Does Cottage Cheese Melt When Heated?

Cottage cheese may be one of the most divisive ingredients out there due to its unique (and unappetizing to many) lumpy, wet texture. The combination of cream and curds is the topic of a never-ending debate about if it's delicious or disgusting. However, there is no denying that it can seriously upgrade dishes like egg salad and protein pancakes when it reaches the right hands. But for those who are craving a delicious bowl of nachos, would melted cottage cheese be a life-changing upgrade?

The answer is no, probably not, because cottage cheese can't really melt. Cottage cheese cannot quite melt like its cheddar or provolone counterparts due to a few different factors, mainly because of the way it's molecularly built.

One of the most major issues with melting cottage cheese is its high moisture content, which evaporates when heated. Its low fat content also doesn't assist in the melting process, since an excess of fat often acts as the lubricant between molecules assisting the melting cheese. On top of its lack of fat, there are no emulsifiers (which are binding agents in processed products that stop substances from separating, like oil and water) in cottage cheese since it is fresh and unprocessed.

For anyone attempting to melt cottage cheese, it may only split the existing curds into smaller pieces. While cottage cheese may separate slightly if placed in an already hot meal, like a baked potato, no process will never quite get rid of the cheese's lumpy texture.