So…Kara and I toyed with the idea of making homemade cheese for a while. I was unsure because homemade cheese seemed so ambitious. Would our temperature be precise, would the consistency be right, would it taste like or even resemble cheese?!? We finally decided to grab the bull by the horns and try it out. Err…cow??
As far as cheese is concerned, it was go big or go home for us. So last weekend we made 3 different homemade cheeses. Ricotta was one of them, the other 2 we will post soon. (:
I can not believe we were so worried. The ricotta turned out fantastic. Better than fantastic! Once the ricotta was finito, Kara drizzled olive oil on slices of fresh bread and we toasted them up and spread the ricotta on top. It was heavenly. Initially, I wanted to make lasagna or stuffed shells with our homemade ricotta, but we didn’t have time that day. It wasn’t necessary anyway because literally…the cheese stands alone! Hi-Ho! It was so good all by itself! A slice of bread was all Cliff, Kara and I needed to scarf down the cheese. We (I) may have taken a couple of scoops with our (my) fingers too. #NotEmbarassed
Even better, we learned a valuable lesson this past weekend. We can make cheese here at LLP! There’s nothing we can’t do! Homemade ricotta was easy enough that I know we will make it time and time and time again.
Hello elastic waist sweatpants (-;
Here’s what you’ll need
Heat milk and heavy cream to right before a simmer, 190 degrees F
Add the lemon juice, minced garlic and salt then remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes
Pour the curds into a cheesecloth, draining out the whey. Let sit for 2 hours
One of our biggest successes here at LLP
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Yield: 1 cup of ricotta cheese
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized, if you can find)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
cheesecloth
Directions
Grab a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the bowl. Lay a square of cheesecloth, big enough to cover the strainer, on top of the strainer. Set aside.
In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the milk and heavy cream to right before a simmer, you do not want to boil the milk. Use a thermometer and heat until the temperature reaches precisely 190 degrees F.
Add the lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt and lightly stir to combine the ingredients. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Pour the cheese curds into the cheesecloth, draining the whey into the pot. Let the ricotta sit in the cheesecloth for 2 hours.
Serve with toasts of bread. Eat plain or garnish with fresh herbs and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper, if desired.
Source: Bev Cooks
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