How To: Curds & Whey

Little Miss Muffet 4by *intergalacticstock

I'm sure we many of us remember the old nursery rhyme about little miss muffet.

“Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet,
eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider who sat down beside her,
and frightened Miss Muffet away.”


Curds and Whey is what we usually call “cottage cheese” and it is readily sold in grocery stores. Large curd, small curd, whole milk, 2 percent, skim, so many name for the same basic thing that has been eaten for a millenia. Curds are the milk solids, and whey is the liquid that remains after curdling. Most of the time they are separated for cheese making, and the whey is tossed aside.


Did you know that you can make your own cottage cheese at home? Sure you can. Once you get this part down, than you can make a couple other types of fresh cheeses to enjoy.

For this recipe I prefer fresh raw whole milk, but conventional will do. I wouldn't go beyond 2% milk. The fat helps with mouth feel and proper coagulation. If you use convetional, I'd recommend organic. You'll get a better product.

What You'll Need:

• ½ Gallon Whole or 2% Milk
  
• 1/4 - 1/2 C. Lemon Juice
  
• 1 tsp. Salt (or to taste)
  
• Cheese cloth, muslin or a piece of clean cotton t-shirt.
  
• A strainer. Plastic is preferred, but stainless steel will do. Do not use aluminum because it will react badly with the acid.
  
• Heavy bottomed sauce pot.
  
• Wooden spoon.
  
• Glass bowl
  
• Cold Water

On to the making...

1. Put the colander into the bowl, then line the bowl with the cloth, at put it in your sink. We'll come back to this
   
2. Pour the milk into a heavy bottom sauce pot, add salt and slowly bring to a boil. I don't go above medium heat for this. Check it constantly and stir gently. Milk will boil over very quickly so keep close tabs on it.
   
3. Once it has come to a boil, turn down the head to a simmer, and slowly add the juice. Stirring as little as possible and VERY gently, so you don't break up the curds. Use your judgement here, if it needs more lemon juice, add it, but a little at a time.
   
4. When the solids and liquid have separated, simmer for another 30 seconds or so.
   
5. Pour the cheese and whey into the strainer. Lift your colander slowly so you don't splash yourself with hot liquids. Reserve the liquid in the bowl, and set that aside. Let the cheese drain.
   
6. Run cold water on the curds, moving them gently around with your hand. This will remove the lemon juice flavor and firm up the curd slightly.
   
7. Bundle up the curds, drain, and squeeze gently to get more liquid out.
   
8. If you want the curd in smaller pieces, now is the time to do it. Be gentle. Use your hands.
9. Put your strained curds into a storage container, and taste them to check the salt. Add more if you want to.
   
10. Let the whey cool to room temperature if it hasn't already, then add about ¼ to a ½ cup of the whey into the curd. Stir gently to combine. Adjust the liquid to your personal preference.
    
11. Snap on the lid of your container, and let it set in the fridge for a few hours. Come back and check if the liquid is still how you like it. Remove or add according to your taste. Put it back into the refrigerator for another 24 hours to let it set before eating.
    
12. Enjoy your home made cottage cheese.
    

Once you get this whole curds and whey thing down, you can make paneer and queso fresco. They both start with this basic separation method. We'll explore those cheeses and more in my next post.

It's easier than it seems, I promise you. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be making it more and more. And do you remember that extra whey? That isn't a waste product. There are things we can do with it. It is still packed with nutrition and awesome enzymes for fermentation. I could write several more posts on those subjects, and I most certainly will.