Recipe: How to Make Ricotta Cheese

HOMEMADE RICOTTA
Source: Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking by Michael Chiarello
Makes about 4 cups

My mom usually made ricotta instead of buying it, She would mix it with honey, and we ate it on bread for breakfast, or she would stuff her ravioli with it. It takes only about half an hour to make. The ricotta curds are very fine, so the cheese must be strained through several layers of cheesecloth or muslin, I strain mine through me same piece of muslin my mom used. Your yield will depend on the butterfat content of the milk you use. You might want to search out extra-rich milk

I gallon whole milk
1 quart buttermilk

Select a sieve or colander with a wide surface area so the curds will cool quickly. Rinse a large piece of cheesecloth or muslin with cold water, then told it so that (is 6 or more layers. and arrange it in the sieve or colander placed in the sink.

Pour the milk and buttermilk into a large nonreactive saucepan Place over high heat and heat, stirring the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the whole pan bottom to prevent scorching Once the mixture is warm, stop stirring As the milk heats, curds will begin to rise and clump on the surface As me curds begin to form, gently scrape the bottom of the pan with the spatula to release any stuck curds.

When the mixture reaches 175 to 180 degrees F, the curds and whey will separate. The whey looks like cloudy water underneath a mass of thick white curds on the surface. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Working from the side of the pan, gently ladle the whey into the prepared sieve. Go slowly so as not to break up the curds. Finally, ladle the curds into the sieve. Lift the sides of the cloth to help the liquid drain, Don't press on the curds. When the draining slows, gather the edges of the cloth, tie into a bag, and hang from the faucet. Drain until the dripping stops, about 15 minutes

Untie the bag and pack the into airtight containers. Refrigerate and use within I week

You can reuse the cheesecloth if you wash it well after use.