Ricotta Cheese

I never knew how simple making ricotta cheese at home until I stumbled upon this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  Ricotta cheese is so delicious when fresh and really makes a difference in the taste of homemade lasagna.  Also, mixing some into scrambled eggs gives a nice creamy texture.  Heidi from 101 Cookbooks probably does a better job explaining how to make it but here’s my interpretation of her recipe.  It’s seriously easy to make and definitely worth trying!

Ricotta cheese

1 gallon of whole milk

1 quart of buttermilk

(makes 4 cups)

1. In a medium sized pot over medium heat, pour in the whole milk and buttermilk.

2. As the milk mixture heats up, use a spatula to stir it around to avoid it from scorching.

3. While the milk is heating, fold the cheesecloth a few times until there are six layers.  Line a colander using the cheesecloth and have it ready in the sink.

4. The milk will start to thicken once it gets hot.  Use the spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot occasionally for any stuck curds.

5. The curds and whey will separate after about 15 minutes.  Once you see the curds clumped together in a large white mass remove the pot from the heat. 
6. Using a ladle transfer the curds from the pot to the colander into the cheesecloth. 

7. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth and tie them up.  The cheese needs to drain for about 15 minutes (A good place to tie the cheesecloth to drain is the kitchen faucet).

8. Once it’s done draining, use right away or transfer to an airtight container.