# ISO: Homemade T&T Ricotta Cheese Recipe



## mish (May 1, 2006)

Anyone have a tried and true Homemade Ricotta Cheese recipe? Thanks in advance.


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## bethzaring (May 1, 2006)

Hey Mish, my short answer is NO, I do not have any tnt homemade ricotta cheese recipes, been making cheese for 28 years and not one has ever turned out the same.  But will you be starting with fresh whey or milk for your ricotta? I am making a ricotta as I type, but I am using the whey leftover from the mozzarella, so you may not find that recipe useful.

Beth


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## bethzaring (May 2, 2006)

Mish, here is a standard quick cheese recipe that is sometimes called ricotta and sometimes called cottage cheese and sometimes queso blanco.  The texture can be firm but not always.  I use my stand mixer to mix it up a bit or to incorporate eggs and things for lasagna type dishes.

1 gallon milk
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 t. non-iodized or kosher salt

Heat milk to 185 degrees F.  Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.  Pour into a cheesecloth lined colander and drain for 20 minutes. Mix in salt to taste.  Will keep well in frig for 1 week, freezes too. Can stir in cream in you like.

I made my cheese bags from a good quality muslin. 

Beth


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## mish (May 3, 2006)

bethzaring said:
			
		

> Mish, here is a standard quick cheese recipe that is sometimes called ricotta and sometimes called cottage cheese and sometimes queso blanco. The texture can be firm but not always. I use my stand mixer to mix it up a bit or to incorporate eggs and things for lasagna type dishes.
> 
> 1 gallon milk
> 1/4 cup vinegar
> ...


 
Thank you, Beth. I've never made ricotta from scratch, so I was clueless. Thought homemade would be fresher than store-bought. Appreciate you sharing your recipe.


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## Yakuta (May 3, 2006)

Hi Beth I am glad to hear someone follows a similar recipe to me.  It may not be technically the same (I have had a lot of people pounce on me at first when I initially shared this technique and indicated that the taste is similar to Ricotta).  

To me the texture and taste is similar to Ricotta.  If you drain out too much liquid from this it becomes paneer which we use in Indian cooking.  

It works for me every time.  To make the cheese even creamier I normally add a small pint of cream to the milk when I bring it to a boil and then stir in the vinegar.  The fat from the cream makes for even a denser creamier whey.


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## mish (May 3, 2006)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Hi Beth I am glad to hear someone follows a similar recipe to me. It may not be technically the same (I have had a lot of people pounce on me at first when I initially shared this technique and indicated that the taste is similar to Ricotta).
> 
> To me the texture and taste is similar to Ricotta. If you drain out too much liquid from this it becomes paneer which we use in Indian cooking.
> 
> It works for me every time. To make the cheese even creamier I normally add a small pint of cream to the milk when I bring it to a boil and then stir in the vinegar. The fat from the cream makes for even a denser creamier whey.


 
Thank you Yakuta. You're always a wealth of cooking knowledge/info. Do you mind sharing your recipe, since I've never made it at home... and is it truely Ricotta or more like yogurt cheese? Sorry if it's a silly question.  Found a recipe on the net, but don't know if it's actually T&T.


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## Yakuta (May 3, 2006)

Hi Mish, thanks for the kind words.  I will surely share my recipe.  The texture of this is definitely like ricotta and so is the taste so it's not like yogurt cheese (but then again I am not exactly sure what you mean by yogurt cheese, sorry  )

I do want to put a disclaimer that it is by no means the authentic way to make Ricotta which is a rather laborious process of cooking whey leftover after the cheesemaking process but this one works just as well. 

Depending on how much you want to make here is the process (very similar to what was posted earlier)

1/2 gallon of whole milk (No 2% or skim)
1/2 pint of heavy cream 
1/4 cup of vinegar (plain white vinegar works great)

Mix the milk and cream in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a rolling boil.  Shut the stove and add the vinegar to it.  Cover and let the vinegar do it's job for atleast 20 minutes for good results).  

Now slowly stir the milk to see if it has curdled.  Seive it either in a cheese cloth or a fine mesh (I have mesh that my friend gave me as a gift from Crate and Barrell and that works really well).  The cheese will remain back and the water will drain out.  Let the cheese drain for a good couple of hours.  You can keep trying to squeeze out the water from it. 

Place it in a bowl and it is ready to use (I like to cool it first).  You can try to taste it side by side with a store bought ricotta and tell me what you think in terms of the taste.  The vinegar will all be rinsed out and there will be no sour taste (not if it's done correctly).  

I use this when I am out of Ricotta in a sinch and it works great.  If I hang this for several more hours and then press it under weight and then completely dry it out it becomes paneer (which is used in Indian cooking).


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## mish (May 3, 2006)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Hi Mish, thanks for the kind words. I will surely share my recipe. The texture of this is definitely like ricotta and so is the taste so it's not like yogurt cheese (but then again I am not exactly sure what you mean by yogurt cheese, sorry  )
> 
> I do want to put a disclaimer that it is by no means the authentic way to make Ricotta which is a rather laborious process of cooking whey leftover after the cheesemaking process but this one works just as well.
> 
> ...


 
Wowee. Thank you Yakuta.  I think I've heard/read about the vinegar - or the cheese needs to be curdled. Something I've never attempted, but was always curious. Yikes, thought it might be an easier process, but guess all good things take a little work/experimenting. Heard of paneer and love Indian cooking, but never was brave enough to try cooking it myself. Crate & Barrel I'm familiar with -- some good stuff  

The yogurt cheese in a nutshell - yogurt drained thru cheesecloth to produce a thicker consistancy to use in sauces or even make a light cheesecake. Thank you again. Much appreciated.


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