Easy Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe With Two Ingredients

sarita — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:36:01 +0000

Ok, it may be three ingredients, and you do need to purchase cheesecloth, But we found this very straightforward homemade ricotta recipe on the Washington Post’s website and had to share. You’ll essentially make your own whey, using a combination of buttermilk and whole milk. The whole milk portion can be all cow or cow and goat’s milk if you like. (Though Italian tradition dictates that sheep milk is best). The freshness of the milk is absolutely essential and it’s worth searching for the freshest milk available as it greatly impacts the taste of the final product. Keep in mind that ricotta is a “fresh” cheese and it should be consumed or used within a day or so of making. Depending on the consistency you want, you may drain the cheese for longer for a drier texture, or shorter for a runnier texture. We enjoy it simply on grilled, crusty bread with some freshly ground black pepper and fresh cherry tomatoes.

From the Washington Post, 7/21/2009

Homemade Ricotta

You won’t need rennet, but you will need 2 square yards of cheesecloth to make this fresh ricotta.

MAKE AHEAD: The ricotta can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, but is best eaten within a day or two of when it was made.

Makes about 2 pounds*

Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk
1 quart cultured low-fat buttermilk (may substitute 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar or 1/3 cup strained, freshly squeezed lemon juice)

Directions

Combine the milk and buttermilk in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as an enamel-coated cast-iron pot) and set it over medium-high heat.

While the milk and buttermilk are heating, rinse the cheesecloth under cold water and squeeze out any excess water. Fold the cheesecloth to create at least 4 layers, then drape it over a large fine-mesh strainer or colander (so there is some excess cheesecloth hanging over the rim). Place the strainer or colander in the sink.

Stir the milk occasionally as it heats up, taking care to scrape the bottom with the spatula every so often. After about 20 minutes, you will see the first curds appear on the surface. At this point you should stop stirring, but continue to occasionally run the spatula along the bottom of the pot to release any curds that may be stuck there.

As more curds form, they will collect into a thick, soft mass and float to the surface, leaving a cloudy liquid (the whey) beneath them. As soon as this separation occurs, transfer the pot to a spot next to the sink. Begin ladling the ricotta into the cheesecloth-lined strainer or colander. The best way to do this is to use the ladle to gently push aside the curds, then ladle the whey into the strainer or colander. (If you ladle in the curds first, it will take longer for the ricotta to drain and the whey will press down the curds as it is poured over them).

Once you have ladled in most of the whey, use the ladle to gently scoop the curds into the colander. Fold any overhanging cheesecloth over the top of the curds (without pressing) and let it drain for 5 to 15 minutes (or longer), depending on how firm you want your ricotta to be. Discard any leftover whey. If you’re not using the drained ricotta immediately, spoon it into a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep for up to a week, but is best when eaten within a day or two.

* If you do not use buttermilk, the total yield of fresh ricotta may be somewhat less.

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sarita — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:29:23 +0000

I’ve had homemade cheeses before and loved how they tasted, but I never got around to making cheese myself. So one day recently, I mustered up the courage and began the process of learning how to make a simple cheese.

Making cheese is a lot simpler than one might think – at least when it comes to making a simple cheese. You can make it just by heating milk and adding vinegar, which is fairly similar to the way I improvise on a recipe requiring buttermilk. When I make imitation buttermilk, all I do is add lemon to the milk until it curdles, the only difference is that when it comes to making cheese, you harvest the curdled part. The solid substance is called the curd, the leftover liquid is called whey – the same curds and whey Miss Muffet enjoyed.

This seemed a little too easy and this type of cheese is fairly soft, with an almost cottage cheese-like consistency. I researched a little further to find a way to make a firmer cheese?

The answer came… Rennet! Rennet is traditionally made from the stomach of a calf, it is salted after the beast is slaughtered. You can buy rennet easily through various cheese-making supply websites. I was too impatient to wait to get the real stuff, but I found out that there were other forms of rennet that would give the same results. After looking for what seemed like an eternity, I found a recipe for vegetarian rennet. I took about a pound of nettle leaves, a couple of ounces of hops, and some yarrow flowers, put then in a pot and covered it with just enough water to immerse the plants. I brought it to a simmer and then let it sit for a while to steep. I then drained it and added about a cup of salt.

Another thing that helps in cheese-making is conditioning the milk. Through my research I found that I had to add live cultures… but where to get them? The answer ended up being rather simple, buttermilk and yogurt. In the same pot as the milk, I poured a half-gallon of milk, one quart of buttermilk, and a whole container of yogurt. I put in half a pint of heavy cream for good measure. I let this sit for a good two hours and guess what? It began to curdle. I wanted thicker curds though, so I poured a half-cup of my homemade rennet in and the curds got thicker in just a matter of minutes. To promote the growth of the bacteria in the yogurt, I let it sit a while, warming it slightly over the stove, careful to not even bring it to a simmer.

I could now see the curds and the whey. The whey was a pale yellowish hue and the curds looked a little bit like scrambled egg whites. I then lined a colander with cheesecloth and proceeded to filter the curds from the whey. I put the curds into a bowl and added salt to further help the removal of excess liquid. Next, I returned it to the colander lined with a fresh layer of cheesecloth. I was anxious to taste it, and wow, it actually tasted like cheese!

The next step is optional – putting your cheese in a mold and pressing it. To make my press, I rummaged around the kitchen to see what I could use. I took an old plastic sherbet container and put a bunch of holes in it. I then placed my cheese curd filled cheesecloth inside and placed it in a large bowl and but a plate on top of my curds. Now the problem was having enough weight to press it. I placed two big cans of tomatoes on top and, voilà, it worked. After pressing it, I put the cheese into the refrigerator and let it set. It tasted a lot like cheddar.

Next time I try to make cheese, I probably use this same recipe but will try to improve upon it. When I master this one, then I think I’ll feel a little more like trying a different style of cheese. Happy cheese making!

Paul Rinehart is the founder of Online Cooking.

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