Yes you can buy ricotta from most stores & it’s perfectly fine for baking – say a cheesecake, but, when you know How to Make Ricotta, like me, you might discover the homemade variety adds a delicious creaminess to top a plate of pasta or serve with a cheese board. Maybe spread on some crostini with some grilled or roasted veg. If you make this ricotta recipe you will find, like I did, the dry, tasteless shop-bought version doesn’t even come close to creamy homemade. It’s actually simple to make with three simple ingredients, although you need some patience as the few steps required to produce the ricotta take time.
Hailing from Italy, ricotta can be made from cow (most common), sheep & goat milk whey leftover from the production of other cheese. Buffalo milk whey can also be used but I’ve not see it before. You need to coagulate the proteins in the milk & this is most commonly done (at home) by adding something acidic such as lemon juice or buttermilk which causes the milk to curdle.
After a day, you’re left with a creamy ricotta that is so good it can be eaten on its own simple spread onto a good cracker.
There’s no comparison between store-bought ricotta & this buttermilk ricotta recipe you can make at home. This is delectably creamy with a luscious mouth feel & a fresh, acidic aftertaste. Use it for baking, spread it on toast, add it to a pizza, sandwich, fill pasta shells, layer it in a lasagne or bake it. This recipe takes a day to make so plan ahead of when you’ll need it. This makes approximately 3 cups
There’s no comparison between store-bought ricotta & this buttermilk ricotta recipe you can make at home. This is delectably creamy with a luscious mouth feel & a fresh, acidic aftertaste. Use it for baking, spread it on toast, add it to a pizza, sandwich, fill pasta shells, layer it in a lasagne or bake it. This recipe takes a day to make so plan ahead of when you’ll need it. This makes approximately three cups & will keep for a week covered in the fridge.
HOW TO MAKE RICOTTA
Equipment
- large pot
- Large fine metal sieve or colander
- Medium-large bowl
- 16-inch square piece of muslin or cheesecloth (I use a white, thin flour sack towel)
- plate
- one or two cans for weight
Ingredients
- 8 cups whole milk
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons flaked or course sea salt
Instructions
- Combine milk, buttermilk & cream in a large pot (such as one you’d use for boiling pasta) over medium-high heat & bring to a simmer. When it’s ready bubbles break the surface around the edge of the pot, the mixture swells up the side of the pot about 1 inch (give or take) & it looks as though the mixture has split. Remove the pot from the heat & let sit, uncovered & untouched for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set up a fine metal sieve in a medium-large size bowl. Drape a piece of muslin/cheesecloth inside the sieve, overhanging the side. After 35 minutes, carefully pour the milk mixture into the cloth-lined sieve. Let stand, uncovered, for 1 hour or until cool.
- Gather the cloth up towards the center & twist to helpsqueeze the excess whey from the ricotta. Discard the whey (the liquid in thebowl or use for other cooking purposes).
- Once the ricotta is cooled, leaving it in the strainer overthe bowl, twist the cloth into the center of the ricotta, cover with a platethen weight the plate down with a can of something from the pantry. Store inthe fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the can & plate. Carefully unwrap the ricottathen place a plate or bowl over the ricotta & upturn it onto the plate.Discard any whey in the bowl. Place the ricotta into a sealed container to store& store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 3 cups.
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