MAKE IT: Fresh Ricotta

Seriously, making ricotta cheese is one of the simplest things to make. It takes four ingredients, a large pot, some cheese cloth, and really that is it!

When making ricotta the key is proportion: 2 parts milk to 1 part heavy cream. Add 1/8 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tbsp distiller white vinegar per batch and you have the best ricotta you will ever taste. Example: 2 cups milk + 1 cup heavy cream= 1/8 tsp salt + 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar

For each batch remember you will yield  the same amount of ricotta as heavy cream used


Full time: 1 hour (plus cooling time)
Makes 1 cup ricotta cheese

The needs-
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbsp distiller white vinegar
1/8 tsp salt

The know-

In a pot mix all ingredients (pot should be large enough for ingredients to have an inch or two from top of pot)

Turn heat on medium and walk away, seriously walk away for 10 minutes. Do not stir, do not cover, just let it be

When you come back you should see some lines forming, this is the vinegar doing it's thing. Walk away again

While the vinegar takes action place a colander or strainer in a bowl, try to use a bowl that allows the strainer/colander handles to rest on edge. And line with cheese cloth that has been folded several times to form multiple layers

After approx 10 more minutes* you will see, some bubbles around edge of pot, now slowly and carefully use a spatula to go around edge, to release the skin that  has formed. Do not stir or scrap bottom. If you do accidentally scrape the bottom you will see little pieces of brown skin. Just fish them out after cheese is cooled

Now the fun begins if you look closely you will actually begin to see the curds form, solidify, and move together. As it does it will push the water down and allow the solids to rise to top

Once it begins to boil turn off heat immediately

Then let it sit in pot with heat off for 10 minutes. It will have a silky but lumpy look like ricotta, sorry no comparison except maybe very small curd cottage cheese?

Carefully pour into your cheese cloth set up, watch though if your bowl is smaller you may need to pour out some water

Once it is all in the cloth let sit to cool for 20 minutes then move to storage container or use for dinner!

Will last 7-10 days! Cheers.

 *time will vary when you begin to make more, add roughly 10 minutes per batch