ricotta

on

Ingredients

  1. Place the citric acid in a small bowl and add a splash of hot (not boiling) water. Stir until the citric acid is completely dissolved. (Skip this step if using lemon juice.)
  2. Pour the milk into a large nonreactive pot over low heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the milk starts to steam and becomes frothy at the edges of the pot (180°F).
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the citric acid solution (or lemon juice), starting with just a little of the acid. Continue to add acid until the milk curdles. Let rest until the pot is cool enough to touch, about 15 minutes.
  4. Nestle a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander in a large bowl. Pour in the curdled milk and let drain until ricotta has reached its desired consistency, about 20-30 minutes. The liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the bowl is the whey.
  5. Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl and gently fold in the cream, starting with a little splash and adding as much as needed to reach your desired consistency. You want creamy ricotta, thick but not chunky.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon whole milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon citric acid (dissolved in 2 tablespoons cool water)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon cream (optional)

Steps to Make It

  1. Put the milk into a medium-sized pot over low heat. In a separate bowl or container, dissolve the citric acid in the two tablespoons of water and then add that mixture to the milk. Add the salt to the other ingredients (the salt is a matter of flavor here, not something that is preserving the cheese, so up to you whether or not to include it). Add the cream, if using. Whisk to combine the ingredients well.
  2. You will need a meat or cheese thermometer to get an accurate read on the temperature. Stir the milk mixture as it warms to prevent it from scorching on the bottom of the pot. At between 165 F to 190 F the milk will separate into curds and whey (whey is the liquid that separates from the curds, which are the dairy solids).
  3. Once the curds have separated from the whey, turn off the heat and let the ingredients sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. Line a colander with butter muslin or several layers of cheesecloth and place the lined colander in a large bowl. Pour the ricotta into the colander. Tie up the ends of the butter muslin or cheesecloth and then tie the bundle somewhere it can hang and drain for 30 minutes (Tip: Tie to your kitchen faucet). Don't throw out the whey - you can refrigerate it and use it to make lacto-fermented recipes such as apple chutney.
  5. After half an hour, untie the butter muslin or cheesecloth bundle and transfer the ricotta to a food storage container. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Homemade ricotta will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.