UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 576 
Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry 
A. D. MELVIN, Chief 
'S follows 
Washington, D. C. 
September 27, 1917 
THE MANUFACTURE OF COTTAGE CHEESE IN 
CREAMERIES AND MILK PLANTS. 
By Arnold O. Daiilberg, of the Dairy Division. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
G ood raw material essential 1 
Pasteurization of skim milk important 1 
Equipment required 2 
Method of manufacture 4 
Ripening the milk 4 
Cutting and heating the curd 5 
Draining the curd 7 
Salting, etc 8 
Packing and marketing 8 
Yield of cheese 
Using buttermilk for cottage cheese 
Variation in method when buttermilk is 
used 
Making buttermilk cheese 
Cost of manufacture 
Markets and prices 
Summary 
Page. 
10 
Cottage cheese, properly made, offers a most palatable and nutri- 
tious article of food at a relatively low price compared with the* cost 
and nutritive value of many other foods, and the demand for it is 
increasing' with the greater knowledge of its true value as a food. 
This variety of cheese may be made from skim milk, or a mixture of 
skim milk and buttermilk. The simple method of manufacture recom- 
mends its adoption b}^ creameries and milk plants having skim milk 
or buttermilk which it is desired to dispose of to good advantage. 
Very little additional equipment is required, and the cost of manu- 
facture is low, which enables the creamery to pay the patrons a good 
price for the skim milk. 
GOOD RAW MATERIAL ESSENTIAL. 
As the quality of cottage cheese is entirely dependent upon flavor 
and texture, it is very important to have milk of a good, clean flavor, 
free from any foreign odors. The maker can control the texture of 
the cheese, but if the flavor is to be controlled, good raw material is 
necessary. 
PASTEURIZATION OF SKIM MILK IMPORTANT. 
It is advisable to pasteurize the fresh skim milk just as it comes 
from the separator, and to begin manufacturing as soon as possible, 
in order to control the fermentation or souring to the besl adv intake. 
No trouble need be experienced in making a high quality ©f cot* age 
cheese, possessing both the characteristic flavor and body, -'10 rop- 
erly pasteurized skim milk of good quality. Pasteur^ jS^lk at 
a temperature of 145° F. for 30 minutes in no way i 1 e coagu- 
105737—17 
