Cottage cheese

This weekend I tried your “quick” way of making cottage cheese using apple cider vinegar, only I used a gallon of store-bought whole milk because we do not have a cow. It turned out pretty good except I only got about 2 pounds of product. I was expecting more. I heated the milk to 180 degrees and added 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Does this amount end product sound right or did I do something wrong? The cheese tasted good although my husband thought it was a little dry, so maybe I let it drain too long. Also how long do you let it sit after adding the vinegar before you drain it? I want to try this way again and see if I can get more cottage cheese the next time.

Anita Bathe
Whitewater, Colorado

If you got two pounds out of a gallon of milk, that’s pretty good, I’d say. You do drain off a good amount of whey when making cheese. That’s why I usually make ricotta when I make other cheeses, so I don’t “waste” any whey. Homemade cottage cheese IS drier than store-bought unless you add extra cream. We like it drier, but you could sure add cream to make it more like he’s used to.

No, you didn’t let it drain too long. You drain your cottage cheese as soon as the curds have separated from the whey. It usually happens quite quickly. Did you add salt? A sprinkle of salt added to the cottage cheese after it has drained brings out the flavor. — Jackie

Jerusalem artichokes

Last winter a friend of mine sent me a parcel of Jerusalem artichokes to plant in my garden. A few of them came up early in the summer and are still living, despite our sweltering summer this year. I don’t anticipate having a whole lot of tubers from this first planting, owing to certain climatic and garden conditions, but I do hope to plant more this spring in an area where they can spread. I have read your blog about pickling sunchokes, and I have searched online for ways to preserve them, but all I’ve been able to find is pickling and freezing. Can sunchokes be canned or dehydrated? Or is this one veggie I shouldn’t bother with other than fresh or pickled?

Dallen Timothy
Gilbert, Arizona

I haven’t had much luck dehydrating or canning them. They’re sort of like cucumbers; you use them fresh, pickled, or stored, short-term, in your fridge. — Jackie

3 COMMENTS

  1. Robin,

    Ricotta is as easy as cottage cheese! Just take 2 gallons of fresh whey then heat in a pot until foam appears; just before boiling. DO NOT boil!!!
    Turn off the heat and let set for 5 minutes. Skim off the foam and pour whey through a colander lined with a clean old sheet.
    Let drain for 15 minutes. You can, of course, use less whey, but ricotta is a low-yielding cheese; you only get about half a pound from your two gallons of whey. But it’s awesome….and so easy to make!

    Jackie

  2. Jerusalem artichokes also make a great “mashed” veggie after being steamed that can easily be frozen in smaller portions for eating later if you have the room in a freezer.

    Because the Inulin can cause some digestive upset for some people, it’s suggested that little bits to start are a good idea.

    We use the tops for fodder for Livestock.

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