Making Ricotta at home is easier than you might think. You can make it plain or add herbs, garlic or spices. We find that it is more economical than the tubs you buy in the store. You control the size of the curds and the moisture content.
We made ours in a more traditional way, Many times if you buy ricotta in Italy or specialty shops it is shaped almost cone like. Whilst we didn't have the mold, we chose to make it a bit drier like that. You can easily have it with more liquid.
Okay, so technically what we made is a fresh cheese as we strained out the whey (which is really what ricotta is made from), but it is delicious and better than most of the stuff you buy in stores.
Ricotta salata is produced in the south of Italy. in some places, it is made from whey that comes from the production of Pecorino Romano, which is a sheep's milk hard cheese. The curds are molded into a basket. The cheese curds are then salted and pressed after straining them, extracting even more moisture. This process compacts the curds and produces a tight, uniform texture.
Here is the recipe. Note that we used full fat cow's milk only. Some recipes you find may call for some heavy/whipping cream to add more creaminess.
2 quarts plus 1 cup whole milk (sub one cup cream if you want)
1/2 teaspoon/1ml sea or kosher salt
3 tablespoons/45ml distilled white vinegar (sub fresh lemon juice if you want a hint of lemon)
In a large pot heat milk, and cream if using, over medium heat. You don't want it to boil. The optimal temperature is between 175F-185F/80C-85C. This will take 15-20 minutes. Little bubbles will start appearing around the outside, and small wisps of steam will start rising from the surface. Add the salt, and stir to dissolve. Once the salt is dissolved add the vinegar. Lower the heat and stir for 2-3 minutes. You will see the curds beginning to separate from the whey. Remove from the heat and let stand for 20-25 minutes. Put a sieve lined with a clean cheese cloth over a bowl. Scoop out the curds and put them in the cheese cloth lined strainer (or pour the contents of the pot into the strainer). Let the curds continue draining. If you want a creamier ricotta let stand 5-7 minutes. We chose to let it stand for 20 minutes for a drier version. Place in an air tight container and enjoy. This will last at least 5-7 days in a refrigerator.
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