Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Making ricotta cheese at home is really simple and since we’ve got a supply of fresh milk; I decided to make some and flavor it with herbs as a cheese spread for our last party with friends.   I flavored the freshly made ricotta with scallions (2 diced), fresh dill (2 tablespoon chopped), fresh chives (1 tablespoon chopped), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  It was delicious!  Since ricotta has a delicate flavor by itself, there are about a million different ways that it can be flavored and used, just make sure to allow time in advance so that it can drain to the consistency that you prefer.

4 cups whole milk (I use goat milk but cow milk works just as well)

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Combine the milk, cream, and salt in a stainless or enameled pot and bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.  Let the mixture stand until it curdles (it should separate in to thick parts (the curds) and thin parts (the whey)).  It should do this within a few minutes. 

Pour the mixture into a sieve lined with cheesecloth and allow to drain into a bowl for at least 30 minutes (periodically discard the liquid that accumulates in the bowl).  The longer the mixture sits draining, the thicker the consistency of the final cheese will be.  We tend to like it on the thick side, so I’ve put the sieve and bowl into the refrigerator overnight to achieve the consistency we like when using goats milk as the base.  When the ricotta has achieved the desired consistency, transfer to a bowl and flavor as desired.   It makes about 2 cups and will last refrigerated for at least 5 days.