HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE
Ricotta cheese is a fresh, soft cheese originating from Italy. It is made from whey, the liquid by-product of cheese production, often derived from cow, sheep, or goat milk. The process involves heating the whey and adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, which causes the proteins to coagulate and form curds.
Ricotta has a creamy, slightly grainy texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. It is versatile in culinary applications, commonly used in both savoury and sweet dishes. In savoury recipes, it can be found in pasta fillings like lasagna or ravioli, in baked dishes, or as a topping on pizzas. Sweet applications often include desserts such as cannoli, carrot cake, or as a filling for pastries.
Ricotta is not aged, making it a fresh cheese, making it the perfect cheese to master at home. The fact is takes less than an hour and you only need milk and citrus, means it really is a great way to get cheese into your fridge really quickly without spending a lot of money.
HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE
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HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE 〰️
2 ltr milk
2 tea sp salt
6 tbl sp white vinegar
In a pot add in the milk and salt and bring up to 85 degrees Celsius on medium high heat. Make sure you stir as you go as to not create a film on the bottom. If you don’t have thermometer I eyeball it until I see steam rapidly rising but not bubbling yet.
Once you hit 85 degrees add in the vinegar (it will immediately begin to curdle) and stir gently for one minute on heat so it comes to 90 degrees Celsius and then take off the heat, place lid on top and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
Set up a cheesecloth in a sieve over a bowl and using a ladle gently remove the ricotta curds from the pot and pour onto the cheesecloth to collect the ricotta. Gently squeeze out any liquid and tightly wrap the ricotta in cling film into a log shape and pop in fridge until ready to use.
Do not throw out the leftover whey liquid. All the glowing liquid is perfect for brining chicken. Add chicken into brine and pop in fridge for minimum an hour and then remove chicken when ready to cook. The acid in the whey helps break down the connective fibres of your proteins allowing for a juicing chicken.