Kefir Cottage Cheese

This is a fabulous fermented version of cottage cheese that is hard to beat in nutrients, probiotics, and health benefits. Cottage cheese is my go-to food when I want to lose a few pounds. I love it for lunch with apples, strawberries and bananas, and a dash of cinnamon. It's high in many nutrients, and this version is raw and loaded with probiotics. It has lots of protein, B vitamins, and minerals like calcium, selenium, and phosphorus. I love that I can make this cottage cheese with yogurts, and even kefir, and If you're looking to lose weight or build muscle, cottage cheese is among the most beneficial foods you can eat.

Servings: cups

Equipment

5+ quart pot
Cheesecloth
1 Thermometer

Ingredients

1½ cup Kefir that has been previously made
1 gallon milk pasteurized not ultra-pasteurized whole milk or 2% or even raw milk will work too
¼ teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt optional

Instructions

Place the Kefir in a gallon of milk in a large pot and bring it to 80°F, cover it with a lid. Then let sit for 24 hours or until you see a thick curd form.
After 24 hours or when you see a thick curd has formed, bring the pot to 100°F. Do it ever so slowly over low heat (about a degree every minute - 15-20 minutes), stirring every few minutes to break up the curds on the bottom of the pan so they won’t burn. You will know it’s done when the whey separates from the curd and you see soft fluffy curds floating. The whey is a clear yellowish liquid. If you are not seeing any whey you can take it to 102-103 F° and hold it for a minute or two until you see a little whey in the mixture and clouds of white.
Line a strainer with butter muslin (cheese cloth). Place the strainer over a bowl. Pour the mixture from the pot into the strainer a little at a time. I did this in two batches with the mixture, each time squeezing out the liquid (see next step) and removing the curds. Then I did it again till all the liquid was removed.
Drain the whey by twisting the bag and the whey will drain through the cheesecloth.
The finished curds may have consolidated somewhat but are easy to separate. You can now add a bit of salt to suit your preference (about ¼ - ½ teaspoon should do). This is not necessary if you want a salt-free product.
You can cover it with a little cream or milk which makes it quite delicious. Place in the refrigerator in a covered dish to store. This can last a few weeks and up to a month in the fridge.