My first cheesemaking adventure: homemade whole milk ricotta

I thought, until about an hour ago, that I wasn't super into ricotta cheese--I like it fine in things, like lasagna or gnocchi, but the thought of it on its own or spread on a cracker sort of squicked me out.  I'm not normally one for texture issues, either, so I chalked it up to just a quirk of my palate.  My friends, I'm converted.  I made ricotta at home this afternoon, and not only do I now love it, I don't think I'm going back to store-bought.  The texture is different, more like paneer (maybe I should do curry tonight?!?!), and the flavor is very delicate and fresh.  (The texture difference is due to ricotta traditionally being made from the whey leftover from making hard cheeses instead of whole milk, but it's hard to find that sort of whey available to consumers.)  I love it!  It's perfect for porch-sitting and snacking on a spring afternoon, in my opinion. 

The only reason I started this whole thing was I had a half-gallon of milk about to go bad, and since I already have enough homemade yogurt to feed a small village, I decided to try something new.  I'd seen a few recipes for homemade ricotta on Pinterest, and they piqued my interest because they all only called for milk, lemon juice, and salt--no rennet or any of the other typical accoutrement of cheese making.  It seemed like an easy place to start, and like something I could do even in the midst of the pantry challenge.  I dug some frozen lemon juice out of the freezer and got to work.  

Milk is foaming, getting close to temperature

Recipe (makes 2-2 1/2 cups cheese): 

1/2 gallon whole milk, NOT ultra-pasteurized (I used Trader Joe's organic cream-top, yum!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

special equipment: cheesecloth, heat-safe bowl, fine mesh strainer

1. Heat the milk with the salt to 180-190º F in a large, non-reactive pot--I used enameled cast iron, but stainless steel is fine, too.  Since I don't have I thermometer, I estimate by the look and smell of the heating milk.  When it's getting close, it'll start to make little foamy-looking bubbles, and it will smell like steamed milk on a latte--not cooked, but a distinctly different smell from refrigerated milk.  When it's steaming and the foamy bubble layer is thick but the milk is not yet boiling, that's about the right temperature.

2. When the milk is at temperature, take the pot off the heat and add the lemon juice, stirring to combine thoroughly.  I saw curds begin to appear almost immediately, but I'd guess it'll vary depending on your milk. 

Thirty seconds after adding lemon juice, milk begins curdling

3. Let the milk sit for five minutes to sufficiently curdle--this is when the curds that become the cheese separate from the whey, a yellowish not-very-tasty-on-its-own liquid.  As a side note, I had thought that since I would have some whey, I could use it to start some lacto-fermented veggies (saw a lacto-fermented salsa awhile back that I've been dying to try).  However, a little digging revealed that acid whey (the whey from cheeses curdled with an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar) does not provide the necessary oomph to start lacto-fermentation.  Apparently plants like it, though, in a diluted form.  I've also heard you can substitute whey for some amount of dairy in baking or cooking--pancakes, cakes, muffins, bread.  So I'll still be using it up, just not in any salsa.  

It should look noticeably different at the end of the five minutes, like this:

4. Wet the cheesecloth and lay it over the mesh strainer, and set the strainer over a large, heat-proof bowl (I live in a bowl-deficient apartment, so I used the 5-quart bowl from my stand mixer).  Ladle the curds and whey into the strainer, and let the cheese drain for at least an hour.     

Congratulations, you have now made a delicious, healthy, homemade cheese!  Yay!  Go do a victory lap!  Or, you know, grab a spoon.