Product review: Breakstone’s cottage cheese

Until college (wow, college was the time of a lot of food changes for me, huh?), I didn’t realize that cottage cheese was a “diet” food. This lack of knowledge was probably because my first memories of it (I don’t remember eating it as a very young child, even though I have seen pictures with it all over my face…and hair…and clothes…) were from my grandmother. She would combine it with full fat sour cream and put it on fruit. This, combined with it being served before about ten different desserts, certainly didn’t give the message that ANYTHING on that table was designed for the health-conscious.

I always enjoyed cottage cheese, despite its somewhat unappetizing appearance. Although I felt somewhat self conscious eating it in the college dining center due to its reputation as the dieter’s way to eat cheese, it remained a staple of my diet.

It was during Passover of my freshman year of college that we discovered this enormous tub of cottage cheese. In trying to find kosher items that would be easy to store in a dorm fridge, cottage cheese seemed like a perfect item, as I could eat it with fruit, matzah, and vegetables. Since then, it has become a staple purchase.

 

Yes, this container is huge. But, as will come as no surprise, it is also a great deal, especially for a name brand cottage cheese. The 48-ounce tub costs $4.49. In comparison, the best sale price I have seen in grocery stores is 16 ounces for $2.50.

This cottage cheese is low fat, which is a good compromise between the slimy, taste of the fat free version and the overly rich (in my opinion) full fat variety. It tastes creamy but is not too thick, and contains good-sized curds of consistent size. The taste is rich, and not overly salty, making it a good accompaniment to fruit, toast, and salads.

Although the container is large, it remains fresh for several weeks. I recommend storing it upside down to keep it from separating.

Anyone else buy this cottage cheese? Other ideas for eating it?