# Homemade Ricotta Cheese



## Gossie (Nov 24, 2007)

Anyone ever made it?   I found this recipe on the web, I think it's from Michael Chicarella.


*Homemade Ricotta*

1 gallon whole milk
1 quart buttermilk​  Select a sieve or colander with a wide surface area so the curds will cool quickly. Rinse a large piece of cheesecloth or muslin with cold water, then fold it so that it is 6 or more layers, and arrange it in the sieve, or colander placed in the sink. 


Pour the milk and buttermilk into a large nonreactive saucepan. Place over high heat and heat, stirring the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the whole pan bottom to prevent scorching. Once the mixture is warm, stop stirring, As the milk heats, curds wili begin to rise and clump on the surface. As the curds begin to form, gently scrape the bottom of the pan with the spatula to release any stuck curds. 


When the mixture reaches 175 to 180F, the curds and whey wili separate. The whey looks like cloudy water underneath a mass of thick white curds on the surface. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Working from the side of the pan, gently ladle the whey into the prepared sieve. Go slowly so as not to break up the curds. Finally, ladle the curds into the sieve. Lift the sides of the cloth to help the liquid drain. Don't press on the curds. When the draining slows, gather the edges of the cloth, tie into a bag, and hang from the faucet. Drain until the dripping stops, about 15 minutes. Untie the bag and pack the ricotta into airtight containers. 



Refrigerate and use within 1 week. Makes about 4 cups.


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## Bilby (Nov 24, 2007)

Think there was a thread recently about homemade cheeses.  Rom was making some different cheeses from that thread. Might want to PM her Gossie.


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## Gossie (Nov 24, 2007)

Yea, I noticed AFTER I sent the message.    LoL   Thanks    Wonder how cost effective it is to make your own.


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## Bilby (Nov 24, 2007)

Guess it depends how often you use it and how cheap you can buy the commerical product.


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## Gossie (Nov 24, 2007)

It's expensive here, I have to plan so that I don't waste any of it.


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## Rom (Nov 24, 2007)

it's not cost effective LOL well not here anyways LOL


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## Aurora (Nov 24, 2007)

Ricotta is traditionally made from the whey which is left over from the making of hard cheeses (including cheddar, feta, mozzarella, etc.).  The ricotta made from whey will taste different from the whey made from whole milk.

Here is a great reference site for making of ricotta both ways:

Fias Co Farm/Dairy- Ricotta cheese recipes; using whey only and whole milk

Don't stop at just the cheese recipes, it's a fun site with lots of interesting information.


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## ErikC (Dec 31, 2007)

Something similar can be made using skim milk and vinegar. Start with a gallon of skim milk, heat it to about 120 degrees F. Remove from the heat, and add 3/4 cup white vinegar. Stir for a couple of minutes, then cover and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.

Then strain and rinse as with the ricotta. 

I think the addition of vinegar simply lower the temperature at which the curds and whey separate, but maybe it is a different product altogether. After all, someone did mention that ricotta is made from the whey of harder cheeses (_ricotta_ meaning "recooked" in Italian), while this is made from skim milk.


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