Julia Inslee, Farmer/Cheese Maker
Ricotta Cheese Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon of raw milk (The milk can be from cow, goat, or sheep, but it must be RAW or else it will not form curds.)
- 1/4 cup white vinegar (add more vinegar if necessary)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Equipment
- 2 pots–1 stainless steel pot that fits into a larger pot for a double boiler setup
- long spoon
- cheese cloth
- colander
- food processor
- thermometer
Ricotta Cheese Directions:
1. Fill the bigger pot with water until half full. Place the second, smaller pot, in the first and add the milk. Cover milk and heat. Stir milk occasionally as it’s heating.
2. Heat milk to 185-195 degrees. ***Be careful. The heating can seem like it is taking forever and then suddenly it reaches temperature.
3. Add the vinegar and stir. The curds (solids) and whey (liquid) should begin to separate. Keep stirring until the whey is a pale yellow in color. If the curds don’t separate within 2 minutes, add more vinegar.
4. Turn the heat off and pour the curds into a colander lined with cheese cloth.
5. If using the ricotta immediately, go to next step, but if you want to store the cheese, put the curds in a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds–until creamy.
6. Mix in salt and enjoy.