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Ricotta is a delightful white, mild, fresh cheese that is wonderful in so many different recipes. With its soft texture and slightly sweet flavor, it makes for a great staple cheese.
Who doesn't love the taste of smooth, creamy ricotta cheese. Whether it’s layered into a lasagna, crepes or piped into a sweet cannoli, or eaten straight out of the tub with a spoon, this tangy, tasty Italian cheese is a favorite of people all over the world.
This recipe is our the latest favorite:
It was originally created in Italy when cheesemakers started using the whey that was left behind from making mozzarella and provolone.
I must to mention right away this is not the original recipe that people come up for ricotta cheese, it should be used the whey and not a milk. Just to make easy, many places in US using milk, more convenient then for looking for a whey.
So, I guess the saying holds true in this case that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
HOW TO MAKE RICOTTA CHEESE AND WHY BOTHER?
The best part about homemade ricotta cheese is that you can easily make it at home in less than 30 minutes with everyday kitchen utensils and three simple ingredients.
You are going to have a wonderful creamy cheese that has a many uses in the kitchen plus you are going to avoid unnecessary ingredients such as Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum (Stabilizers).
You will need:
4 cups of whole milk, if you can find raw it is better of course
1/2 -1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pink salt or Celtic salt
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or lemon juice
Directions:
STEP 1 - Place the milk in a large pot over medium-low heat.
STEP 2 - Let the milk warm gradually to 184°F-190°F or 90°C, monitoring the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
STEP 3 - Remove the pot from the heat. Then pour in your acid, the white wine vinegar (that's what I used in the video) and salt.
STEP 4 - with a wooden spoon move everything around for about 30 seconds.
STEP 5 - Place a lid over the pot, and allow the milk mixture to sit for 5 minutes undisturbed.
STEP 5 - Set a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with a cheesecloth. Scoop the big curds with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the strainer, and then pour in the remaining curds or gently pour into the prepared bowl.
STEP 6 - Let the ricotta sit for 15 minutes and up to 1 hour, depending on how creamy you want it to be. The longer it sits the dryer the consistency will be. The less it sits you will have a yogurt-like consistency.
If you enjoying making ricotta, try to make tvorog (farmer's cheese), its very similar.
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