2 years ago I would never have thought of making my own ricotta. I would have purchased it unthinkingly from the supermarket.  2 years ago I also wouldn’t have thought twice about purchasing delicious biscuits and cakes, bread, pasta and pastry.  Now days, with the exception of puff pastry, I make those things instead of purchasing them from a store.  It’s funny to think how much things have changed in that respect.  I used to think making such things at home was too complicated or involved too much effort, but now making them at home brings a great sense of satisfaction and achievement.

Now our pantry stocks all the basic ingredients to make the essentials I used to purchase at the supermarket.  And you know what? Despite the fact I am constantly cooking and baking, our grocery bills have gone down, not up as you would expect.  How great is that?

Making your own ricotta is surprisingly easy.  All you need is a few basic ingredients – milk, cream, salt and lemon juice – and a little bit of time.  It’s that simple!  Better still, you can make it when you need it, all you need to do is plan an hour or two in advance.

Are you surprised with how easy it is to make pantry essentials at home? Have you made your own ricotta before?

By the way, do you have your entry in for the 7 piece Scanpan Knife Set giveaway valued at $160?  Head on over to enter here.

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Homemade Ricotta

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com. Makes roughly 250g of ricotta.

Ingredients

• 1 litre (quart) of skim milk
• ⅔ cup of cream
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1½ tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar

Instructions

1. Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and line with fine weave cheesecloth or paper towel.
2. Place the milk, cream and salt in a saucepan over a medium high heat and stir occasionally as you bring it to a boil.
3. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes until the mixture curdles.
4. Strain the mixture through the sieve and leave to drain for an hour before using or refrigerating in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days.

Notes

Note I only had skim milk on hand, which is why I upped the cream quantity from the original recipe which called for ½ cup.

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