Quick and easy homemade fresh cottage cheese using buttermilk

Knapost / skørost

A few years back I learned how to make fresh cottage cheese from buttermilk. It is really quick and easy to make and don’t really require any weird equipment. And it is perfect for larping events. It also has the added benefit of producing whey, which is super handy for baking. Traditionally this cheese is made at home and is called “knapost”.

To make fresh cottage cheese, you basically just take buttermilk, simmer it and then drain it. After about a quarter of an hour you have a lovely soft fresh cheese that goes well on bread or on top of a frumenty or porridge.  It should be seasoned – preferably with fresh herbs.

This batch of fresh cottage cheese is a bit dry, but it tasted amazing on leve with peaches and nutmeg.

This batch is a bit dry, but it tasted amazing with peaches and nutmeg.

Fresh cottage cheese from buttermilk

A soft fresh cheese made from buttermilk, seasoned with herbs. In Danish it is called "knapost" and is a traditional fresh cottage cheese.
Course Homemade cheese, Side Dish
Cuisine Campfire cooking, Historical cooking, Larp cooking, Viking
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 liter buttermilk if you can get the old fashioned kind that works better
  • salt to taste
  • fresh herbs such as thyme

Instructions

  1. Simmer the buttermilk in a pot until it separates (yes, that looks icky). That takes 5-10 min
  2. Put the milk into a tea towl and hang it to drain (hanging it from the tap works well) and let it drain into a bowl.. Save the whey and use it in baking.
  3. After about 15 min you have a thick soft cheese left in the tea towel. If it is too dry, stir some of the whey back in.
  4. Season with salt and herbs.

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