Ask the Splendid Table: How to make your own ricotta

Ask the Splendid Table |

Dear Lynne: I have friends who are just back from a trip to New York City, and they raved about the fresh ricotta they tasted at a cheese shop. Is it something I could try to do at home?

— Peter in Minneapolis

The trick is not to rush the process. Ricotta is the most elemental of cheeses and a great lesson in fresh cheese-making.

In essence, you gently heat whole milk, cream, fresh lemon juice and salt very, very slowly so that the curds (or solids) gradually separate from the liquid whey and float to the top. That slow heating keeps the curds soft, giving the ricotta its authentic creamy quality. Then you drain off the liquid whey by pouring the curds into a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel. Your ricotta will keep four to five days in the refrigerator. The whey could be saved for soups and baking.

This is the recipe.

Homemade ricotta

Yields about 1 pound of cheese, and halves or doubles easily.

If possible, use organic dairy here.

Anticipate this recipe taking 90 minutes from start to finish. You won't need to hover over the stove all that time, but you will need to be in the vicinity. Have an instant-reading thermometer handy, and a good-sized sieve lined with cheesecloth (found in most supermarkets) or a thin kitchen towel, and set over a large bowl.

21/2 quarts whole milk

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream — not ultrapasteurized or sterilized

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir all the ingredients together in a 6-quart, nonreactive (enamel- or stainless-steel-lined) saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the milk reaches 170 degrees, about 40 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium, and slowly bring the milk's temperature up to 205-206 degrees (6 to 8 minutes). Avoid stirring to keep the developing curds large. The curds should mound on a spatula like soft-cooked scrambled eggs.

Turn off the heat, and let the ricotta rest in the pan another 10 minutes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth (I like to wet it to keep it in place) and turn out the contents of the pot and allow to drain 10 minutes. Add more salt if desired. Keep it covered in the refrigerator.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table," American Public Media's weekly national show. The program airs on KUOW 94.9 each Sunday at 2 p.m. Contact Lynne and find station listings at www.splendidtable.org.