I have inoculated my first attempt at cottage cheese last evening, so tonight I will be processing it.  The recipe does not seem to be too complex so I am hoping that it turns out.  I live and work in an Amish community and those that I have spoken with have indicated that they never buy cottage cheese but always make their own.  They said that once you have tried home made that you will never buy it again.

I hope that they are right.  I bought some heavy cream to sweeten it up with.  Do any of you make your own?

My wife and I eat about a pound of it a week.

They are right in saying the home made tastes much better, I was so surprised when I made my first mozzarella how much better it tasted, no comparison at all. Dont do Cottage cheese myself though I used to eat it with ginger jam

We mix it with strawberries, or peaches, pears, or pineapple.  Very good.  Hope that this is better.

Another Failure, don’t know what is going on.  Used Ricki’s recipe, and followed it to the letter for small curd cottage cheese.  24 hours setting, did not curd up, all I got was tiny curds, more like pinheads.  It’s draining now, but I guess I will have to use it like ricotta.  Pretty Frustrating.

Maybe I should have let it set longer, and curd harder.  Don’t know.  Maybe should have added some rennet to it.

Gonna have to try again.  Any suggestions or recipes that you guys use?

I’m sorry to hear that…

Are you using pasteurized milk? If so, did you add the calcium chloride?

Yes, I added calcium chloride.  It is pasteurized, but not ultra.  I probably should have let it set longer.  The recipe did not call for rennet, and I probably should have used some.  Next time.  Working on a cheddar now.  We will see what happens.  I did end up will about a pound of ricotta though so not a total loss.

Thanks for your concern.  I will try again.

Cheers.

change ur milk type

Update:  4/4/08 Successful batch of cottage cheese finished tonight.  Excellent tasting.  I got a pound and a half from a gallon of milk.  My wife loved it.  I added a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream to it to make it a little sweeter and creamier. 

Being a newby, this is a great accomplishment for me.

I also started another neufchatel this evening.

Thanks for you patience.

What type of milk u using? try 2% and add cream (18% or higher) and see what happens.

I have been using whole milk, Country Fresh which is only pasteurized and adding 1/2 tsp of CaCl2 to it.  I was thinking about using 2% but all I can find in cream is “ultra pasteurized” so was not sure if that was the way to go.  Is the cream that you get UP?

no, What I find is that if one goes from one extream to the other 1-2% to full cream, then its les processed since the whole idea is for the cream not to separate.