Homemade Cottage Cheese | Trim Healthy Mama Fuel Pull (FP)

You asked, and here it is! How to make my homemade "cottage cheese" in just 15 minutes of hands-on time. It's a Trim Healthy Mama Fuel Pull because it contains neither fat nor carbs - it works for S or E meals/snacks. Super versatile!

**Transcript & Recipe

HI, I'm Wardee and I'm the lead teacher at Traditional Cooking School and I'm the author of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods.

Back to the cheese... Awhile back, I mentioned that I would show you all how to make it if there was enough interest. I got like 100 replies - YES! - between blog, facebook, Facebook live, and youtube -- so here you go.

Let's make it together :)

Before we get in the kitchen, though...

Though I call this cottage cheese, it's not officially that. It's way easier. I came up with this recipe so we could save money on cottage cheese and have a healthier cottage cheese, yet it would be doable in a busy life. I make it twice a week and it takes about 15 minutes total -- 5 minutes on 3 separate days.

This cheese is considered a Fuel Pull, which in Trim Healthy Mama terms means it has neither carbs nor fat. So it can be eaten in either S (fats/protein) or E (carbs/protein) meals or snacks...

How is this possible?

Well, first -- if starting with raw or at least non-homogenized milk -- where the cream rises to the top -- we skim off the fat. That leaves us with cheese that's lowfat.

Second -- this cheese is cultured for 2 full days at room temperature, which reduces the lactose (carbs) significantly.

Don't have access to raw milk or non-homogenized milk? Start with skimmed milk. Which is not a whole food, IMO, but culturing it does make it better. :)

This amount of cheese (about 3-1/2 cups) comes from 1 gallon of milk. Feel free to scale it up like I do -- I usually double it and make it once a week.

**The Recipe

-1 gallon raw or non-homogenized whole milk
-1/4 teaspoon mesophilic cheese culture
-2 drops liquid double strength vegetable rennet
-1/4 cup water
-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

(see links section for links to all these)

Shake the milk gently to mix it. Pour into a food grade bucket or other food safe container. Sprinkle the mesophilic culture over the top. Mix well.

Combine the rennet and water in a little cup. Mix. Pour over the milk while also pouring over the wooden spoon. Stir well.

Cover the bucket with a plate or cloth and leave at room temperature to culture for about 24 hours.

After 24 hours, you'll see a layer of cream floating at the top and there may be some whey, too. The milk curds are underneath this.

Skim away the cream -- I save mine to make cultured butter.

Now put a colander in a pot that fits it well, and line the colander with 2 layers of 90 count cheesecloth.

Transfer the curds into the cheesecloth. Bring up the sides of the cheesecloth and fold up on top. Also put a lid on the pot to keep out dust and such.

Leave it be for 12 to 24 hours, and the whey will drip out of the curds into the pot below.

After this, open up the cheesecloth to see the cheese curds. Using the cheesecloth as handles, lift the curds and tip them out into a medium mixing bowl.

Sprinkle sea salt over the cheese curds. Mix the salt in by "chopping it" with a wooden spoon -- so you keep a cottage cheese consistency while your breaking the curds up smaller.

Transfer the cottage cheese to a glass bowl or jar, and store in the refrigerator.

This cheese is wonderful spread on toast, blended up into salad dressings, or added to salads or alongside main dishes.

Enjoy!

**Want a FREE Trim Healthy Mama {purist} 1-Week Menu Plan?

I put together a free 1-week Trim Healthy Mama plan. It uses 100% whole foods and contains all the recipes, shopping list, and prep steps for doing THM with traditional foods for 7 days -- all meals, snacks, and desserts.

God bless you and thanks for joining me!

**Links To Supplies & Ingredients

FREE Trim Healthy Mama {purist} 1-Week Menu Plan:

Mesophilic Cheese Culture Options:

90-count Cheesecloth:
(cut in half - so you have 2 1-yd pieces)

Double-Strength Liquid Vegetable Rennet:

Unrefined Sea Salt: