Purdue University
Agricultural Extension Service
Mimeo HE-123 January 1952
COTTAGE CHEESE -- A HEALTH FOOD
We have all heard about vitamins and minerals and their importance to health. But do you know that proteins are of great  importance too? They build resistance to sickness and give stamina and vitality. They will also help you to recover from injuries and operations quickly and help in prolonging a longer, active life.


Cottage cheese contains many of these health protecting values. Some of these are PROTEIN of excellent quality, CALCIUM in abundance, VITAMIN B12, the new protein factor and many other health values. Five tablespoons of cottage cheese contains as much protein as one hamburger patty.
Cottage cheese is an economical food when you consider health returns for the r spent. There are many appetizing ways of serving it in a meal — such as in main dishes, salads and desserts. Homemakers should plan to use it more often because it is such a good health food and so economical. It can be made up in quantity and last a week under refrigeration and served in different ways at every meal.
Because of the health dangers of using raw milk, many homemakers are interested in learning how to make cottage cheese from pasteurized milk. The process is really simple and easy to follow.
Plain Cottage Cheese
(One gallon of milk makes about 3 cups of cheese)
1. Use good quality pasteurized milk, free from odors and flavors. Good flavored cottage cheese is very dependent on sanitary measures taken in milking. Skim milk may be used.
2. Place the pasteurized milk in a vessel which has straight sides and which will fit into another larger vessel to hold the water for heating the clabber.
3. Add 1/2 to 1 cup pasteurized buttermilk which may be purchased from the grocery. This is to get a start of lactic acid bacteria which develops and causes the souring and clabbering of the milk. The natural lactic acid bacteria in the milk was destroyed when you pasteurized the milk. Place the pasteurized milk in a warm place (about 75°F) until it clabbers. Ordinarily this will take about 30 hours. It should have a clean, sour and pleasant flavor. As soon as it is sour and is firmly clabbered, it should be used. Do not allow it to become too old or too sour.
4.	Cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes.
5. Remove 1 cup of the sour milk to use as a starter the next time. You can hold this for almost a week under refrigeration.
6. Place the pan of cut curds in a vessel of hot water and during the first 30 minutes raise the temperature of the cheese to 100°F, (This temperature is so little above body temperature that it will hardly feel warm to the hand,) During the second 30 minute period - gradually raise the temperature of the cheese to a final temperature of 120°F. Stir gently about every 5 minutes during the first 30 minutes; and every 10 minutes during the second 30 minute period. Do not stir too vigoruosly as this will break up the curds too much,
7. When the curd is fairly firm and the whey separated from it freely, it is ready for draining. Drain off whey. Wash curds with water, using as much water as whey removed. The first water should be about 65°F, and the second about 45 F.