Kitchen Wisdom Gluten Free Homemade Ricotta is delicious and easy.  This recipe quickly clears the mystery shrouding introductory cheese making.  I made this ricotta with a dear friend, Stacy, who is a homemade ricotta fanatic.  We used powdered citric acid, but lemon or vinegar can be used to curdle the milk as well.  An acid must be present to act as a catalyst for the milk to curdle.  Lemon or vinegar can be used, if you want to be sure there is no adulteration to the milk flavor, citric acid is recommended.  

     Traditionally, ricotta is made with whey left over from the process of making mozzarella.  The whey sits overnight to become more acidic before using it.  Ricotta has also been traditionally produced using milk from sheep, goats, cows or water buffalos.  Ricotta is simply recooked protein. The process is actually quite simple, just not common in our household kitchens any longer; so the first time you may feel like you are doing more than you are.  We brought the milk to a rolling simmer and added salt and then citric acid in water.  After letting it curdle for a bit, we strained the ricotta into cheesecloth and hung the cloth to remove liquid. Completely old school, tie the cheesecloth around the cheese and hang it from the faucet of your sink.  The hanging time determines the consistency you may want from the ricotta.  If you like it creamier, only hang for a few moments; if you prefer it dry, let it hang for a few minutes. Ultra-creamy ricotta cooked in this way will be best accomplished by adding heavy cream to the whole milk. We made a deliciously textured ricotta and had it fresh and warm for lunch with blueberries!

Yields approximately 3 cups

½ gallon Organic Whole Fat Cow’s Milk

1/3 cup Water

1 teaspoon Citric Acid

½ teaspoon Salt

 

Dissolve the citric acid in water and set aside.

    Place the milk in a large pot on medium high.  When it reaches a rolling simmer, add the salt, followed by half of the citric acid in water.  Use a metal spoon to stir the milk.

When the milk reaches 160 degrees it begins to curdle, this is when you see large flakes.  Now add the rest of the citric acid water; when large curds begin to form, rest the metal spoon on the bottom of the pot to disperse the heat.

Let the milk warm to 190 degrees, then turn off the cheese pot, leave the lid off and allow the cheese to sit in the pot for about 15 minutes.

   Line a strainer with cheesecloth.  If your cheesecloth is thin, double it and dampen it, then leave it in the strainer.

 

We used a thicker cloth, which can be purchased at stores selling cheese making supplies.

Drain the ricotta into the cheesecloth lined strainer and hang on your kitchen faucet.

This allows the liquid to strain directly into the sink.  You can hang it for a minute for creamier ricotta, and 5 minutes for dryer and heavy textured ricotta.

“Homemade Ricotta with Blueberries” by Liz Conforti, Forget What You Know About Wheat (c) 2016

Other Delicious Kitchen Wisdom Gluten Free Recipes Using Ricotta:

Pasta con Ricotta (Italian Mac & Cheese)

Lasagne

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