How to make cottage cheese at home (easy and quick, without rennet)

I've never had an ounce of store-bought cottage cheese. And for good; why would I pay for something I can whip up at home for free? It would also likely take you more to head to the store and buy some cottage cheese than it would to make this recipe. For real.

It's probably safer and overall better to make your own cottage cheese. And so easy and quick to do, all you need is some milk, an acidic ingredient (the most popular choices are vinegar and lemon juice), a pot, a bowl, a strainer (you don't even need muslin cloths or whatever, but you do need a strainer) and about 30 minutes. 

That's all, literally. Don't believe me? Try it yourself.

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 1/2 cup of cottage cheese

• 22 fluid ounces (or about 0.7 liters) dairy milk - avoid non-fat, as we need the fat in the milk so it can curdle; also don't use UHT milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice - I chose apple cider vinegar  
• A pinch of salt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the milk into a pot. Make it about 3/4 full, since the milk will rise as it boils.

2. Heat on medium-high until it comes to a boil, stirring often.

4. Stir gently. You will see curdles forming immediately. Take off the heat.

5. Strain carefully. Press the solid part with a spoon to squeeze more liquid out. 

Told ya it was easy. 

Let's now see the science-y stuff.

The white, solid part is cottage cheese, and the yellowish leftover liquid is whey (it's that liquid that floats on your store-bought yogurt). Contrary to popular belief, whey isn't that high in protein - it only contains 2g per cup! However, you can make protein powder out of it. To do that, dehydrate it and blend it until it becomes, well, powdery. You can also use the liquid whey in smoothies, or as a broth for soups and vegetables, or as a cooking liquid for oatmeal, pasta, rice and quinoa. I've heard you can even use it as a marinade.

Whey might not be a protein powerhouse, but cottage cheese definitely is. The 1/2 cup resulted from the recipe has 2g fat, 6g of carbs and 12g of protein! 

Although I have no idea whether cottage cheese is the same as paneer, I do know what you can do with it. You can eat it as it is (preferably with some fruit for a more well-rounded nosh), sneak it into smoothies for a protein punch, mix it into pancake and waffle batters, use it in baked goods, spread it on toast... Oh, and you can use it to make protein bars without protein powder - https://letzgetcooking-com.cms.webnode.ro/l/chocolate-protein-bars-powder-free/