When I was in Italy this past month I was eating ALL the cheese I could. From burrata, to mozzarella, to ricotta, I was loving it. I don’t eat a ton of cheese in the US because I don’t digest it as well since we process our cheese here differently and give our cow’s hormones and a poor diet. So I was determined to make my own cheese when I got back with high quality dairy, starting with ricotta.
Ricotta is probably the easiest cheese you can make, so it is a great place to start. All you need is milk, lemon juice and salt! It is creamy, crumbly and delicious.
History of Ricotta:
Ricotta cheese has a rich history that dates back centuries. Its origins can be traced to Italy, where it was traditionally made by using the whey leftover from cheese production. The word “ricotta” means “recooked” in Italian, referring to the cheese-making process. While the traditional method involves using whey, today we’ll be making ricotta using milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
How it works:
Ricotta cheese is the result of heating milk to a certain temperature, adding acid, salt and letting the whey and cheese separate from each other. It is really that simple. For richer ricotta cheese, us whole milk or cream!
Tools you will need:
- Stainless steel pot
- Meat thermometer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
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SERVINGS: 4 cups
- PREP TIME: 0 Mins
- ACTIVE TIME: 20 Mins
- TOTAL TIME:20 Min
Ingredients:
- Half gallon of whole milk
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (roughly 3 lemons)
- 1 tsp salt
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Add your milk to a stainless steel pot and place over medium heat. Bring up to 185*F, stirring so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and salt, stir in and let it sit for 10 minutes.
STEP 2.
After 10 minutes. you should see the curds separated from the liquid. If not, add more lemon juice and let it sit. If you do see the curds separate from the whey this is good, it is time to strain it out.
STEP 3.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Strain the mixture, allowing the whey to drop into the bowl and the curds to sit on top.
If you want a creamy ricotta, you are done, store in the fridge. If you want a crumbly ricotta, let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour in the strainer to let the moisture fall through completely.
STEP 4.
Separate the whey from the ricotta and refrigerate the ricotta or enjoy!
You can keep they whey and use in baked goods or protein shakes.
What if you can’t digest cow milk? Is there a place to get unprocessed milk? I used to buy “raw” milk, but I don’t think it exists anymore
Nicole – I have seen raw milk at Sprouts grocery stores. (In Sacramento, CA).
You can buy at sprouts! Also Raw Farm ships