“Cheese Queen” Ricki Carroll’s fresh ricotta

Note: I’m posting this in reference to the previous recipe, Fresh Ricotta and Peas of Spring, but it’s a great one for any time you want fresh ricotta. Once you try a batch, and realize how easy it is to make with delicious results, it’ll be hard to go back to the packaged stuff from the store.  You can use lemon juice or vinegar in place of citric acid; search for other recipes online and experiment to see which you prefer.

Ricki Carroll’s Ricotta

Ingredients:

1  gallon milk

1 tsp. citric acid (you may need to add up to 1 tsp. more, if you are using very fresh milk)

1 tsp. cheese salt

Pour milk into a non-reactive pan. Add 1 to 2 tsp. citric acid and 1 tsp. salt and stir. Heat the milk to 195 degrees F. Stir often to avoid scorching. As soon as the curds and whey separate, turn off the heat. Allow to set undisturbed for 10 minutes. Line a colander with butter muslin or cheese cloth, and place over a large bowl. Ladle the hot curds and whey carefully into the cloth. Tie the cheesecloth into a bag and hang the cheese to drain for one hour. After draining to the consistency you prefer, the cheese is ready to eat. It will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator or may be frozen.

My notes: I use Jackie’s raw Jersey milk, and always use 2 tsp. citric acid as the milk is very fresh. If you have a very fine, single-layer mesh metal strainer, cheese cloth is unnecessary.