Ricotta: Recipe + Tips From A Kind Cheesemaker

Inside this 5’4″ frame lives a Woman by the name of MOM. And as a Mom’s love for her children is unconditional I, similarly, cannot hold back from giving unconstrained praise to the friends in my life. You’re a talent; The Tops; There’s no one like you; You ARE special.

But, when it comes to Brian, I’m conflicted. Do I tell him the obvious? What kind of compliments do I give the man who’s both a U.S. Champion Cheesemaker and has dedicated part of his life to working on an Alpine Dairy Farm tirelessly leading herds into the mountains near the Italian and Swiss borders…!?  Rogue River Blue is just another notch on his belt and he’s spent the last 3 years making some of the finest Ricotta my mouth has ever curved its lips around. Ladies, take a number.

See my problem? How is he to grow if I tell him what everyone else has already said.  So, forget that.  Instead, it was time for him to flourish as an educator.  I took the course, passed with flying colors, and now I can MOM him all day with new and genuine approbations for his benevolent Ricotta-Sharing Nature.  What a guy.

*Recipe Next!*

Happiness.

But Before The Recipe…What are the Homemade Ricotta Cliffnotes?!

• It’s straightforward. When you know what to look for.

• It’s inexpensive to make.  Just White Vinegar; A Quart of Organic Milk; and some good looking BTU’s (energy/flame!).

• It’s highly perishable.  Since it’s A) Fresh B) Low in Fat (66% vs. 73% in Brie) C) High in moisture, homemade Ricotta has a short Refrigeration life. 5-7 Days.

Let’s admit it.  There’s not much tastier than Ricotta and Squash filled Lunes or Ricotta Cheesecake or just Ricotta on Toast lathered with Honey and freshly microplaned Nutmeg.  Seriously, go eat these things immediately.  I love them so.

But I’ve always been blown away by the extravagant cost of this ‘Fresh Cheese‘.  Making it myself was the solution, but the results were varying in reward.  But now, I’ve found the equation to success:  Mr. Buon Formai’s Course in Ricotta Making +  Pulling techniques from various sources = Infinitely Fool Proof Ricotta.  And now for the recipe…

Shhh…The Ricotta is resting!

`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`RICOTTA: A RECIPE`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*

Ricotta Baskets + Tins

Time: 30 Minutes

Tools:
*Cheese Cloth (Lining a Pasta Strainer)
*Or Ricotta Basket w/ tin can w/ Drainage holes
* A thermometer (I use a glass Candy Thermometer)
*2QT pot with Lid

Ingredients:
1 Quart Whole Organic Milk (About 1.5 Cups of Ricotta should result)
1.5 Tablespoons of White Vinegar Diluted in 3 T of H20
*Optional: 1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Steps:

1.  Pour Milk into a 2QT pot.

It’s Getting There!

2.  Turn heat onto Medium-Low and let the Milk heat up to 200°F (12-15 Minutes)

* TIP: While the Milk is heating up, plug your sink and transform it into an ice bath.  Once the Vinegar is added to the Milk, you want to try to reduce the temperature as quickly as you can.

* TIP: Also, place the h20 and vinegar into a small bowl.  Combine and set aside.

3.  When the Milk hits 200°F, turn off the temperature and let the milk cool down to 190° (Between 190°-195° is fine)

Whites Bond.  Clear Studs.  Success is imminent.

4.  Add the Vinegar Solution to the Milk and with a wooden spoon, make 2-3 Figure 8 passes to combine

* TIP: If done correctly, you should notice the whites bonding together and a new yellowish-clear liquid studded throughout.  (This means that the Heat was high enough and the Acidiuate solution was distributed evenly throughout the liquid to effectively fuse the Whey Proteins).

5.  Pull the pot off the stove, cover it with the lid and place it in the Ice Bath for 15 Minutes.

6.  After 15 minutes, gently use a slotted spoon (or slowly pour) to retrieve the Curds and place into the Ricotta Basket or Cheesecloth.  Let the Curds drain for 10 minutes before adding the optional salt.  Place in fridge in basket/Cheesecloth with a tin or plate underneath to catch the liquid.  Eat.  Eat. Eat.

* TIP: This will last for 5-7 days in the fridge.  If it’s been 4/5 days, and you’re just not sure if it’s good to eat…smell it.  It’s pretty apparent when it’s gone off!