Fresh from the Farm: Crafting Raw Milk Cottage Cheese

Embarking on the journey of making raw milk cottage cheese, from scratch at home, brings numerous benefits, starting with knowing exactly where your food comes from. You can create a pure, wholesome product free from additives and preservatives with only a few simple ingredients. The purity of the ingredients not only enhances the flavor but also ensures a nutritionally dense final product, rich in essential vitamins and minerals. By making cottage cheese from raw milk, you’re embracing a tradition of self-sufficiency and sustainable living, while nourishing your body with high-quality, healthful food.

Making homemade cottage cheese with raw milk is wonderfully simple and rewarding. With just three basic ingredients—raw milk, cultured buttermilk, and gentle heat—you can create a creamy, delicious cheese right in your kitchen. The process involves gently heating the buttermilk cultured raw milk, and allowing the mixture to curdle naturally. Once the curds form, they are carefully strained to achieve the perfect texture. This straightforward method requires minimal equipment and ingredients, yet yields a fresh, wholesome product that’s free from preservatives and additives. Embrace the simplicity and purity of homemade cottage cheese, and enjoy a nutritious, flavorful addition to your meals.

All Cows Milk is NOT Created Equal: Secret Science of Milk

Jersey cows are renowned for producing rich, creamy milk that’s high in butterfat and packed with essential nutrients. One of the unique aspects of Jersey cow milk is its potential to contain the A2 beta-casein protein, often referred to as A2A2 milk. This type of milk has gained attention for its potential health benefits, particularly for individuals who experience discomfort when consuming regular milk.

A2A2 milk contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein, which is believed to be easier to digest compared to the A1 beta-casein protein found in most commercial (Holstein Cow: the black and white ones) milk. Some studies suggest that A2A2 milk may reduce digestive issues, such as bloating and discomfort, for those who are sensitive to A1 protein. Additionally, A2A2 milk retains all the nutritional benefits of regular milk, including high levels of calcium, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals.

For those seeking a more natural and potentially gentler alternative to regular milk, Jersey cow A2A2 milk offers a promising option. By choosing milk from Jersey cows that have been genetically tested to produce A2A2 milk, you can enjoy the creamy, nutritious goodness of milk while potentially minimizing digestive discomfort.

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Helpful Cooking Technique Knowledge

A bain-marie, also known as a double boiler, is a gentle cooking method that uses indirect heat to cook or heat foods slowly and evenly. It’s commonly used for delicate tasks such as melting chocolate, preparing custards, or making sauces that could easily burn or curdle with direct heat.

How to Use a Bain-Marie:

Prepare the Equipment: You’ll need a heatproof bowl and a saucepan or pot that the bowl can sit on top of without touching the water inside the pot.
Add Water: Fill the saucepan or pot with about an inch or two of water, ensuring that the water level is low enough so that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Heat the Water: Place the saucepan or pot on the stove and bring the water to a gentle simmer. Avoid boiling the water vigorously, as this can cause uneven heating.
Place the Bowl: Set the heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan or pot, making sure it fits securely and is stable.
Cook Gently: Add your ingredients to the bowl and stir continuously as they heat. The steam from the simmering water will warm the bowl and gently cook or melt your ingredients.

Using a bain-marie ensures that your ingredients are heated evenly and reduces the risk of burning or overheating. This method is particularly useful for temperature-sensitive recipes and helps achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.

Common Mistakes when Making Cottage at Home

Using ultra-pasteurized milk ( it will not culture properly)
Not letting the milk culture long enough (culture fearlessly)
Overheating the milk (boiling will ruin it)

Making Raw Milk Cottage Cheese Step-by-Step

Ingredients and tools:

1 gallon (3.8L) raw milk
1 cup (240ml) cultured buttermilk with live active culture
Stainless steel pot with a lid to culture milk and cook cottage cheese in (bain marie)
Kitchen thermometer
Stainless steel strainer
Milk nut bag or cheese cloth
Optional Ingredients:
- Non-iodized salt
- heavy cream or creme fraiche

Step 1

Mix 1 gallon of raw milk and 1 cup of cultured buttermilk, whisk together and cover. Let this pot sit at room temperature (70°F /22°C) for 16-36 hours. You’ll know when it’s ready because it will be quite viscous and look like yogurt.

Buttermilk cultured raw milk ready to make cottage cheese

Step 2

You can cut your curds in the pan in 1/2 inch vertically and horizontally to create squares or gently stir the cultured milk and allow the curds to form natural shapes.

Slowly heat milk to 120°F using a bain-marie, begin by filling a saucepan or pot with about an inch or two of water. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Pour the raw milk into the heatproof bowl and make sure it is stable. Set the saucepan on the stove and heat the water over medium-low heat, allowing the steam from the simmering water to gently heat the milk above. Stir the milk occasionally to ensure even heating and monitor the temperature with a kitchen thermometer. If the temperature rises too quickly, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer in the bottom saucepan, I habitually set my burner temperature control to low. Continue heating and stirring until the milk reaches 120°F. Once it hits the desired temperature, remove the bowl from the bain-marie. Once it’s removed from the heat, cover and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

heating the curds to encourage the whey to separate

Step 3

Using a large slotted spoon, gently place the curds into a nut milk bag that is sitting in a strainer, over a catch bowl. This setup allows you to strain out the whey effectively. By using a nut milk bag, you ensure that the curds are handled delicately, preserving their texture and preventing them from breaking apart. Let the whey drain slowly and naturally, ensuring that the curds remain creamy and intact. This method helps achieve a smooth, delicious cottage cheese while retaining the nutritional benefits of the raw milk.

Finishing

Once the whey and curds are separated and the whey is sufficiently drained, save the whey from the bottom catch bowl in a separate container. Continue to rinse the curds with cold water to remove any excess whey. After thoroughly draining the curds, transfer them to an appropriately sized bowl. Add salt to taste and mix in a few spoonfuls of whole cream or crème fraîche to create a creamy, luscious cottage cheese. This step enhances the flavor and texture, giving you a delicious homemade treat that showcases the simplicity and purity of raw milk. Enjoy the rich, fresh taste of your cottage cheese, knowing exactly where your food comes from and the care that went into making it.

Storage

Once your homemade cottage cheese is ready, it’s important to keep it refrigerated to maintain its freshness and quality. For the best taste and texture, try to consume it within 3-4 days, although it can last up to a week if stored properly. Given how delicious and creamy it is, you’ll likely find that it gets eaten up long before then! Keeping your cottage cheese in an airtight container in your fridge will help preserve its flavor.

One of the many advantages of making your cottage cheese at home is the ability to enjoy a product that is completely free from preservatives and chemicals. Homemade cottage cheese is made with simple, natural ingredients, ensuring that what you eat is pure and wholesome. This fresh, unprocessed approach means that the cottage cheese is intended to be consumed shortly after it’s made, rather than being mass-produced and shipped from factories. By eating fresh and often, you not only savor the superior taste and texture of homemade cottage cheese but also benefit from the higher nutritional value that comes with using pure, natural ingredients. Embrace the joy of homemade dairy and relish the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly what’s in your food.

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The Seasonal Farmer: Don & Kirsten