| Cottage cheese | |
|---|---|
 Cottage cheese | |
| Source of milk | Skimmed milk |
| Texture | Soft, creamy, and soupy |
| Fat content | 0~5% |
 Related media on Commons | |
Cottage cheese is a type of freshcheese with a mild flavor and a creamy, heterogeneous texture made fromskimmed milk – hence the lowmilkfat content. It is made by adding an acid – like vinegar or lemon juice – to the milk which causes the milk proteins (curds) to separate from the liquid (whey). The curds are then drained and mixed with cream and salt, which is what gives cottage cheese slightly tangy taste and creamy texture. The addition of a "dressing" to the curd grains is primarily responsible for the taste of the finished food. Cottage cheese is notaged.[1]
It was first referred to as 'cottage cheese' inU.S. in 1831 to reflect that it was being made in farm cottages using milk left over from butter making.
Cottage cheese can be relatively low in milkfat/calories for the amount ofprotein it provides and is a rich source ofvitamin B12. Cottage cheese comes in different fat levels, including low–fat and fat–free – but even an original 'full fat' version is less calorific than a chunk ofhard cheese or wedge ofsoft cheese.
The first pictorial evidence for cheesemaking was found on afrieze at the Temple of the Great Goddess of Life,Ninhursag, inMesopotamia in theFertile Crescent – a region which covers modern day Iraq – and is 5,000 years old.[2][3] The frieze depicts priests engaged in the production of cow dairy and perhaps creating curd mixture somewhat similar to cottage cheese.[4]
A fictional 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.[2] The enzymerennin from animals stomachs induces a coagulation process separating the curds from the whey.[5]
As Rome expanded its empire, it spread the knowledge of cheese, discovering many new forms. The Romans introduced cheesemaking toEngland.[6]
Immigrants to United States brought the tradition of fresh cheesemaking with them and by the mid-1800s the termcottage cheese entered theAmerican vocabulary.[7]
The first American cheese factory opened in 1868, beginning the wholesale cheese industry in the United States. The use 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.[5]
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 commonly consumed. Thirty million pounds (14,000 t) of cottage cheese were produced in 1919[7] (out of 418,000,000 pounds (190,000 t) of cheese in general in 1920),[5] and by 1928, 87,000,000 pounds (39,000 t) were manufactured.[7] Consumption peaked in the United States in the 1970s when dieting became common, and some $1.3 billion of it was sold per year, but in the 1980s, yogurt consumption increased, and cottage cheese sales dropped considerably further in the 2000s.[8]
In 2016, aWall Street Journal article speculated that cottage cheese might be ready for a resurgence following the increased use of Greek yogurt due to its high protein and low sugar levels.[9]
Since the 1930s, industrial cottage cheese has been manufactured using pasteurizedskim milk,[10][11] or in more modern processes using concentrated nonfat milk or reconstituted nonfat dry milk.[10] A bacterial culture that produceslactic acid (Lactococcus lactis ssp.lactis orL. lactis ssp.cremoris strains 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. Once the curds have been drained and are primarily[clarification needed] dry, the mass is pressed to dry the curds further. The curds are then rinsed in water.[2][7][10][11] Finally, salt and a "dressing" of cream are added, and the final product is packaged and shipped for consumption.[2][8][11] 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 fraîche as dressing.[8]
In the United States, cottage cheese made with a food-grade acid must be labeled as a "direct acid set" and contain not less than 4%milkfat and not more than 80% moisture.[1]
Usually, a small amount of lowCO2-producing citrate-fermenting lactococci orleuconostoc bacterial strains are added to the starter mix for the production ofdiacetyl for added buttery or creamy flavours. Producers must be careful that the final product contains approximately 2 ppm diacetyl and that the ratio of diacetyl toacetaldehyde is 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.[2]
Titanium dioxide is added to some brands of cottage cheese (Borden, Lucerne) to make it a brighter white.[12] In the United States, the FDA allows the additive in many dairy products (not whole milk) up to 1% of total volume by weight.[13] It may also be used in Canada and the European Union. 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 labeled as such, including many organic products;[14][unreliable source?][15][16] however, several large US producers have denied using it.[17]
Cottage cheese may be marketed as a small-curd (<4 mm diameter) or large-curd (>8 mm diameter).[10]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 103 kcal (430 kJ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4.6 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4.2 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11.6 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 78 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[18] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from theNational Academies.[19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full fat cottage cheese is 78% water, 12%protein, 5%carbohydrates, and 4%fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), full fat cottage cheese supplies 103 calories offood energy, and is a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value, DV) of vitamin B12 (28% DV) and a moderate source ofphosphorus andsodium (12-15% DV, table).
Cottage cheese is safe to eat duringpregnancy, unlike some cheese products that are not recommended.[20][21] Other than supplying nutrients, there is little evidence that consuming cottage cheese provides any direct health effects.[22]
In the United States and Canada, cottage cheese is used in many culinary dishes. It can be combined withfruit and sugar,salt andpepper, fruitpurée,tomatoes, orgranola andcinnamon. It can be eaten ontoast, insalads, as a chip dip, as a replacement formayonnaise intuna salad, and as an ingredient in recipes such asjello salad and variousdesserts. Cottage cheese is also consumed with fruit, such aspineapple,pears,peaches, ormandarin oranges.
The sour taste of the product is due tolactic acid, which is present at 124–452 mg/kg.Formic,acetic,propionic andbutyric acids contribute to the aroma.[10]
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.
These very early cheeses would have tasted slightly sour, salty, somewhat similar in texture to feta or cottage cheese.
Other than mould-ripened soft cheeses, all other soft types of cheese are OK to eat, provided they're made from pasteurized milk. These include: cottage cheese
Many low-fat dairy products — such as skim milk, mozzarella cheese, and cottage cheese — can be a healthy part of your diet. Anything containing unpasteurized milk, however, is a no-no
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