Cheese making 101

This wasn't our first experiment in cheese making but it was our first really successful one. This seems to be the general recipe for making ricotta, and I think the key was making sure the temperature hit but didn't exceed the desired 190 degrees.

Homemade Ricotta!

Equipment: 

medium mixing bowl and sieve (or cheese cloth and large rubber band which will fit around bowl top), large stock pot, candy or deep frying thermometer, wooden spoon and slotted spoon/strainer spoon

Ingredients:

• 10 cups whole milk (go organic. you're going to make cheese. it might as well be organic cheese, yes?)
• 1-1/2 tsp citric acid (can be purchased in some grocery stores and specialty stores. sometimes known as sour salt.)
• 1 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp. cheese making salt or kosher salt
• 2 tsp. half and half or heavy cream

 How to:

• Heat milk on medium in stock pot until it reaches 190 degrees. Be sure thermometer isn't touching bottom of pot.
• Meanwhile, dissolve citric acid in 1cup water in bowl, stirring slightly.
• Add dissolved citric acid mixture to milk and bring heat back up to 190 degrees.
• Remove milk from heat and leave still for 10-12 minutes. Curds and whey should be nicely separated.
• If using cheesecloth, stretch piece of cloth tight over top of bowl and rubber band it to keep it snug. Using slotted or straining spoon, scoop curds from liquid and place in sieve over bowl or onto cheesecloth covered bowl. Continue scooping curds this way until only whey remains in pot. Do not squeeze liquid out of curds, you want a moist ricotta.
• After straining, move curds to a bowl and add in salt and half and half or cream.

 

                                          pouring the milk into the pot

                                             separating the curds and whey

                                          adding the cream and salt

eccellente! 

XO, Debbie