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Cottage cheese is a paradox. It’s a throwback, yet it’s suddenly trendy again. Whether you grew up loving or hating it, cottage cheese is probably back in your bowl. For decades, it was synonymous with dieting. During my childhood in the 1950s and ‘60s, a scoop on a plate was served with canned peaches, a pineapple ring, or a dry and overcooked hamburger patty. In today’s high protein-obsessed culture, it’s being rediscovered. And it’s no wonder. A half cup of cottage cheese can deliver 12 to 15 grams of protein, and it’s so easy to add it to many different dishes. On social media, people are blending it into ice cream, dips, pancakes, and even pasta sauces.
Cottage cheese is one of my favorite foods. It’s one of my key sources of protein, and I’ve always loved it despite the dreariness of my initial exposure. Eastern European cuisines use farmer cheese a lot in dumplings, blintzes, baking, and pancakes. Farmer cheese is pressed and has no dressing, so it’s drier and more crumbly. When I was growing up, cottage cheese was the American dairy answer to it. It was easier to find, so that’s what we used. So I guess I have a cultural tie to it.
Recently, I became curious about how it’s made, so I put some in a sieve and rinsed it off. I was surprised to see curds that had obviously been cut in a very particular way. That led me down the rabbit hole of how it is produced and to buy several brands to compare.
Cottage cheese is one of the simplest and yet most misunderstood cheeses. Because of the loose small curd structure, some people think it’s spoiled or made of milk that has “turned.” But it’s simply milk transformed into curds, rinsed, and dressed with cream.
First, milk is warmed and soured slightly with cultures, then like with nearly all cheeses, rennet helps the proteins knit together into tender curds. Those curds are cut, gently cooked, and drained of their whey. But unlike hard cheeses, they aren’t pressed dry. Instead, they’re washed in cool water to stop the souring process, and to keep the flavor clean and mild. Finally, they’re mixed with a proprietary cream “dressing.” That last step — how much cream and salt, what kind of milk, even whether stabilizers or probiotics are added — is what makes one brand of cottage cheese taste so different from another. How the curd structure is created also has a real effect. For example, small curds are usually made with rennet, while larger curds are often made with just a lactic acid culture. Both Nancy’s and Good Culture add probiotics.
These differences are surprisingly dramatic. Some brands offer small curds that are delicate and creamy, others lean into large, chewy curds with more squeak. Fat content can range from skim milk, diet-era versions to rich, full-fat tubs. Salt levels vary widely, as do additives. Mass-market brands often add gums or stabilizers to keep the cream from separating, while newer labels like Good Culture, Nancy’s, and Kalona market themselves on purity and high protein.
Kalona SuperNatural is my favorite. It has a bit more tang without being too acidic and feels luxurious in the mouth. I like the larger curds. It’s an organic, grass-fed brand sourced largely from Amish and Mennonite family farms in Iowa. It’s not ultra-pasteurized and has a natural cream top. Good Culture is another go-to because it’s so easy to find, and it’s relatively mild with a balanced flavor. Neither has any gums or stabilizers. A lot of people like Nancy’s Organic Whole Milk Cottage Cheese . It’s made in the traditional style with organic whole milk, cream, and live probiotic cultures — no rennet or thickeners. It’s rich and tangy and rooted in classic fermentation. |
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