Homemade Ricotta Cheese
I must confess, I am a full on cheese whore. Shocking? Not really, not if you know me.
What may shock you is to know that I love cheese more than any other food out there. I regularly have 10 to 12 kinds of cheese on hand. From stinky cheeses, to creamy cheeses, ghetto cheeses (for the little chefs who do not know better), shredded cheeses (don’t hate, it’s super convenient for that quick ‘dilla), aged crumbly cheeses (that I hide from the little chefs) and many more. I have Mexican cheeses, French cheeses, American cheeses, English cheeses… it goes on and on.
I have often dreamed of making cheese for a living… ahhh, the idyllic life of a cheese maker. Yet I have never tried making it at home. Truth be told making cheese and cured meats are two things that I had hoped to accomplish this year, with this blog. And well, better late than never! Now I can cross one of these items off my list.
Fresh Cheese Draining
Ricotta Cheese
adapted from Williams Sonoma
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 ounces distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
In addition to these ingredients you will need the following equipment:
- large, heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot
- silicone spatula
- instant-read thermometer
- colander
- cheesecloth or muslin
- large bowl
- slotted spoon
- storage container
1. Pour the milk and cream into the pot, place over medium-high heat, and heat to just below boiling. Stir with a spatula to keep the liquid from scorching. Just before the milk boils, the surface will start to foam and release steam. Check the temperature and pill the pot off the heat just shy of 185F.
Almost ready
2. Add the vinegar and stir for 30 seconds. The curds will form almost immediately. Add the salt and stir for another 30 seconds. Cover the pot with a dish towel and let the curds stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
3. Line the colander with a large square of cheesecloth, and place the colander over the bowl to catch the draining liquid. Using the slotted spoon, gently transfer the curds from the pot to the colander. Let the ricotta drain for about 30 minutes.
4. Gather the cheesecloth by its corners and twist together to force out the liquid. When the liquid turns from clear to milky and the cheese starts to push through the cheesecloth, it has drained enough.
5. Remove the ricotta from the cheesecloth and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Yields about 1 pound of fresh cheese. The cheese can be stored for up to a week and used in sweet or savory applications. And while this cheese is actually more a fresh cheese than a proper “ricotta”, after all ricotta translates to recooked or cooked again and is usually made from the whey left over from making fresh mozzerella. But don’t let that stop you, this cheese is so delish you will not care about this minor detail.
What should you do with it? Well, I used this cheese in the Daring Baker Cannoli challenge (more here and here). I flavored it simply, with powdered sugar, cinnamon and pure vanilla extract. And I am so pleased to say that this fresh cheese exceeded all expectations, both in the ease of making and the superior taste.
So I encourage you to go forth and open your home creamery today (or tomorrow).
~Blondie
