Homemade Ricotta

For years, I have been intimidated by making cheese. All-the-while feeling as if those "oh it is so easy" sucessful cheese-makers were mocking me. Mocking me and my lack of ability to let milk spoil. I mean for pete's sake, it is just letting it go rancid, how hard can it be. 19 year-old hormone driven drunken fratboys have more sucess making cheese than I did. Yogurt, sure. Butter, no problem. Cheese, not so much. Suffice it to say that my last attempt to make ricotta included cheese cloth acrobatics as it hung over my sink from my cabinent leaking putrid smelling whey for way too long.

So... this time, I chucked the directions and found a much more civilized approach, so that humans and in-process cheese can co-exist. This recipe makes 2 to 3 cups creamy delicious ricotta with no more effort than warming milk, stirring in vinegar and salt, and letting sit and seperate gently in my fridge overnight.

Ingredients

2 quarts of whole milk

1 cup of heavy cream

2 Tablespoons of white vinegar

1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt

Equipment

1 large saucepan

thermometer

cheesecloth

collander

large bowl

Method

1. Heat the milk and cream until it reaches 180 degrees F.

2. Take off the heat and stir in the vinegar, and stir for 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the salt, and stir for another seconds.

4. Set a folded quartered cheesecloth in a colander and set in a large bowl.

5. Gently pour the milk into the cheesecloth lined colander/bowl.

6. Set in the fridge over night and allow the whey gently to drip out.

7. The next morning awake to creamy delicious ricotta... which is delicious for breakfast with orange zest or cocoa powder.

Molto delicioso!

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy cheese making!