If you are looking for the difference between sour cream and cottage cheese or are wondering which of these two dairy products to use in a recipe, read on for the full rundown.
Cottage cheese is a soft cheese with a mild flavor and curd like consistency. Sour cream has a tangier flavor and a smooth and creamy consistency.
Sour cream has a higher fat content than cottage cheese as well as more calories per serving. While sour cream and cottage cheese are not the same, it is possible to substitute one for the other in certain situations.
Cottage Cheese or Sour Cream: Which to Use
If you are out of sour cream but need it for a recipe you can use cottage cheese with some alterations.
Add your cottage cheese with some milk and lemon juice to a blender and process until smooth and creamy.
For each cup of cottage cheese use four tablespoon of milk and two tablespoons of lemon juice. You can also use buttermilk instead of regular milk.
Trusted Source: Cottage cheese nutritional information
This will create a smooth cream like consistency that is similar to sour cream.
When out of cottage cheese, sour cream can be used instead when baking. Because it has a higher fat content than cottage cheese you will want to use a 1:2 ratio.
Trusted Source: Sour cream nutritional information
Sour cream will alter the flavor of your final dish but in most recipes it’s not going to be a negative. Consider the other flavors in your recipe, the tang of sour cream will often be a pleasant addition.
What is cottage cheese?
This mild cheese has a soupy, curd like texture. The high moisture content and mild flavor epitomize cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is treated with an enzyme called rennet.
It contains whey and in the past was called curds and whey. Cottage cheese is a popular side dish and snack. It is often topped with fresh fruit and used in smoothies.
What is sour cream?
Sour cream received it’s name due to originally being just cream that had turned sour from being stored at room temperature. This occurred due to the natural presence of lactic acid bacteria.
Today sour cream is produced by fermenting cream with lactic acid in a controlled environment. This process creates it’s signature sour flavor and creamy texture.
Can you use cottage cheese in place of sour cream in cheesecake?
Yes with an adjustment.
For each cup of sour cream needed blend one cup of cottage cheese, 4 tablespoons of milk, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until creamy.
Is Cottage Cheese made from Sour Cream?
No, cottage cheese and sour cream are two distinct dairy products.
Cottage cheese is produced by separating the curds and whey from milk through acidification. The separated curds and whey usually have salt added to them before packaging.
Sour cream is produced by adding bacteria to dairy cream. This bacteria creates lactic acid which thickens and alters the cream’s flavor.