Homemade Ricotta

I came to appreciate the virtues of ricotta as more than just a cheese for lasagna on a trip to Sicily.  We had just hiked up a beautiful gorge and body surfed down it, something I'm sure that the U.S.'s safety regulations would never allow.  When it was over, we were exhilirated. . . and hungry.  

As we pulled onto the main road, we saw a small sign for an "agriturismo," a working farm that also serves food.  At the farm, we first saw a pen of ostriches, but no other cars.  We almost turned around to go, but a woman rushed out and greeted us warmly.  About 20 minutes after we sat down, she returned with a loaf of delicious bread and a bowl of fresh ricotta.  It was still warm.  At the time I wondered how they could keep such supplies on hand when their visitors seemed infrequent.  Now I realize that she probably made it in the time it took us to peek into the ostrich pen and settle into our chairs.

I had never tasted anything like it.  It was delightfully creamy and mild, and I just couldn't get enough.  It took 10 years, but I recently learned that it is very easy to make ricotta at home.  Well, technically, this recipe does not make a true ricotta, which is made with the whey by-product of cheese-making.  In this process, milk is curdled with an acid -- usually vinegar -- and the whey is drained while the solids are retained to make a very close facsimile of ricotta. 

We have tried three different variations of the acid, using cider vinegar, white vinegar, and lemon juice.  Each was good in its own way.  My favorite was the white vinegar.  It has a neutral flavor and does not alter the flavor of the cheese, resulting in a very pure, creamy taste.  The cider vinegar produced a stronger flavored cheese, with a hint of the cider flavor to it.  Gabe loved it.  The lemon ricotta also retained a hint of the lemon, which would be excellent paired with the right food, maybe spring vegetables or in a dessert.

We use ricotta as a sandwich spread, for pastas, like this or that, and, of course, it is excellent in lasagna.  One of our favorite dinners recently was bread, fresh ricotta, tomatoes, swiss chard, and chives.  We just piled the toppings onto the bread in various combinations.  You could also adapt this approach to make a lovely appetizer plate. 

I admit that this recipe doesn't quite take me to the euphoric heights of that first bowl of fresh ricotta in Italy, but it's very close.  

Homemade Ricotta

Makes about 2 cups
5 minutes preparation time
15 minutes cooking time 

Ricotta is not a salty cheese;  its flavor is quite mild.  I usually make this version and adjust the salt depending on how I serve it, but if you prefer, you could increase the amount of salt when cooking. 

1 half gallon whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white vinegar, cider vinegar, or fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Place a colander over a large bowl and line it with 4 layers of cheesecloth.

Bring the milk and salt to a simmer.  Add the vinegar or lemon juice and let the mixture simmer until solid curds appear, approximately 2 minutes.

Slowly pour the mixture through the cheesecloth and let it drain for about a minute.  Transfer the ricotta into a bowl.  Serve the ricotta warm or refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.  

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Comments

[Adrienne S.]

Yum...looks great! I'm going to try this tonight and hopefully serve some as an appetizer tommorrow.

[Toby]

Wow! This turned out amazing. I've never been a big ricotta fan, but we needed some to make canoli. I've made this twice and I don't think it's going to survive to be canoli. Everyone who walks by it while it's draining eats some. Thanks for sharing =D