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Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese curd product with a mild flavor. Cottage cheese dates back to the ancient Mesopotamian's 3100BC-510BC, where it was first found accidentally made in a sheep's stomach bag. It was later made in cottages using any left over milk that was available, hence why it's called cottage cheese. Cottage cheese was widely advertised in World War One for its substitute for meat since it has a high protein content. Cottage cheese is very nutritional for the body since its low in calories and has high protein levels. It is made not by pressing the cheese but by draining it. Draining it allows some of the whey to stay which keeps the curds loose. It is then washed to eliminate some of the acidity and does not have any added color and is not aged. Cottage cheese is popular among dieters and some health devotes. It can be used in a wide variety of foods due to how healthy it is. Some of those foods are yogurt, fruit, toast, granola, in salads as a dip and can be used as a replacement for mayonnaise. Overall cottage cheese is super healthy, different then any other cheese, and has a long history.

History
Origin:

Cheese was discovered by humans storing milk in animal stomachs. The enzymes from the stomach would have induced a coagulation process separating the curds from the milk.

The first evidence of cottage cheese specifically can be found in a band of carvings on the walls of an ancient Mesopotamian temple that date back to 3,000 BC. The ancient carvings show the process in which the civilization created a cottage cheese substance, using salt and milk to create a sour curd mixture believed to be very similar to today's cottage cheese. As cheese making became more of a science and staple of cultures diets, many varieties popped up around the world.

Popularization of Cottage Cheese: As Rome expanded its empire, they spread the knowledge of cheese and discovered many new forms of it. With this new knowledge they've gathered, Rome brought cottage cheese to Europe. American Settlers from England then brought cows along with the knowledge of how to craft cottage cheese. Their process of creating cottage cheese had been passed down through generations of European settlers, to Jamestown in 1611. Cottage cheese became a staple of the American diet when pioneers traveled westward. The settlers often had trouble sourcing meat while on the road. While not wanting to use the cattle that pulled their carts as their meat source, they gathered protein from the milk they produced and made "homesteaders cheese".

Cottage cheese was widely promoted in America during World War 1, along with other dairy products, as to save meat for infantry rations. This promotion was shown in many war posters. The one referenced here states that one pound of cottage cheese contains more protein than a pound of lamb, pig, cow, and chicken.

Manufacturing
Cottage cheese is created by pasteurizing or heating skim milk until it hits 142-143 degrees Fahrenheit to which after it is cooled to 90 degrees. 5% of culture is added to the skim milk mix which allows the milk to curd and solidify. The solid skim milk more commonly referred to as curd, is cut into cubes with wires as soon as the gelatinous curd has been formed. After the curd has been cut into cubes it is then reheated by water poured into the vat. Over time the whey begins to separate from the curd being replaced by the water. Once the curd has been drained of the water and is mostly dry it is pressed to further dry the curds. The curds are then finally rinsed and salt is added, afterword’s they have a cream added and are packaged and shipped for consumption.

Nutrition
The nutritional levels of cottage cheese varies depending on the level of milk fat used and how much sodium is added.

Manufacturers produce different varieties of cottage cheese. One cottage cheese that is produced is by Lucerne. For every half cup of cottage cheese it contains 80 calories, 1g of total fat, sodium 440mg, carbohydrate 5g, sugar 4, and 14g of protein. Cheese is popular among dieters and some health food devotees. It is also a favorite food among bodybuilders, runners, swimmers, and weightlifters for its high content of casein protein (a long-lasting protein) while being relatively low in fat. Pregnant women are advised that cottage cheese is safe to eat, in contrast to some cheese products that are not recommended during pregnancy.

Consumption:
Cottage cheese is mainly known to be a dieting food for its health benefits. It's used as a substitute for meat due to the high levels of protein which meats contain but less total calories and fat. For that reason cottage cheese is a substitute for many cheese based foods. Many recipes such as lasagna which uses ricotta cheese can be switched with cottage cheese and will have a better nutritional value than ricotta cheese. In the United States cottage cheese is popular in many culinary dishes. It can be combined with fruit and sugar, salt and pepper, fruit puree, on toast, with tomatoes, granola and cinnamon, in salads, as a chip dip, as a replacement for mayonnaise in tuna salad, an ingredient in recipes such as jello salad and various desserts. Cottage cheese is also popular with fruit, such as pears, peaches, or mandarin oranges.