I think I did it...I made ricotta cheese. And it was mostly good. Note: when making cheese use whole milk, much of the flavor comes from the fat. I may research ways to make it less fattening later.
This cheese was easier than I expected. There is a lot of stirring involved. Pour 1 Gallon of Milk in the pan, add citric acid and cheese salt. It is okay to use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt if you cannot find/afford cheese salt. It was $3.79 for 8 ounces and you don't need much. I ended up using 2% milk for this cheese. When I make it again, I will make it with whole milk. This batch came out a little bland.
So, how does one make ricotta cheese...line strainer with muslin; pour 1 gallon of milk in stock pan...bigger is better here, add salt and citric acid...this helps the milk curds coagulate...stir often, milk scalds easily. Once you reach 150 degrees on the thermometer, you must stir constantly. I promise, your arm will not fall off. You are only working to reach 195 degrees or when the curds and whey separate. This took me about a half-hour over medium to medium-high heat. When the curds and whey separate, take milk off the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, ladle the curds into the cheese cloth; you will end up ladling the whey too...the pan is big and still kind of hot. I expect it makes less mess than pouring. I used a piece of muslin a little over the size of a fat quarter. Once the cheese mix was ladled into the strainer, I tied the cheese cloth (muslin) off, and I found a hanger to hang it on.
I did not consider where to hang my cheese when I made the original recipe, so there was a little fumbling at this stage. I found a hanger and hoped it would hold up against the cheese for hanging. Then I looked around my kitchen area and backroom(which is carpeted) and I decided I would have to let the cheese drip dry in my shower. I hung it up on the nozzle and let it drip, removing all washcloths and scrunchies from the area. It did lead to a fun facebook post that I now had a cheese-like substance draining in my shower. However, my friends, in all their wisdom did not comment. I'm not sure if I'm proud of them, or disappointed;-).
In the morning, I took down the cheese and it still tasted just a little bland. I added a spattering of salt to the bottom of the dishes I planned to keep it in, but that didn't do much. So what do you do when you have a pound of ricotta cheese and only 1 or 2 people to eat it...you can either bake it or bake it in stuffed shells. Then James suggested I make lasagna. I did, and that's not in the cookbook, so that may be another blog for another day.
It was still good. I will be making this recipe again...soon after I attempt mozzarela cheese. I did encounter enzymes that assist one in making cheddar cheese...I may have to some research. My friends and family may be getting cheese for Christmas...I doubt applesauce will last that long around me.
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