Ricotta

Ricotta Recipe:

Ricotta is made from re-cooked whey. In fact the word ‘Ricotta’ means ‘re-cooked’. It forms when proteins from the why separate, rise and coagulate. There are three distinct varieties of ricotta: ricotta salata moliterna (ewe’s milk whey), ricotta piemontese (cow’s milk whey + 10% milk) and ricotta romana (a by-product of Romano cheese production).
This recipe adds additional milk to raise the yield (it is a variety of ricotta salata moliterna. Regardless, this recipe will not yield much more than a cup of cheese.

Ingredients:

Whey from the making of 1 gallon cheese recipe
1 Quart Milk
1/3 cup White Vinegar

1. Mix the quart of milk with the whey
2. Warm the mixture to 100ºF/ 38ºC. Keep it at this temp for about an hour
3. The milk might curdle, don’t worry. After an hour, bring the temp of the milk mixture to 200ºF/ 93.5ºC. Do not allow it to boil
4. While sstirring with a whisk, slowly add the white vinegar
5. Stir for an additional five mins then remove the mixture from the heat
6. Cool the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 8-10 hours
7. Line the colander with a bouble layer of very fine cheesecloth or butter muslin
8. Pour the mixture through the colander. Allow the cheese to drain for several hours
9. Salt the ricotta cheese to taste
10. Place the cheese into a sealable container in your refrigerator