Cottage cheese

Cottage cheeseis acurdledmilk product with a mild flavour and a creamy, heterogeneous, soupy texture, made fromskimmed milk. An essential step in the manufacturing process distinguishing cottage cheese from other fresh cheeses is the addition of a "dressing" to the curd grains, usuallycream, which is mainly responsible for the taste of the product. Cottage cheese is notaged.
Cottage cheese can be low incaloriescompared to other types of cheese — similar toyogurt; this makes it popular among dieters and some health devotees. It can be used with various foods such as yogurt, fruit, toast, and granola, in salads, as a dip, and as a replacement for mayonnaise.
A popular story on the origin of cheese was taken from Homer'sOdyssey, in which the poet describes how theCyclops,Polyphemus, made cheese by storing milk in animal stomachs.The enzymerenninfrom the stomachs of nursing animals induces a coagulation process separating the curds from the milk.
Cheese is thought to have occurred in the Middle East around 5,000 BC.Evidence of cheese can be found in a band of carvings on the walls of an ancient Mesopotamian temple that dates back to 3,000 BC. The ancient carvings show how the civilization created a cheese-like substance, using salt and milk to create a salty, sour curd mixture believed to be somewhat similar to today's cottage cheese.As Rome expanded its empire, it spread the knowledge of cheese, discovering many new forms.
In the early 20th century, farmers in northeasternBritish Columbiamade something they called "homesteader's cheese," which is said to have been similar to modern industrial cottage cheese (a "Dutch cheese" also existed there at the time, but this was something else).The termcottage cheesefirst began to be used for such simple homemade cheese in America in the mid-19th century.
The first American cheese factory opened in 1868, beginning the wholesale cheese industry in the United States. The popularity of industrial cheese in the United States, in general, increased greatly at the end of the 19th century; by the turn of the 20th century, farm cheese production had become significant.
Cottage cheese was widely promoted in America during theFirst World War, along with other dairy products, to save meat for infantry rations. This promotion was shown in many war posters, including one which claimed that one pound of cottage cheese contains more protein than a pound of lamb, pork, beef, or chicken.
After the war, cottage cheese quickly became more popular. Thirty million pounds (14,000 t) of cottage cheese were produced in 1919(out of 418,000,000 pounds (190,000 t) of cheese in general in 1920),and by 1928, 87,000,000 pounds (39,000 t) were manufactured.Consumption peaked in the United States in the 1970s when dieting became popular, and some $1.3 billion of it was sold per year, but in the 1980s, yogurt became more popular, and sales dropped considerably further in the 2000s.
In 2016, aWall Street Journalarticle speculated that cottage cheese might be ready for a resurgence following the popularity of Greek yogurt due to its high protein and low sugar levels.
In 2023, aTikTok trendfor making ice creams, cookie dough and other foods with cottage cheese led to a 15.9% rise in sales of the product in the United States.Stores in the United Kingdom reported a 22-30% increase in sales by May 2024, compared to a year previously.
Since the 1930s, industrial cottage cheese has been manufactured using pasteurizedskim milk,or in more modern processes using concentrated nonfat milk or reconstituted nonfat dry milk.A bacterial culture that produceslactic acid(Lactococcus lactisssp.lactisorL. lactisssp.cremorisstrains such as are usually used) and rennet, which allows the milk to curdle and parts to solidify, are added to skim milk and heated until it reaches 90 °F (32 °C), and maintained at that temperature for 8 hours or more. The solids, known ascurd, form a gelatinous skin over the liquid (known aswhey) in the vat, which is cut into cubes with wires, allowing more whey to drain from the curds. The curds are then reheated to 120 °F (49 °C) for one or two hours. InIowain the early 1930s, hot water was poured into the vat, further forming the curds. Once the curds have been drained and are primarilydry, the mass is pressed to dry the curds further. The curds are then rinsed in water.Finally, salt and a "dressing" of cream are added, and the final product is packaged and shipped for consumption.Some smaller modern luxury creameries omit the first heating step but allow the milk to curdle much longer with bacteria to produce the curds or usecrème fraîcheas dressing.
Cottage cheese made with a food-grade acid must be labelled as a "Direct Acid set."
Usually, a small amount of lowCO2-producing citrate-fermenting lactococci orleuconostocbacterial strains are added to the starter mix for the production ofdiacetylfor added buttery or creamy flavours. Producers must be careful that the final product contains approximately 2 ppm diacetyl and that the ratio of diacetyl toacetaldehydeis 3–5 to 1 to achieve the typical cottage cheese flavor. If the ratio is too small, the product tastes grassy; if it is too much, the taste becomes harsh.
Titanium dioxidemay be added to cottage cheese to make it a brighter white. In the United States, the FDA allows the additive in many dairy products (not whole milk) up to 1% of total volume by weight.It may also be used in Canada and the European Union. Recently, producers have added this ingredient innanoparticleform. In the US, the FDA does not restrict nanoparticle technology used in food, but in Europe, it must be first submitted for approval as a food ingredient. According to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, it is found in hundreds of products, not always labelled as such, including many organic products;however, several large US producers have denied using it.
Cottage cheese may be marketed as a small-curd (<4 mm diameter) or large-curd (>8 mm diameter).
Cottage cheese is popular amongdietersand somehealth fooddevotees. It is also relatively popular amongbodybuildersandathletesfor its high content ofcaseinprotein while being relatively low in fat. Cottage cheese is also safe to eat duringpregnancy, unlike some cheese products that are not recommended.
The sour taste of the product is due tolactic acid, which is present at 124–452 mg/kg.Formic,acetic,propionicandbutyric acidscontribute to the aroma.
Due to its incorporation of whey, cottage cheese is high in lactose relative to most other cheeses. However, lactose is partially decomposed by lactic acid fermentation.
In the United States and Canada, cottage cheese is popular in many culinary dishes.It can be combined withfruitand sugar,saltandpepper, fruitpurée,tomatoes, orgranolaandcinnamon. It can be eaten ontoast, insalads, as a chip dip, as a replacement formayonnaiseintuna salad, and as an ingredient in recipes such asjello saladand variousdesserts. Cottage cheese is also popular with fruit, such aspineapple,pears,peaches, ormandarin oranges.