Easy+Homemade+Ricotta


 * 1) 1 Try - I used one quart of milk and one quart of Buttermilk to try this recipe out. It was super easy and once the temperture got to 140 degrees it began to curttle. It made about a baseball size chunk of ricotta. I was thinking about "Along came a spider and sat down beside her, eating her curds and whey" nursery rythem, while making this recipe the whole time. This recipe worked great!

Ingredients

 * 4 quarts whole milk
 * 4 cups buttermilk

Directions
Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and put it into the sink. Pour milk and buttermilk into large pot. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Curds will begin to rise up and clump on the surface. Once the mixture is steaming, stop stirring. Curds and whey will separate. Whey will look like cloudy water underneath a mass of white curds (this will happen at about 140 degrees F). When separated, turn off the heat and ladle the curds into the cheesecloth. When all curds are in the cloth and the dripping has slowed, gently bring up the edges of cloth and twist it to bring the curds together. Give a squeeze to let the water continue to drain. Tie it with string and hang it over the sink or a pan to drain for about 15 minutes or so. Let it drain 15 minutes more. Discard the whey. Untie the cheesecloth and pack the ricotta into airtight containers. Refrigerate and use within 1 week, or eat immediately. Serve with crusty garlic bread, olive oil and chunky salt, herbs or something else good.