How to cook fresh cheeses

Information for fresh cheeses in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Fresh cheeses

These cheeses were once made on the farm from surplus cream and quickly served. Today these cheeses are made with pasteurized milk, but they still have a short shelf life and must be consumed quickly. Fresh cheeses are not allowed to ripen or ferment very long, so they have a high moisture content, a mild flavor, and a smooth, creamy texture. They generally keep for 1 week after purchase or the “use by” date.

Common types of fresh cheeses include the following:

Cottage cheese - Usually thought of as a “diet” food, cottage cheese is a healthful food choice when it is made from skim or low-fat milk. Cottage cheese is only a few steps from milk. It is essentially the separation of milk into curds and whey. The curds are partially drained before cottage cheese is packaged and sold.

Cream cheese - The mild white spread often used for bagels, cream cheese is a better choice than butter, but it still has a lot of fat. Up to 90 percent of the calories in cream cheese are from fat. One tablespoon has about 50 calories and about 5 grams of fat. Even reduced-fat cream cheese is high in fat, with up to 75 percent of calories from fat. From a calorie and fat standpoint, fat-free cream cheeses are the best choice.

Farmer’s cheese - Often used in baking, farmer’s cheese is essentially cottage cheese that has had most of the liquid pressed out of it. It is usually sold formed as a loaf and is relatively low in fat.

Mozzarella - The pizza topping of choice, mozzarella is a soft, bland cheese. Unlike other fresh cheeses, mozzarella has undergone a heating and kneading process. Whole-fat, skim, low-moisture, and fat free versions of mozzarella cheese are available. Fresh mozzarella, sold in specialty and ethnic stores, is usually made from whole milk and, therefore, is higher in fat than other types.

Ricotta - A common ingredient in Italian dishes, ricotta is similar to cottage cheese but has a finer texture. Ricotta was once made from whey left over from making other cheeses. Today, it is made from whey and milk.

• Semisoft cheeses
• Goat cheeses
• Soft, white-rind cheeses
• Blue or blue-veined cheeses
• Hard and firm cheeses
• Processed cheeses
• Yogurt
• Ice cream and dairy desserts
• Herbs and spices
• Basil
• Bay leaf
• Chervil

• Safflower seed
• Sesame seed
• Squash seed
• Sunflower seed
• Walnut
• Soy products
• Dairy foods
• Milk
• Soy and rice milk
• Dried and concentrated milks
• Cream and sour cream
• Cheese

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