Homemade cottage cheese is a tasty and healthy dish for baby and diet food. You can vary the fat content of the product, prepare a variety of dishes based on it - from festive Easter to cheese cakes, pies and casseroles. The process of making cottage cheese may seem laborious, but the result will surely please you.
It is necessary
-
- 2 liters of fresh milk;
- 2 tablespoons of kefir;
- gauze.
Instructions
Step 1
Delicious cottage cheese should be tender, not overdried, grainy, without excess sourness. To achieve the desired quality, use only high-quality and fresh products. Peroxidized milk forgotten in the refrigerator will not make good cottage cheese.
Step 2
Pour the milk into a tall saucepan. It is best to use a container made of stainless steel, fireproof glass, or ceramic. In an enamel saucepan, the milk will quickly burn and the curd will taste unpleasant.
Step 3
The next stage is fermentation. Cover the pot with a lid and leave it warm overnight. To speed up the process, you can add a couple of tablespoons of kefir to milk. As a result, you get a thick curdled milk - an excellent preparation for future cottage cheese. Do not stir the contents of the pan while fermenting the milk.
Step 4
Turn on the stove and place a container of yogurt on it. Heat a saucepan over low heat until small bubbles appear. Do not let it boil - this will hopelessly ruin the curd.
Step 5
Has the saucepan become hot, and small bubbles have formed along the edge of the curdled milk? Turn off the heat and leave the curd to ripen for a few hours. Let it cool completely. You can leave the mixture in a saucepan overnight - this will not damage the quality of the future product.
Step 6
Place a piece of cheesecloth in a colander and place the curd over it with a clean saucepan or bowl underneath. It will drain a by-product of cooking - milk whey. Don't pour it out - whey-based can make delicious pancakes or airy yeast dough.
Step 7
Tie the curd in cheesecloth and hang it over the sink. The serum should drain completely - it will take about an hour. It is not worth keeping the product in gauze for too long - it will become too dry.
Step 8
Free the finished product from the gauze by placing it in a bowl. Cottage cheese can be consumed immediately after cooking - serve it with sugar, sour cream, pour with jam, honey or garnish with fresh berries. If you need longer storage, cover the container with cottage cheese with a lid and put it in the refrigerator.
