It?s Easy-Cheesy, Lemon-Squeezy: Making Ricotta at Home

It’s something that’s intrigued me since just barely dipping my toes in it during culinary school–making my own cheese.  I have a vague memory of making mozzarella in Garde Manger classes, but after that, I just never got around to doing it again.  There’s a thousand recipes out there on how to make your own ricotta, but I chose David Lebovitz’s recipe. 

In my humble little opinion, if you want to give cheesemaking a try, this is definitely the way to go.  Milk, a bit of yogurt, some cream, a little vinegar (or lemon juice), and some salt will give you freshly made ricotta that will be perfect for lasagna or my favorite use–with fresh fruit and honey for a simple summertime dessert. 

Kiddo wanted to help, and I used this as a chance to try to tell him about the process that was happening in the pot while we stirred the milk as it warmed up–how the acids and the heat worked together in coagulating the proteins in the milk, creating curds… yeah, he’s four years old, so I think most of it went over his head.  He still thought it was fun to watch the process.

Look!  It’s SCIENCE!

I think my only beef with making cheese is the yield of cheese that comes out of the amount of milk used–I doubled the recipe, and came out with just over 3 cups.  Sure, it’s the nature of the beast with making cheese, but I had kind of hoped for a little more.  Still, it was delicious and I’ll definitely do it again in the summer when all my favorite fruits are in season. 

Homemade Ricotta, by David Lebovitz (from SimplyRecipes.com)