Easy Homemade [Ricotta] Cheese

Easy Homemade [Ricotta] Cheese

  Author: Bold. Healthy. Homemade.

Recipe type: Cheese

Prep time:  0 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  30-55 mins

Serves: 1 ½  Cups 

Growing up in the heart of Wisconsin, Cheese was always a staple in our fridge, however with some amazing cheesemongers down the road I never thought about making my own cheese. Recently my husband gifted me a Mozzarella Cheese making lesson at a local farm. While I learned some valuable tips of the trade, I found making Mozzarella as being labor intensive and needing special products that are not found in every household. This recipe only has three ingredients and is so easy! It will yield about 1 ½ cups of fresh Ricotta Cheese.



INGREDIENTS

• ½ Gallon Whole Milk
• ⅓ Cup Distilled White Vinegar
• Dash of Salt

Optional: Herbs or other spices

Additional Notes about Milk:

• The Milk you chose is very important. If possible, you should try to find whole milk, from a Jersey Cow. Most major brands will not list what type of cow is used, however if you can find a product that states they use Jersey Cows, that is the best! In their milk, Jersey Cows have the highest fat content, which = more cheese! Additionally, even if you cannot find Milk from a Jersey Cow, it is important to milk that has not been Ultra High Temperature (UTH) pasteurized. The UTH process will prevent the milk from separating into curds and whey.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the Milk on the stove in a pot over medium heat. Stir the milk every few minutes, to make sure it is not burning to the bottom of the pot.
• At this point, if you want, you can add in Herbs to the steeping milk. This will flavor the Milk, and thus your Cheese. Ricotta Cheese is such a delicate flavor, that I prefer it without additional flavors.
2. Using a food thermometer, heat the Milk until it reaches 200 Degrees F.
3. After the Milk reaches 200 Degrees, quickly stir in the Salt and Distilled White Vinegar. You will only have a few seconds to stir it before the Milk begins to separate into Curds and Whey.
4. After giving the Milk and Vinegar a quick stir, LEAVE the pot. DO NOT touch or stir the pot for at least 10 minutes. This is very important, DO NOT stir or mess with the pot or your milk will not properly separate.
5. While the Milk is separating, place a strainer (lined with cheesecloth) inside a large bowl.
6. Slowly pour the Curds and Whey into the cheesecloth lined strainer. Allow the Whey to drain from the Curds for 10-45 minutes (depending how "wet" you like your Ricotta Cheese.) If you find that your Ricotta gets "too dry" for your taste, stir in a small amount of the Whey to loosen the Cheese.
7. Enjoy your Ricotta Cheese fresh, or store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.