Real Food Recipes, Snacks & Sides, True Health
Make Your Own Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta cheese. The words immediately conjure up images of a gorgeously ooey-gooey cheesy lasagna. It’s melt-in-your-mouth wonderful and I’ve just discovered how incredibly easy it is to make your own!
The hubby and I are staying in Hamilton, NZ (1.5 hours south of Auckland) right now on a farm. We feed the chickens every day, weed in the permaculture garden, help move the cows to a new paddock, and bake yummy things with the lemons & oranges that grow right outside the back door. Then we have all afternoon to sightsee in Hamilton, hang out with newly made friends from Horsham Downs Community Church, and read books & magazines about gardening, composting toilets, and cheese-making.
Judy’s cows are beef cattle, not dairy cows, but her friend Mavis hooked us up with some delicious, fresh raw milk from her cow named Nina.
Judy and I set to work making our very first batch of ricotta cheese. Neither of us had made our own cheese before, but I highly recommend trying ricotta as a first attempt since it will probably boost your confidence in cheese making as it did ours.
Granted, making ricotta cheese is a great thing to do with the leftover whey from making other kinds of cheese, but the yield won’t be as large as it will be with straight up milk.
Equipment Needed:
Colander Cheesecloth Bowl (to place colander in) Large Saucepan or Double Boiler Thermometer Slotted SpoonIngredients:
2 liters whole milk (preferably raw) sea salt, to taste 1/4 c. vinegar or lemon juiceDirections:
Place your cheesecloth over the colander, then place the colander inside the bowl.
Pour the milk into the double boiler and add salt to taste. Heat slowly to 185 F / 85 C. Maintain this temperature and slowly add 1/4 c. vinegar or lemon juice, stirring very slowly. Stop stirring as soon as the curd has formed.
Scoop out your ricotta cheese and gently place it into the colander lined with cheesecloth. Let it cool, then eat immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ricotta cheese works very well in either savory (lasagna) or sweet (cheese blintzes) dishes. I enjoyed mine spread on toast and topped with tomato and fresh basil.
It would be extra tasty on a slice of No Knead Gluten Low Bread.
Do you make your own cheese? What is your favorite recipe with ricotta cheese?
This post is linked to Monday Mania
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October 5, 2011 at 7:03 pm[…] And you don’t even need a fancy culture or any special tools, really! This tutorial from Laurel of Leaves actually looks pretty easy! I never would have thought one of my most favorite cheeses could be […]
Mary
October 7, 2011 at 3:53 pmHi Lori,
Oh I just love making homemade ricotta. So easy and so delicious…I ca eat it by the spoonfuls! Did you re-boil the whey liquid and make a second batch of whey ricotta? It is delicious too!
Your photos are lovely. Love the one of the cows – so peaceful looking.
Love,
Mary
Lori Winter
October 7, 2011 at 8:32 pmThanks Mary! We ended up feeding the leftover whey to the chickens as a treat. They gobbled it up! :)
Emma @ Craving Fresh
November 20, 2011 at 1:24 amOh this is too funny. My friends go to Horsham Downs Community Church. Where was the farm you were staying at? Is it an official Farm Stay, or do you know the owners? Sounds like a wonderful work-vacation.
Lori Winter
November 20, 2011 at 1:24 pmHow crazy! We loved HDCC :) We met the pastor’s son in Wellington when he was visiting a friend. Small world, huh?!
We stayed with a lady near Gordonton / Taupiri who is a WWOOF & HelpX host.