When these curds are drained, cottage cheese is the result. Usually, cream is added and the cheese is salted. If the liquid is pressed out of cottage cheese, farmer cheese results. The firm, grainy loaf is very low in fat. Farmer cheese may also be known as hoop, pot, or baker's cheese.
Ricotta is made from the liquid, or whey that remains after the curds are removed.
Most of the milk sugar is in the whey, so ricotta cheese is not a good choice for those who are lactose intolerant. It is much higher in calcium than cottage cheese. Ricotta has a shorter shelf life which may explain why it is sometimes hard to find. Cottage, farmer, and ricotta are all fresh cheeses that are soft and unripened. Cured cheeses like cheddar and Swiss are ripened.