In JennieÕs Kitchen
meals made easier, one
recipe at a timeª
Creamy Homemade Ricotta
Makes 2 cups
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups buttermilk or
pourable plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoos fine sea salt
Add the ingredients to a
4-quart pot. Bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a
sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over
a deep bowl or pot.
Once the curds begin to
separate from the whey (you'll see little specks of white bob to the surface),
stir gently and set heat to the lowest setting (see NOTE). Cook for 2 more
minutes, then remove pot from heat and set on an unlit back burner for at least
30 minutes, and up to one hour. (this will help the curds further develop).
Gently ladle the curds into
the cheesecloth-lined strainer (this helps produce a fluffier, creamier curd,
than pouring it into the strainer). When all the curds have been spooned into
the bowl, pull the cheesecloth up the sides to loosely cover the ricotta in the
strainer. Let sit for 10 minutes to drain (this will yield a very moist
ricotta. If using for a cake recipe, you may want to let it drain longer for a
drier consistency).