Delicious Cottage Cheese

Hello out there!

Well, I tried out a new recipe yesterday--I made cottage cheese out of my food storage. It was so great!! The recipe I had said it would take 6-12 hours to set up, but mine was set and finished in about 3, so it went way faster than I thought it would. I was really surprised by how easy it was! Later that evening, I took it up to my in-laws house, and the entire batch was gone in minutes. With this recipe, the cheese turns out light and fluffy, with curds as large or small as you want them. It's not at all slimy like the stuff from the grocery store.

Cottage Cheese:
2 c. warm water
1/4 rennet tablet (By Jell-O in the stores--the brand is called Junket. Store extras in the freezer for up to 18 months.)
2 c. warm water
2 2/3 c. instant powdered milk (1 1/2 c. non-instant)
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
milk/cream (optional)

In a medium-large bowl, dissolve rennet in the 2 c. warm water, and set aside. Combine the remaining water, the powdered milk, and the buttermilk. Add the milk mixture to the rennet and stir well. If you want your cheese to set faster, place the bowl with the mixture inside a larger bowl of warm water; if you don't care, just leave it on a counter in a warm room. The cottage cheese is set when it slides around in the bowl but retains its shape. It should have a touch of whey (yellowish-watery stuff) on the edges. When it's set, cut the curd into 1/2 inch squares and set the bowl into a sink (or a bigger bowl) of hot water. Gently stir the curds, breaking them into your desired size, until they are warmed all the way through and have broken into curds and whey. Pour entire mixture into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Drain and rinse with cold water until it is cool and well washed. Add salt (if desired) and milk or cream to make it creamier.

For serving ideas, it tastes great with fruit or crackers. Also, you can blend 2 cups of it with 1/4-1/2 c. of yogurt and 2-3 tbsp. seasoning (soup mix is great) for a yummy chip dip.