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Homemade Cottage Cheese From Raw Goat Milk

Recipe adapted from Home Cheese Making.Looking for more raw cheese info and recipes? Check out our Raw Cheese series, including easy raw cheese recipes, basic cultures, tools, and equipment, recommended resources, how to wax cheese, and benefits of raw cheese!

Course Breakfast, Cultured, Snacks
Author Wardee Harmon

Ingredients

  • 2 gallons raw goat milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon mesophilic culture **I used Danisco MA19, can also use MA4001
  • 4 drops liquid rennet ***
  • 1/4 cup pure water
  • sea salt kosher salt****, or cheese salt (but not table salt!)
  • 1 gallon milk = 1 pound of cheese

Instructions

  1. Put milk in the pot and slowly warm it to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally.
  2. Keep it covered to preserve heat. If the milk is cold, it can take several hours.
  3. If the milk is fresh from milk, it may already be up to temperature.
  4. Then sprinkle the mesophilic culture on top of the milk.
  5. Stir in very well.
  6. Put the rennet in a little cup with the 1/4 cup of water.
  7. Stir well, then add to the pot of milk.
  8. Stir very well.
  9. Cover the pot and let the milk culture, or "ripen," for 12 to 18 hours.
  10. If the room temperature is right around 72 degrees, you will not have to keep the burner on.
  11. Wrap with a towel off the burner to keep the heat in, if desired.
  12. It will coagulate into very soft curds.

  13. Then cut the curd into 1/2-inch cubes.

  14. Be very gentle with the curds -- let them sit for 15 minutes, undisturbed, after cutting.
  15. Keep the cover on the pot to keep them warm.
  16. Then turn on the burner and heat the curds to 90 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of 30 minutes or so.
  17. During this time, stir gently once or twice to keep the curds from sticking and make them smaller.
  18. Now increase the temperature a bit more quickly over the next 15 minutes, to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
  19. Hold the curds at this temperature for about 30 minutes, until they are more firm.
  20. Give them additional time if they're still soft.

  21. Pour off the whey (it is raw) and save for use in lacto-ferments!

  22. Line a colander with cheesecloth and put it in a bowl or pot that fits it.
  23. Pour the curds into it.
  24. Drain for 5 minutes.
  25. Put curds in another bowl and gently break up any large pieces.
  26. Add salt to taste.
  27. Finally, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  28. Keeps for about 2 weeks.

Recipe Notes

I usually keep 1/4 of this amount in the fridge and then store the rest in the freezer, in 1/4 batch portions.

 

*Make sure all equipment is very clean. In other words, washed in very hot water or run through the dishwasher using a hot water wash/rinse cycle.

 

**I used Danisco MA19, can also use MA4001.

 

***OR 2 drops double strength liquid rennet.

 

****I  like this kosher salt.