When I first heard of making homemade ricotta, I was intrigued. As someone that makes crackers, why not make cheese? The process is incredibly simple, essentially you just curdle milk and cream (appetizing, right? Curdled is such a pleasant word). The results are absolutely incredible. At first it looks like you just produced a disaster, but after a little stirring and straining, it goes from a curdled mess into something glorious and smooth. Thanks, Ina, for the recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
Pour milk and cream into a very large stock pot (or cast iron enameled dutch oven). Trust me, you want this to be a very large pot. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn’t scorch.
Meanwhile, line a large sieve with a few layers of dampened cheesecloth, place over a large bowl.
Once milk and cream mixture comes to a boil, turn off the heat and allow mixture to rest for 1 minute, until it looks curdled (you want this in a large pot because when you add the vinegar, the mixture quickly aerates and bubbles and you don’t want this overflowing). After resting, the mixture will separate into thick parts (the curds) and the watery liquid (whey).
Pour mixture into the lined sieve and allow to drain at room temperature for 18-25 minutes. You may need to occasionally discard the whey that collects in the bowl. I prefer a creamy and soft, but thick consistency that’s usually reached around 20 minutes. The good thing about this is that if you let it drain for too long and it becomes too thick and dry, you can always stir in a little bit of the whey to loosen it up.
Use immediately or transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Notes:
- Ricotta translates from Italian to recook. Traditionally you use the whey from other cheese production to make ricotta, so this technically isn’t ricotta, although it produces similar results.
- I love this spread on toasts and topped with delightful sweet or savory ingredients (like this pear, prosciutto, ricotta toast).
- Use in any recipe or application that calls for ricotta!
