SC - My redaction.....

[Stephanie Rudin]

  how do you make fresh curds? are they like cottage cheese?

Milk is a complex structure, of water, proteins, fats, sugars and stuff.
It's really quite neat.

One of the principle protein combinations in milk is called casein.  It can
be coagulated into a solid white mass, called curds.

There are two basic mechanisms for doing this.  One is to add a small amount
of sour/acid, and heat gently. Another is to use an enzymatic method, such
as the chemical "rennet" which is found in the stomach lining of many farm
animals.

Many of the forms of cheese we consume are hardened variations on curds, and
processed curds.  Cottage cheese is flavored and otherwise intact curds.
But it is hardly ever fresh, and it is often salted or otherwise spiced. The
remains of the milk, after curds are made and removed, is a clear and
protein rich liquid, called whey.  You can find whey if you purchase a live
culture yogurt (such as I have in my hand...) and let it warm gently.  They
whey is the thick clear liquid that separates out.

I'm sure Adamantius (who makes his own cheese) and probably our friend
Anne-Marie, have more to say than I.

	Tibor
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