Baking with California Cottage Cheese (2024)

FAQs

What is California style cottage cheese? ›

Companies have code words for the size of their curds and the texture of their product. California-style (Friendship, a New York dairy, uses this expression) refers to a drier cottage cheese, Vermont-style (as in Cabot Creamery) refers to a creamy mixture with defined curds.

In baking, baker's cheese, ricotta and farmer's cheese will yield the closest results. The texture of these cheeses is grainy, without noticeable curds, but the water content is similar to cottage cheese. Sour cream, crème fraîche and yogurt can be substituted for cottage cheese in a recipe.

It's a versatile ingredient that can add moisture to baked goods or richness to savory meals without adding high amounts of fat.

Fat-free, 1% and 2% fat cottage cheese have less saturated fat and fewer calories than the 4% fat variety, which includes cream. Lower fat varieties also generally have slightly more protein.

A: Dry curd cottage cheese is pretty much regular cottage cheese without the addition of cream or milk. When milk is overheated or has an acid added to it, it can curdle. When milk curdles, it separates in curds and whey. The whey, or liquid, is separated from the curds, or the solids.

Although it is good for you, cottage cheese is high in sodium. It isn't great for people with high blood pressure, heart disease or congestive heart failure.

Draining & Flavoring

Allow the curds to drain well in a colander. You may notice that the finished curds have consolidated somewhat but they are easy to separate. You can now add a bit of salt to suit your preference (about 1/4-1/2 tsp should do).

Cottage cheese doesn't melt for the same reason as feta, too much acid (too low of pH) causes proteins to interact strongly with each other and prevents melt. Aged cheddar has some of its protein structure broken down (proteolysis). This can cause the fat will to leak out and form pools, and stretch will be lacking.

If it comes down to just the flavor being slightly off, eating it plain may not be the best way to enjoy it, but using it in recipes where it will be cooked, such as in lasagna or mixed into scrambled eggs, is a great way to prevent expired cottage cheese from going to waste.

What are the pros and cons of eating cottage cheese? ›

The takeaway. Cottage cheese is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals like calcium, which are important nutrients for continued good health. However, the sodium in cottage cheese might work against the benefits. As with anything, moderation is key.

Second, there's more than one kind of cottage cheese out there. If you peruse the labels at the grocery store, you'll see that it comes in different fat percentages (skim, 2%, 4%, etc.), different wetnesses (dry vs. wet), different curd sizes (small vs. large), and other confusing variations.

What is farmer's cheese? Farmer's cheese, a fresh cheese variety, is a pressed cottage cheese that is slightly more acidic and has a firmer texture, thanks to a lower moisture content. Farmer's cheese can be made from the milk of cows, sheep, or goats and can be rolled in different herbs or seasonings for extra flavor.

Good Culture Organic Cottage Cheese is deliciously thick and creamy, contains live and active cultures, and is certified USDA Organic. Made with only simple ingredients, there are no gums, thickeners, carrageenan… no artificial anything.

Special live and active cultures are part of the secret recipe that has shaped Daisy Cottage Cheese into America's number one brand.