Pull up a Tuffet and sit awhile…
/Hello Cheese Enthusiasts!
1920’s Artist: Gordon Robinson; Image courtesy of Chairish
I must admit in life, there are many things that one takes for granted…meaning that they may have been important at one period in your life, but their luster faded over time, until one day you see them in a different light, or in today’s post, someone has taken something old and made it new again.
Ultimately, today’s post is about “Curds & Whey”, so pull up a Tuffet and sit back while I put a very old (and new) twist on today’s post.
The classic children’s nursery rhyme of Little Miss Muffet has a history that goes back to 1805. 56 years after it was released, the following was published as an attempt to make something old, new again: “Ever so long ago, when shepherdesses were much prettier dressed than they are now, there lived one named Little Miss Muffet, who being very genteel, was never spoken by her Christian name. She was so fond of curds and whey that she would sit on a tuffet under a tree all day long to eat them, till she fell fast asleep. It happened that a large Spider, called King Tarantula by some, and Old Daddy Long Legs by others, fell in love with her; but he met with no encouragement, as she was engaged to Little Boy Blue, who minded her father’s sheep and cow. One day the Spider, when Miss Muffet had fallen asleep, dropped from a tree on the tuffet on which she reclined – and not only sat down beside her, but kissed her – on which Miss Muffet jumped up and boxed his ears” – Source: Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, London, England, Dec 22, 1861.
Well, we can see why that version did not stick!...besides, it is quite obvious that the Spider was after her curds and whey. At least in this version, she did not spill them.
‘Curds and Whey’ have been around for much longer than 1805, as many different cultures and countries have similar cheese, just named something different. “Curds and Whey” was just the term at the time for our modern day cottage cheese. It is believed to have originated because the cheese was generally made in cottages (or homes) from skimmed milk that was left over after making butter. This is quite similar to ‘homesteader cheese’ that was being produced in British Columbia. In scanning through the old newspapers, the term ’curds and whey’ was replaced with ‘cottage cheese’ in the 1850’s and the popularity began to grow. The early 1850’s is also about the same time that cheese started being made in factories in the U.S.
Image courtesy of Pritzker Military Museum
Although cottage cheese continued to be a ‘fresh cheese’ that was made at home up to the 1900’s, cottage cheese consumption really started to grow when World War I broke out and the U.S. Department of Agriculture put out an ad campaign to save more of beef production for the troops that needed to be fed overseas (see poster)…combine this with an explosion of recipes on how to use cottage cheese in the newspapers across the country and it’s easy see to how (and why) it became so popular…a popularity that stayed strong through the 1950’s and for those that were looking for a low fat, high protein option.
Sales slumped through the 1960’s through the 1990’s, but it always remained in the background just waiting for its comeback.
Throughout the 1990’s, America saw a true food renaissance, as “Artisan” producers of Bread, Beer, and Cheese. These producers were dedicated towards making these products the “old fashioned” way, using simple ingredients, time honored production methods, but the best ingredient was time….They realized that making high quality foods is something that cannot be rushed.
But not all cottage cheeses are created the same. Many commercial brands use thickening agents and ‘whiteners’.
Cowgirl Creamery, was one of those companies that were ready to take their time and make it the way it used to be made. Cowgirl Creamery started in 1994 in Point Reyes Station, CA by Peggy Smith and Sue Conley. Using organic milk from Strauss Family Creamery, they have become well known for their soft ripened cheese, wash rind cheese, and now their fresh line up producing Fromage Blanc, Crème Fraîche, and now clabbered Cottage Cheese.
In case you are unfamiliar with the term, ‘Clabber’ is a type of soured milk. It is produced by allowing milk to ferment (or to sour) at a specific humidity and temperature. Under these conditions the milk thickens or curdles with a strong, sour flavor. This process starts the coagulation process. Clabbering your milk can take up to 18 hours.
Most cottage cheeses start with skim (2% or 4%), or non-fat milk and once it has coagulated into a curd mass, the curds are then cut down to small-curd (<4 mm diameter) or large-curd (>8 mm diameter).
Making Cottage Cheese…
To really get the best understanding of cottage cheese, I decided to purchase some different brands at my local store, but I also decided to make my own from scratch.
Starting with a gallon of milk, I gently warmed it to 120ºF, then added white vinegar (this acted as my coagulant) and removed it from the heat. I gently stirred the mixture and covered it with a lid for 30 minutes. Next, I poured the mixture into a cheese cloth lined colander and rinsed the curd for 3 to 5 minutes. I squeezed out as much water as I could, then placed it into a bowl and added the salt. The “dressing” which is just simply half and half or heavy whipping cream should be added just before serving.
Fun to make….better to eat! You can find the whole recipe here.
Note: Any vinegar taste is washed out when you wash the curds. Another version of this recipe is to use other acidic ingredients such as pineapple juice instead of vinegar.
Time to get off your tuffet and go re-discover cottage cheese – healthy, low fat, high protein, and keto friendly!!
Until next week...
All my best,
Trevor
