Homemade Ricotta & Farmers Cheese
So rich, creamy and easy– not to mention inexpensive– that you’ll never buy ricotta again!
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Instructions
- Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Heat the milk to 185-190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom.
- Remove from heat and add the citric acid, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Line a colander with a clean tea towel and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey). Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour. At an hour, you’ll have a tender, spreadable ricotta. At two hours, it will be spreadable but a bit firmer, almost like cream cheese. (It will firm as it cools, so do not judge its final texture by what you have in your towel.)
- Reserve whey for another use. Mix the salt into the ricotta and eat right away, or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Farmers Cheese:
- After emptying the whey from the catch bowl, cover the ricotta with a piece of plastic wrap (to prevent drying out) and place a weight** on top to press out more of the moisture. Put in the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy a creamy spreadable homemade cheese. Great with preserves or a drizzle of honey, either on toast or alone!
Recipe Notes
*or use 3T lemon juice
**I use a zipper baggie filled with some of the whey
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