Homemade Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream

Directions:

• Put the milk in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat. Insert cooking thermometer and continue cooking until the milk reach 120 degree F. Remove from the heat. Pour lemon juice into the milk, stir slowly for about 1-2 minutes. The curd will separate from the whey (as pictured above). Cover and let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into the colander lined with cheese cloth, allow to sit and drain for 5 minutes. Gather the edges of the cloth and rinse it under cold water for 3-5 minutes, or until the curd is completely cooled down, squeezing and moving the curd the whole time. Once it cooled, squeeze as dry as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl, add salt, mix and break the curd into little pieces as you go. Refrigerate. Add half and half or heavy cream prior to serving.

Yield about 2 cups of delicious cottage cheese.