When “Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet and ate her curds and whey,” she was actually eating cottage cheese. Cottage Cheese stems back to the early Greeks and Egyptians and has been a long-time favorite food in Europe, and now it’s a popular staple in the United States. CottageCheese originally got its name because the simple cheese was usually made on stove tops in cottages from any milk that was left over after making butter.

Low in fat and high in protein, Cottage Cheese is a mildly flavored cheese that is not aged or colored. To make Cottage Cheese, it is drained, but not pressed to preserve whey remnants while the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity. There are several different styles of cottage cheese that are made from milks with different fat levels and in small or large curd preparations. It takes approximately 100 pounds of milk to produce just 15 pounds of Cottage Cheese!

Cottage cheese is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed with sweet and savory foods, including fruit, desserts, salads and even lasagna!  Because Cottage Cheese has a relatively short shelf life, it will stay fresher longer if before it's opened, it’s stored upside down in the coldest section of your refrigerator. Once the container is open, you can simply stir the cottage cheese to mix the curds and whey back together and enjoy!