Have you ever made: Homemade ricotta?

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Margi Cintrano

Washing Up
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
3,424
Location
Both in Italy and Spain
13.30 Hours.

Good Afternoon, Buonsera,

One of the simplest pleasures, is to have home made Ricotta ... Here is the family recipe ...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Organic whole milk ( by choice, you can use regular whole milk)
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
Zest of 2 lemons and the juice
1/4 teaspoon Coarse or Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1. Creating Ricotta is a 2 day process, however, the final results are that you shall have a Creamier and thicker than shop bought Ricotta, which can be pasty and runny outside of Italia.

2. Ricotta is often made with Vinegar, however, I use hand squeezed Lemon juice which provides a refreshing citrus flavor and lovely aromas.

DIRECTIONS ...

a) in a small sauce pan, heat the milk, and heavy cream to 180 degrees.
b) remove from the heat and add: lemon juice, zest, salt and sugar.
c) pour mixture into a cheese cloth lined strainer and strain OVERNIGHT
d) press out any remaining liquid and the Ricotta is Ready to use !

It is lovely in Baked Pastas ... or on its own with a sprinkle of herbs and Focaccia warm out of oven ... or with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey ...

Kind regards.
Happy Holidays.
Margi Cintrano. :chef:
 
@ Bill: I would turn off radiators in kitchen

Good Afternoon Bill,

I would turn off the kitchen radiators for this ...

Or, leave window open, and keep heat on low ...

The cooking end, 180 - 190 for the milk ... whole milk in USA is fine ...

Let me know how it goes ... it is very simple ...

www.smittenkitchen.com

I have not used the exact recipe, However, it is standard know how here in Gargano Peninsula, Puglia ... My friends in Basilicata make it and so did my Grandmom, Margherite.

Happy Holidays.
Margi.








ORIGINAL POST ...

Good Afternoon, Buonsera,

One of the simplest pleasures, is to have home made Ricotta ... Here is the family recipe ...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Organic whole milk ( by choice, you can use regular whole milk)
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
Zest of 2 lemons and the juice
1/4 teaspoon Coarse or Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1. Creating Ricotta is a 2 day process, however, the final results are that you shall have a Creamier and thicker than shop bought Ricotta, which can be pasty and runny outside of Italia.

2. Ricotta is often made with Vinegar, however, I use hand squeezed Lemon juice which provides a refreshing citrus flavor and lovely aromas.

DIRECTIONS ...

a) in a small sauce pan, heat the milk, and heavy cream to 180 degrees.
b) remove from the heat and add: lemon juice, zest, salt and sugar.
c) pour mixture into a cheese cloth lined strainer and strain OVERNIGHT
d) press out any remaining liquid and the Ricotta is Ready to use !

It is lovely in Baked Pastas ... or on its own with a sprinkle of herbs and Focaccia warm out of oven ... or with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey ...

Kind regards.
Happy Holidays.
Margi Cintrano. :chef:[/QUOTE]
 
Good Afternoon Bill,

I would turn off the kitchen radiators for this ...

Or, leave window open, and keep heat on low ...

The cooking end, 180 - 190 for the milk ... whole milk in USA is fine ...

Let me know how it goes ... it is very simple ...

www.smittenkitchen.com

I have not used the exact recipe, However, it is standard know how here in Gargano Peninsula, Puglia ... My friends in Basilicata make it and so did my Grandmom, Margherite.

Happy Holidays.
Margi.








ORIGINAL POST ...

Good Afternoon, Buonsera,

One of the simplest pleasures, is to have home made Ricotta ... Here is the family recipe ...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Organic whole milk ( by choice, you can use regular whole milk)
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
Zest of 2 lemons and the juice
1/4 teaspoon Coarse or Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1. Creating Ricotta is a 2 day process, however, the final results are that you shall have a Creamier and thicker than shop bought Ricotta, which can be pasty and runny outside of Italia.

2. Ricotta is often made with Vinegar, however, I use hand squeezed Lemon juice which provides a refreshing citrus flavor and lovely aromas.

DIRECTIONS ...

a) in a small sauce pan, heat the milk, and heavy cream to 180 degrees.
b) remove from the heat and add: lemon juice, zest, salt and sugar.
c) pour mixture into a cheese cloth lined strainer and strain OVERNIGHT
d) press out any remaining liquid and the Ricotta is Ready to use !

It is lovely in Baked Pastas ... or on its own with a sprinkle of herbs and Focaccia warm out of oven ... or with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey ...

Kind regards.
Happy Holidays.
Margi Cintrano. :chef:
[/QUOTE]
Interesting website. Looks like an interesting alternative to the heavy cream you add to your basil pesto and to the cream cheese I add to mine.
 
I've made fresh cheeses a few times, including ricotta and Indian paneer. One thing to note about organic whole milk in the US is that, unless you are getting it directly from a farm, it's almost always "ultra pasteurized" for long shelf life, and doesn't work well for most cheese making without the addition of something like calcium chloride. The curds don't set up properly. However, it should be fine for something like ricotta. I'll admit that I haven't tried it, though.

I thought ricotta was made from the whey left from making mozzarella or sometimes other cheese.
This is true. Margi's recipe produces a product that's similar to cottage cheese, rather than the ricotta we see in grocery stores. But it's what many Italians make and use in their own recipes.
 
