This homemade A2 Cottage Cheese is a high protein specialty cottage cheese for people with dairy related digestive sensitivity. It’s low cost, use of simple ingredients, and easy to follow instructions make this the perfect high protein snack for people that may otherwise avoid cottage cheese.
Jump to:
Types of casein proteins in milk
Why is A2 cottage cheese better? It all comes down to the proteins found in milk and the way our body responds to them.
Milk has two types of casein proteins, A1 and A2. Some dairy sensitivity issues have has been linked back to the A1 protein found in many commercial and small farm produced milk. While some people have no issues digesting both proteins, some are not able to tolerate it. As more research is published about the difference in these proteins, some dairy companies have taken the initiative to switch their dairy herds over to cows that only produce the A2 casein protein.
Type of milk used to make different types of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese takes on the characteristics of the milk it’s made from. Which means skim milk is used to make homemade nonfat cottage cheese and lactose free milk can used to make lactose free cottage cheese.
So that means that A2 milk can indeed be used to make homemade A2 cottage cheese.
I have many tutorials on how to make homemade cottage cheese so if you are interested in learning more then make sure to check it out.
However if you want to dive right on in and make your own homemade cottage cheese with just a few easy to follow steps then proceed.
All you need are a few kitchen staples and a bit of time.
This recipe makes small curd cottage cheese but you can also make large curd cottage cheese with a few additional steps and ingredients.
Ingredients
Only 4 ingredients are needed to make homemade cottage cheese, milk and an acid. The ingredients used in the this A2 cottage cheese are:
- A2 whole Milk
- distilled or white wine vinegar
- salt
- A2 cream or half and half
The best A2 cottage cheese on the market is Braum’s A2 cottage cheese. It is creamy, delicious, and made with only A2 dairy. I use Braum’s milk to make my homemade A2 cottage cheese and it turns out perfect every time.
Either distilled or white wine vinegar can be used in this recipe. If you find you are out of vinegar then lemon juice can also be used, however you may use a little less than what the recipe calls for.
Adding salt and cream are essential to making this cottage. Without it, you would have a homemade Farmer’s cheese or a queso blanco. Sometimes I find using cream exclusively results in a cottage cheese that is a bit too thick so I tend to thin it with a bit of whole milk. You can also substitute the cream for half and half to eliminate this issue but ultimately the desired creaminess can be adjusted to personal preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Milk has two types of casein proteins, A1 and A2. The way our bodies respond to these proteins differs and many believe the A2 casein is superior as some dairy sensitivity issues have has been linked back to the A1 protein found in many commercial and small farm produced milk. While some people have no issues digesting both proteins, some are not able to tolerate it. As more research is published about the difference in these proteins, some dairy companies have taken the initiative to switch their dairy herds over to cows that only produce the A2 casein protein.
No, there is no difference in taste between A2 milk and milk with the A1 protein.
No, there is no difference in the thickness or texture of A2 milk compared to milk with the A1 protein.
Homemade A2 cottage cheese is made with just 4 simple ingredient: A2 milk, A2 cream or half and half, acid like vinegar or lemon juice, and salt.
How To Make Homemade A2 Cottage Cheese
Equipment
- 1 large heavy pot with lid
- 1 Food Thermometer
- 1 large colander
- 1 cheesecloth or tea towel
- 1 large deep bowl or pot
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
- ½ gallon A2 whole milk
- 6 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon non iodized salt or sea salt
- ¼ cup A2 cream or half and half optional
Instructions
- Heat ½ gallon of whole milk in a large heavy pot over medium heat to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully to make sure the milk does not burn.
- Once the milk reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from the heat.
- Add ¾ cup vinegar or lemon juice with a wooden spoon. Stir well
- Cover the pot and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the milk and acid mixture is resting, place the cheese cloth or tea towel in a large colander and set it over a large bowl.
- After 30 minutes, use a large slotted spoon to remove the cottage cheese curds from the liquid whey and place the curds in the lined colander.
- Allow the rest of the liquid to drain from the curds into the bowl.
- After the cheese has dried slightly, gather it up in the cheese cloth or tea towel and squeeze it tightly into a ball.
- Run the cheese, still wrapped in the cloth, under cold water while continuing to squeeze the ball gently.
- Once the cheese has cooled, unwrap the cheese curds and break into desired size curds (large or small).
- Stir in 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add the cream or half and half a few tablespoons at a time, until you are at the desired consistency. You may or may not use the entire ½ cup of cream.
- Add more salt to taste.
- Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Christopher Andrade says
Marvelous resources& guidance— much appreciated!!
Melinda says
You are very welcome!
Karen Schultz says
Yummy taste, but the texture of the curds was much more fine than I was anticipating. It was more like wet sand then I would describe as cottage cheese. Could this be because I used Apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar? That was the only change I made to the recipe. Thanks for the detailed recipe, I’m looking forward to seeing if I can tolerate A2 milk!
Melinda says
That is a great question! Sounds like it may have turned out a bit more like ricotta cheese than cottage cheese curds. I have never used apple cider vinegar but I’m guessing it was the culprit. Lower fat milk also tends to yield smaller curds so this is also a consideration. Try again with wine wine vinegar and a full fat milk. Let me know how it turns out!
Sarah says
Thank you for posting this! I can’t wait to try it. I’m having trouble finding A2 cream though. What brand are you using?
Melinda says
I use Braums for all of my A2 Dairy.