Operating instructions

CHEESE
Cottage Cheese
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 gallon of pasteurized milk and either
4 tablespoons unflavored yogurt made
in your dehydrator
1/2 cup fresh buttermilk, or 1/4 tablet of
rennet (an enzyme) dissolved in 1/2 cup
warm water
HOW TO PREPARE:
Pour the milk into a crock and warm it to
room temperature, about 72°F/22°C. Mix
in the yogurt, buttermilk, or rennet and
cover the crock with cheesecloth. Place
the crock in the dehydrator and hold the
temperature inside at 85°F/29°C for 12
to 18 hours until clabbered. Clabbering
means that the milk has separated to
form thick, solid “curd” and watery, liquid
“whey.”
When the milk has thickened into curds
and a little whey lays on the surface,
the cheese is clabbered. Now your next
task is to cut the curd as follows. Use a
long-bladed knife and make all cuts
approximately 1/2” apart. (1) Holding
the knife vertically, make straight up and
down cuts across the curd. (2) Now slant
the knife and make diagonal slices down
through the cheese following the cuts of
step 1. Make the first cut at a 45” angle,
but gradually straighten the blade so that
the last cut is nearly vertical. (3) Repeat
the process of step 2, only slant the knife
in the opposite direction. (4) Turn the
crock 180°F/82°C and make a final set of
vertical cuts to form a crosshatch pattern
on the surface. This cubing process helps
the sour whey to drain out.
The Final Steps. Place several inches of
water in a large pan, set the crock in it,
and heat to 115°F/46°C. Hold the cottage
cheese at this temperature for 1/2 hour,
stirring occasionally. Once the time is up,
line a colander with cheesecloth and
pour in the curds and whey. Allow the
whey to drain off; otherwise, it will give
the cottage cheese a bitter taste. To get
rid of even more of the sour taste, dip
the colander in cold water and gently
stir the curds to wash away the last
traces of the whey. Let the curds drain
thoroughly. If desired add 1 teaspoon salt
per pound of cottage cheese and 4 to 6
tablespoons of cream. After refrigeration,
your cottage cheese will be ready to eat
as is or in fruit salads, dips, cheesecake,
and casseroles.