Rich and Creamy Ricotta
Rich and Creamy Ricotta

Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer.
  2. Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom.
  3. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
  4. Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey).

  5. Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour. At an hour, you’ll have a tender, spreadable ricotta. At two hours, it will be spreadable but firmer, almost like cream cheese. Note: It will firm as it cools, so do not judge its final texture by what you have in your cheesecloth.
  6. The whey can then be saved to use in homemade sauerkraut or can be discarded. Eat the ricotta right away or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
  7. If you can stop yourself and your family from eating it right out of the bowl, I like to serve it within a few hours. It is so deliciously rich and creamy there are a ton of possibilities for how to serve it. I will share one of my favorite combinations this week!