Homemade Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese Recipes

HOMEMADE RAW MILK RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Place the gallon of milk in a large stockpot on low/medium. Heat until 190 degrees F. taking care to stir frequently as you go.
• Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid. Stir briefly to distribute. Cover and allow to sit for up to 10 minutes.
• As you wait, the curds should float to the top of the milk. Line your colander with a double layer of butter muslin and drain the ricotta from the milk.
• After the ricotta has drained, stir in the sea salt. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

HOMEMADE WHOLE MILK RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Run a double layer of cheesecloth under warm water to dampen, then gently squeeze to remove any excess water. Line a colander with the cheesecloth and set in the sink.
• Combine the vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
• Bring the milk and cream to 190 degrees F, over medium-low heat, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring frequently to keep the milk mixture from scorching on the bottom. Add half of the vinegar mixture and 1 tablespoon salt and stir for 10 seconds (you'll see the milk mixture begin to slightly curdle). Remove from the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Remove the lid and you'll see that the milk mixture has separated into small curds. Now stir in the remaining vinegar mixture and the milk mixture will continue to curdle. Stir for a few minutes. Pour this entire mixture into the prepared colander in the sink.
• Let drain until the desired texture, about 15 minutes for soft ricotta, 20 minutes for firm and creamy and 30 minutes for firm and slightly dry. For soft ricotta, serve warm or chilled in a small decorative bowl. For firm ricottas, gather the excess cheesecloth and shape the ricotta into a ball or disc and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Serve the ricotta with your favorite things, like a drizzle of honey and cracked black pepper, fresh or dried fruit, fruit preserves, crackers or fresh bread.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

Steps:

• Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
• Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I tend to like mine on the thicker side, but some prefer it moister.) Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

EASY AND DELICIOUS HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Pour milk into a saucepan set over medium heat. Heat milk until it registers 194 degrees F (90 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir lemon juice and salt slowly into warmed milk. Let stand until milk curdles, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Pour milk mixture carefully into the lined strainer. Let stand until most of the liquid has drained off the ricotta, about 15 minutes. Discard drained liquid.

FRESH HOMEMADE ORGANIC RAW MILK MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Wash thoroughly all equipment in hot soapy water and rinse well. Dish washer is good using the sani rinse cycle.
• In a small glass bowl or measuring cup, dissolve citric acid powder in 1/4 cup lukewarm water, stirring with a stainless-steel spoon.
• In a large stainless steel pot, combine raw grass fed milk and dissolved citric acid, stirring to blend well with an up and down motion.
• Place pot over medium heat and warm milk mixture to 90ºF, stirring gently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.
• Dilute rennet in 1/4 cup cool water. Add to milk and using up and down motion, draw rennet down into milk until well blended. Cover and let set for 45 minutes. Check for a clean break. It will look like a block of tofu. If the curd is still too fragile, cover and let set for another 15 minutes or until a clean break is achieved.
• Using a long-bladed knife cut curd into 1/2 inch cubes. Let stand for 5 minutes to firm up the curds.
• Place pot over low heat and slowly warm curds to 106ºF, stirring gently and continuously, adjusting the heat as necessary to make sure it takes 15 minutes to do so. As the curds warm try not to break them up too much. The curds will eventually clump together and separate more completely from the yellow whey.
• Remove when temperature reaches 106. Stir for 5 more minutes of the heat.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another pot, bring 2-4 quarts water to a low boil.
• Turn off the heat.
• Drain off whey through colander. Let drain for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile place 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt into a cup of hot water to dissolve then add 1 quart of cool water.
• Set up three bowls one with the hot water, one with cool water and one with the brine mixture.
• Place 1/6 of the curd mass in bowl of the hot water just to cover.
• Wearing heat resistant gloves or using a long handled wooden spoon, work curds under the hot water (the cheese will become very soft), lightly stretching them. The curd will begin to stretch. Pulling the cheese and folding it back on itself and stretching again until it is smooth and shiny.
• Adding more hot water to the curds to to help the cheese stretch.
• The more you work the curd at this point the drier the Mozzarella will be.
• Use your hands to shape the cheese into the single ball or pinch off pieces for small bocconcini size cheeses.
• When the cheese turns smooth and shiny place the cheese in a bowl of cool water not cold water for 5 minutes.
• Then add to the brine for a couple minutes.
• Remove and drain on paper towel. Use immediately or wrap and refrigerate.