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@ Claire: Margaux´s Reply

13.30 Hours.

Good Afternoon, Buonsera,

One of the simplest pleasures, is to have home made Ricotta ... Here is the family recipe ...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Organic whole milk ( by choice, you can use regular whole milk)
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
Zest of 2 lemons and the juice
1/4 teaspoon Coarse or Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1. Creating Ricotta is a 2 day process, however, the final results are that you shall have a Creamier and thicker than shop bought Ricotta, which can be pasty and runny outside of Italia.

2. Ricotta is often made with Vinegar, however, I use hand squeezed Lemon juice which provides a refreshing citrus flavor and lovely aromas.

DIRECTIONS ...

a) in a small sauce pan, heat the milk, and heavy cream to 180 degrees.
b) remove from the heat and add: lemon juice, zest, salt and sugar.
c) pour mixture into a cheese cloth lined strainer and strain OVERNIGHT
d) press out any remaining liquid and the Ricotta is Ready to use !

It is lovely in Baked Pastas ... or on its own with a sprinkle of herbs and Focaccia warm out of oven ... or with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey ...

Kind regards.
Happy Holidays.
Margi Cintrano. :chef:

@ Claire,

Good afternoon.

The recipe works as is, however, if people wish to contact dairies who can sell whey, then, this is another method of making same ...

My friends in Basilicata and I have made this Ricotta many times, and believe me, it is better than any Brand purchase-able ...

Thanks for feedback.
Happy Holidays.
Margi.
 
@ Steve,

Perhaps, we need to clarify, organic ... Here is E.U. we do not graze our animals on " in-substainable " terroirs ...

I am fully aware about this issue in the USA ... I have very profound heart felt memories of the USA, however, I do know that there are un-kooth issues regarding hormones and insubstainability factors, for example in Maui, Hawaii ...

However, regular whole milk and regular heavy cream are just fine to use for Ricotta as you mentioned ... I use regular cream and regular milk in Italia.

In Spain, I rarely make home made ricotta ... perhaps during holidays, Christmas that is for the family lasagne --- or in Switzerland when I am visiting my younger dtr.

Kind regards.
Happy Holidays.
Margi.
 
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I'm about to make some quark. I wonder if the whey from making quark would work. Hmmm.

I'll give it a try. I have no other use for the whey and I hate throwing it away.
 
@ Steve,

Perhaps, we need to clarify, organic ... Here is E.U. we do not graze our animals on " in-substainable " terroirs ...
Hi Margi,

"Organic" in the US is defined as "foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives."

What you describe sounds like what we would refer to here as "pastured milk". In other words, the cow from which the milk came has only eaten grass. It may or may not be organic. It may or may not be raw.

Pasteurization refers to the heating method used to retard bacterial growth and improve shelf life. Pasteurized milk is heated to 165 F for 15-30 seconds. It has a shelf life of 2-3 weeks.

Ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to 280 F for at least a second. UP milk has a shelf life of 2 or more MONTHS. It doesn't require refrigeration until after it's been opened. The heating process also breaks down some of the proteins, and this is why it isn't suitable for most cheese making.

Unfortunately, most organic milk in the US is ultra-pasteurized. Organic milk tends to not sell as quickly, so grocers prefer the products with longer shelf life. I wish this were not the case.

Definitions aside, I would agree that the best milk for making any kind of cheese is raw, fresh, farm milk. If you can get it, that is. In many places here it's illegal to sell it. The second best choice would be pasteurized store milk. And while I use many organic products, I don't feel that organic milk is a good choice for making cheese unless you know that it's not been ultra-pasteurized. It will say this on the label.
 
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I just recently saw filtered organic milk. Well, they claim it is organic, but they didn't say who, if anyone, did the certification.

Most of the organic milk I see is at the health food store and not ultra-pasteurized.
 
Slang for mozzarella (cows milk). Just like ricotta is sometimes refered to as pot cheese.
 
@ Bill,

I have seen buttermilk too ... However, it does not exist in Mediterranean and I have never used this product ... I prefer as Natural as possible, which means, nothing in cans, plastic, frozen, jars or wax cartons ... if possible !

Thanks for feedback.
Margi.
 
@ Craig.

Entiendo muy bien ahora ... I understand very well now ... Thanks for explaining.

Where are the USA Ales for the wine post I had started ? Have u read my message ?

Happy Easter.
Kindest.
Margi.
 
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I do not make ricotta, but every once in a while (mostly if somebody gives me some milk for free) I'd make, what's called Farmers Cheese here in the States. I like the home made one better than the store bought becasue you can control the moisture in the end product. Also you can add salt or even other herbs, ok I do not add herbs, but it can be done. Unlike ricotta it doesn't really have a curd, it is pasty rather product. Doesn't taste like past though.
 
I do not make ricotta, but every once in a while (mostly if somebody gives me some milk for free) I'd make, what's called Farmers Cheese here in the States. I like the home made one better than the store bought becasue you can control the moisture in the end product. Also you can add salt or even other herbs, ok I do not add herbs, but it can be done. Unlike ricotta it doesn't really have a curd, it is pasty rather product. Doesn't taste like past though.
We like blintzes filled with farmer's cheese.
 
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