Make it Yourself: Ricotta Cheese

In my quest to eat local, fresh and healthy foods, I have learned to make more things at home and to buy fewer processed foods.  
Here is a delicious recipe for  ricotta cheese that can very easily be made at home to have on hand for eating and cooking.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 quart milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice



Pour the milk in a glass or enamel saucepan (this is very important).  Stir in the lemon juice and heat the mixture gently to 200 degrees Fahrenheit or until it is just on the edge of a simmer.   Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, partially covered, until the milk coagulates.  This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.  Sieve the milk through a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl.   Fold the cheesecloth over the cheese and let it drain for several hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Voila - homemade ricotta cheese!

A couple of tips:

I have an electric stove, so I put the pan on a bit under the half-way heating mark on the dial.  It takes about 30 minutes to reach the simmer stage.  Also, every time I  make ricotta, it only takes 30 minutes for the curds to separate from the whey once it is off the heat.

I often add some good olive oil, seasonings and a little salt to the mixture and serve it as an appetizer.

Janice Coduri, Director, Wellesley Free Library