Okay, so there are only six cherries on the Meteor cherry tree! But they’re ripening and it’s our first harvest from this young tree, so we’re tickled. Will ate half and I ate half. Tart, but so very good! We can’t wait till next year and the years after that. The tree looks so strong and happy.

We’ve been harvesting peppers from our wonderful hoop house. Just take a look at this Giant Marconi I picked to use in an Italian baked chicken dish last night. Everything was from the homestead: chicken, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, and even the herbs (basil, garlic, and oregano). And I topped it off with homemade mozzarella cheese. Wow that was good!

I’ve been making cheeses like crazy with the help of our wonderful cow, Lace. Even after feeding two calves, I still get at least a gallon and a half a day of the best-tasting milk in the world. So every day or two, I’m making something different from it. But I have to say I make a lot of cottage cheese. It tastes so great I’m addicted! And it’s so easy to make too. I just warm the milk to 80 degrees and stir in 1 cup of cultured buttermilk. Then I add 1/4 tsp. liquid rennet to 1/4 cup of cool water and stir that in. It then rests for about 5 hours to set the curd. I cut the curds into 1/2 inch pieces with a long knife, then let it rest for another 30 minutes. I slowly bring the temperature up to 110 degrees, using a two gallon stainless steel kettle inside of a three gallon kettle with some water in it, like a double boiler. I stir often so the curds don’t mat together. They are held at 110 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the curds are cooked and firm inside the curds. I line a colander with a clean old pillowcase and slowly pour the curds and whey into the colander, set over a large pail. When they are drained, I dip the curds into warm water to rinse, then drain and dip into cold water to rinse again. Then I set them to drain for half an hour. I add salt to taste and stir in some cream until it is of the consistency we like.

This cottage cheese keeps in the fridge, in a covered container, for about a week. But we never let it sit that long; it tastes so good we gobble it up pretty darned fast! How good life on the homestead is! — Jackie

4 COMMENTS

  1. Lesli,

    Sorry, I use a gallon of milk, although I have also used a little more with the same measurements of everything else, and had it turn out, too. It is easy and GOOD!

    Jackie

  3. You make your cottage cheese with 1-1/2 gallons of milk? All the other ingredients you listed specific measurements, but the milk measurement was kind of implied! I would like to try it myself. Sounds so easy. Thanks, Jackie.

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