1 Picture
Ingredients
- 1 gallon pasteurized whole milk*
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Whole milk only
- ________________________
- 1/2 Recipe
- 1/2 gallon pasteurized whole milk*
- 2 Tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Or
- Alex Guarnaschelli's Recipe
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Details
Preparation
Step 1
1. Place milk in a large, heavy, non-reactive pot on medium heat. Add
the salt and stir briefly to dissolve. Allow the milk to heat up slowly, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking or burning. This could take up to 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Watch carefully and, as steam starts to form and tiny bubbles appear on the milk’s surface, check the temperature with a cooking thermometer. You want it to reach 180 to 185 degrees — near scalding.
3. When it reaches the correct temperature, take the pot off the burner, add the vinegar and give it one brief stir — just enough to disperse the vinegar. Don’t stir up the milk too much or you’ll risk breaking the gorgeous big ricotta curds into tiny, grainy little ones.
4. Cover with a dry, clean dish towel and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for a couple of hours or more.
5. When the ricotta has rested, take cheesecloth, dampen it and place it inside a colander. With a finely slotted spoon, carefully ladle out the ricotta into the prepared colander, keeping the curd chunks as large as you can. The more they are handled, the tougher they will become— which is not the desired result.
6. Set the ricotta-filled colander inside a larger pan so it can drain freely. You can let it drain for at least 30 minutes and up to more than two hours, depending on how creamy or dry you want it to be. Lift the cheesecloth by the four corners and twist gently. If the liquid runs clear, squeeze a little more. If the liquid runs milky, there is no more need to squeeze.
7. Place ricotta in a tightly sealed container.
Refrigerated, it will keep for up to seven days. Plan on using it within that time as it doesn’t freeze well.
*Do not use low fat or part skim milk in making ricotta as the flavor comes
from the cream in the whole milk. For desserts, add 1 pint heavy whipping
cream along with the milk for a richer and creamier result
___________________________
ALEX's
In a medium pot, bring the cream, milk, and buttermilk to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer gently for a few minutes until the milk solids rise to the surface and form what looks like a raft. Shut off the heat and allow the milk to rest and cool gently on the stove, 15 to 20 minutes.
Line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth. Use a large spoon to scoop the solids from the surface into the strainer. Pour the liquid gently over the solids in the strainer, allowing the liquid to flow through the strainer and trapping the solids in the cheesecloth. The liquid is the whey and can be used to thicken soups or as a substitute for water in bread dough, among other things. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow all of the liquid to drain out and the ricotta to firm up slightly. Use the ricotta as desired.
Review this recipe