Cheese is awesome! For most, it may be a huge leap to think that you can actually make fresh cheese in your own home, but it is surprisingly simple. Ricotta is a fresh cheese and is made by heating milk and stirring in an acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to create curds. The curds are strained from the whey and there you have it, fresh ricotta cheese. This recipe for homemade ricotta cheese is so easy, tastes amazing and can be used for a variety of pasta dishes, salads and appetizers.
Now Get Crackin’!
Chef Egg
How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Gal. Whole Milk
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 White Vinegar or Lemon Juice
You will need…
- Large Pot
- Cheese Cloth
- Colander/Strainer
- Large Bowl
1. Place the milk in a large pot and heat until little bubbles form on the edge of the pot. The temp. should be about 180-190 F.
2. While the milk heats up, line the colander with a double layer of cheese cloth. Place the colander into the large bowl.
3. Stir the vinegar into the heated milk and stir. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. You will see the milk start to seperate into curds and whey immediately.
4. Carefully pour the milk mixture into the cheesecloth and let the whey drain into the bowl. Let this drain for 5 minutes and then pour off the first round of whey. After 20 minutes, you can start to pull the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze more liquid out of the mix.
5. Place the cheese into a bowl and stir. At this point you can taste the cheese and season further with salt if you want.
You can repeat the process to the remaining whey to make a low fat cheese.
