Riccota
Submitted by benita
Homemade ricotta cheese: three-ingredient fresh cheese from whole milk, vinegar, and salt. Slow-curdled the traditional way for silky, delicate curds. Better than any tub at the store.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
6 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
28 hrsHomemade ricotta is absurdly simple and the flavor difference from the grocery-store tub is not subtle. This is the slow, old-fashioned method that develops fine, delicate curds by letting milk sit warm for six hours rather than aggressively boiling it.
Technically this is more of a “ricotta-style” fresh cheese since true Italian ricotta is made from whey rather than whole milk, but this is how Italian-American home cooks have made it for generations. It is sometimes called “paesana” or simply fresh cheese.
A heavy stainless or enameled pot is a must. Aluminum reacts with the vinegar and gives the cheese a metallic taste. The heat must stay very low, brought slowly up to 200°F (93°C), just under a simmer. Boiling will toughen the curds and give you rubber instead of cream.
The six-hour rest in a warm spot (an unheated oven works perfectly) is where curds develop their signature softness. Shortcut methods with direct boiling and immediate straining give tighter, drier curds. This patient version gives you clouds.
Cheesecloth works for draining but a piece of fine nylon curtain netting catches even finer curds. Drain to yogurt consistency for spreadable, or hang in a bag for firm sliceable ricotta.
Salt is optional but enhances everything. Use less if you plan to use it in sweet applications like cheesecake.
Kitchen Tips
- Use the best whole milk you can find. Ultra-pasteurized milk often refuses to curdle properly. Plain pasteurized or unhomogenized (cream-top) gives the best results.
- Lemon juice works just as well as white vinegar and imparts a subtle lemony note.
- Do not stir during the rest. Agitation breaks the curds into tiny pieces that pass through the cheesecloth.
- The leftover whey is still useful. Use it in place of water when making bread or in smoothies.
- Ricotta is at its best after 24 hours of chilling. It deepens in flavor overnight.
Variations
- Stir in a teaspoon of honey and a scrape of orange zest for a sweet dessert ricotta perfect for topping crostini.
- Add fresh herbs (basil, chive, dill) and cracked pepper for a savory herbed version.
- Use it as a filling for ravioli, lasagna, or cheesecake in any recipe calling for ricotta.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour the milk into a heavy stainless-steel or enameled saucepan and stir in the white vinegar or lemon juice.
Set the pot over very low heat and bring the milk very slowly to a simmer (a reading of 200 degrees on a thermometer).
There will be fine beads around the edge of the milk, which will look foamy but will not appear to be boiling.
Remove the pot from the heat and set it, covered, in a spot where it can remain undisturbed and where the temperature will remain fairly uniform at a reading between 80 and 100 degrees.
(An unheated oven, without a pilot light, is a good spot.)
Let the milk stand for about 6 hours, or until a solik curd floats above the liquid (the whey).
More or less time may be required, depending on the temperature of the environment and the characteristics of the milk.
Line a fine sieve with doubled, dampened cheesecloth (or, better yet, two layers of very fine-mesh nylon curtain netting, dampened) and set it over a bowl.
Dip the curds and whey into the sieve and allow the whey to drain off until the ricotta is yogurtlike.
If you want firmer cheese, tie the corners of the cloth to form a bag and hang it up to drain further.
(In warm weather, the draining might well be completed in the refrigerator.)
When the texture of the ricotta is to your liking, add a little salt (from ¼ to ½ t) if you wish.
Store the cheese, covered, in the refrigerator.
It will be at its best after it has chilled for 24 hours, and will keep well for 4 or 5 days.
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