Homemade ricotta recipe

me you love ricotta and use it a lot when cooking – for example, for filling ravioli or a spoonful of warm vegetables. I started making it when I was experimenting with young cottage cheese. Although it is often called cheese, ricotta is actually a by-product of cheese making. The whey, which is drained from the cottage cheese, is reheated to make ricotta – hence the name, which means ‘overcooked’.

My ricotta recipe, however, involves gently heating whole milk, then adding vinegar to stimulate curd formation. I tried using buttermilk and lemon juice, but I found that vinegar gives better results. The amount of vinegar is very important: too little and the curd will not form properly; too much and the end result will be an unpleasantly sour taste.

Because this recipe is so simple, it is imperative that you use quality ingredients. The best ricotta I made was raw, unpasteurized milk, although it’s hard to get. Ricotta spoils easily, so it should be used within one day after preparation.

Hours

preparation time: 10 minutes, plus draining time

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Produces

Approximately 500 g

Ingridients

• 2¼ liters of organic whole milk
• 40 ml of quality distilled white vinegar

Method

1. Pour the milk into a large non-reactive container, add a quarter teaspoon of sea salt and put on a moderate heat. Allow the milk to heat up slowly, stirring occasionally.
2. When it is almost boiling, ie when steam and small bubbles start to appear on the surface, check the temperature with a thermometer; must be 82C-85C. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and stir gently. You will see that curd begins to form. Continue stirring for about one minute. Cover with a clean cloth and let stand for a few hours.
3. When the ricotta is resting, line the strainer with a large piece of moistened muslin and place it on a larger bowl or pan. Put the ricotta in a colander and let it drain for about an hour.
4. To make sure the cheese is ready, gently lift the muslin around the corners and twist it slightly – the liquid should be slightly milky in color. The ricotta is now ready. Transfer to a container, close and store in the refrigerator until use.