often freeze it in portions.
• I get around 850 g cottage cheese after draining.
• Estimated total macros per 850 g cottage cheese:
  • Calories: 1350 kcal
  • Protein: 125 g
  • Fat: 80 g
  • Carbs: 25 – 30 g
• Estimated macros per 100 g of cottage cheese:
  • Calories: 160 kcal
  • Protein: 15 – 16 g
  • Fat: 9 – 10 g
  • Carbs: 3 g