Calories in Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat

What makes cheese so powerful?

Cottage cheese is technically an unripened, acid-coagulated cheese, meaning it relies on lactic acid rather than rennet enzymes to form its curds. When a bacterial culture ferments the lactose in milk, the dropping pH causes casein proteins to denature and clump together. Because the curds are never pressed and are eventually washed, they retain a high moisture content and a distinct, mild flavor. The 2% milkfat variety is made by combining these nonfat curds with a light cream dressing, which coats the curds and provides just enough fat to carry fat-soluble flavor compounds without significantly increasing the calorie density. Historically, this style of fresh, unpressed cheese was made in homes across Europe for centuries as a way to preserve surplus milk before the invention of modern refrigeration. The term "cottage cheese" itself emerged in the mid-19th century in the United States, reflecting the fact that it was commonly produced in small batches in domestic kitchens or cottages. The small or large curd size is determined by how the milk is cut during production, which directly affects how much whey is expelled from the protein matrix before washing.