Can I substitute cotija for farmer's cheese?

October 8, 2018 10:07 AM

I would like to make some little cheese turnovers that call for equal parts feta and farmer's cheese. I have all the ingredients except the farmer's cheese, have never seen it here, and have never even tasted it. I do have some cotija. Will that work or is it too dry?
posted by HotToddy to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

I'd mash it with a little water or milk, maybe even water/milk with a splash of lemon or vinegar as farmer's cheese is curdled with acid, and taste it to see if it needs a hit of salt.

Or, on additional thought, if you've got some sour cream or crema or cream cheese (warmed, probably watered a little) that'll give you a little tang and a bit of stickiness for cohesion.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:10 AM on October 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

I think drained cottage cheese would be a better sub, if you have that available.
posted by Fig at 10:15 AM on October 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

I've subbed ricotta for farmers cheese in pierogi in a pinch. Not as tangy but the right texture.
posted by misskaz at 10:27 AM on October 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Farmer's cheese is pressed cottage cheese, and this has come up with a recipe that I love, so I feel your pain. However, I've been surprised that when I thought it was unavailable, I've been able to find it unexpectedly. For example, Friendship and Lifeway -- it's easy to miss as most stores only stock a tiny bit of it, but it's not as hard to find as I always imagine. (My sister found it at Publix in Atlanta, and I checked, and sure enough, all the Publix locations in my city have it too. Just only a tiny, tiny section.) So, what I'm saying is, pressed cottage cheese is a better substitute, but don't assume nobody has it near you, even if that's how it seems.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 11:11 AM on October 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

Cotija is too dry and crumbly--I would use drained cottage cheese (which is what I use in pierogi as farmer's cheese is in short supply around here).
posted by assenav at 11:12 AM on October 8, 2018

Seconding drained & mashed cottage cheese. My grandmother would sub that when she didn't want to shell out for farmer's cheese. It lacks the tang, but it works well enough. She mostly bought the Farmer's brand.
posted by carrioncomfort at 11:13 AM on October 8, 2018

Yeah, you want something that contrasts with the feta, and cotija isn't going to do that sufficiently. We use ricotta for recipes that call for farmer's cheese, but I've seen it at Russian/Eastern European groceries, Whole Foods, etc.
posted by wintersweet at 12:14 PM on October 8, 2018

I'm literally sitting on the bus with a wedge of Cotija in my shopping bag. Not only dry, but very salty. Feta is often suggested as a substitute for Cotija, so it would be like using all Feta, except half the feta would be extra salty. I agree with substituting the drained cottage cheese, which is basically the same thing.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:14 PM on October 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Okay that sounds like a consensus. Thanks all!
posted by HotToddy at 1:16 PM on October 8, 2018