I needed some soft cheese for a specific recipe, and didn't have any. I had just run to the store a few days before, so was going to put off making the recipe until I was able to go buy some cheese, when I remembered I had a large amount of milk that I needed to use up. I didn't have any heavy cream, which is required for most ricotta cheese recipes, so I looked around online until I found one that only needed milk, not a combination of milk and cream. On top of that, I needed fresh lemon juice, and had some fresh lemons I'd been given by a neighbor. The only ingredients for the ricotta are milk, lemon juice, and salt. The recipe is easy as pie, or actually, easier than many pies. It was a win win, because I used up the milk that would have probably gone bad, and didn't have to drive to the store and spend money on cheese with preservatives in it. I think I like this recipe better than the one I used last time, and I don't think I'll even need a recipe next time, because it's so simple I'll probably remember how to do it. Here's theLog In, in case anyone would like to give it a whirl.
I agree that it looks like an easy recipe. I've checked the link and I was surprised by the picture because it looks like the cheese that my father had experimented when I was young. I don't remember the procedure anymore but we children were very excited in waiting for the cheese to be "cooked" so we could sample. Unfortunately, the taste was not good, it's like spoiled milk. My mother was afraid that it would give us stomach ache so she threw the cheese.
Hmm, maybe that was just a bad batch @Corzhens. If you like Ricotta, it might be worth it to try the recipe out and see how you like it. I liked the last recipe I used, but really love this one. I have a feeling part of that is because I used freshly squeezed lemon juice in this batch, rather than bottled, and since y'all have lemon trees, it would be easy for you or the housemaids to make up a batch now and then. I mixed some of the leftover Ricotta in with strawberries that I'd sweetened with a little sugar, and it was a wonderful snack. I still have more after using what I needed in the tarts I made, so will probably use it to stuff some pasta shells and serve with tomato sauce. If you do try it, I'd be interested to hear what you thought. Hopefully your dad's was just a bad batch, especially if you like the taste of ricotta. This doesn't taste at all like sour milk, and had a slight hint of fresh lemon, so was refreshing.
I was discussing the ricotta recipe with someone on another site, and she thought it sounded like mascarpone. That got me curious, so I looked into mascarpone, which I also love. It's more of a creamy texture than ricotta, and is also richer, more like cream cheese. I found what looks to be a good recipe for mascarponeLog In in case anyone's interested in trying to make it. The ricotta can be made with whole milk or a mixture of whole milk and half and half, while the mascarpone uses heavy whipping cream, which is more expensive and much richer.
I should give making my own cheese a whirl, since I do love it, and it can be quite expensive in the store. I have seen them make mozarella cheese on TV...It didn't look extremely difficult. I have made yogurt at home and that was really pretty simple. I think making your own cheese might be pretty easy as well. Next tiime I am in the mood to be creative, I will do it.
Wow, it looks so good on the picture, @Diane Lane! I looked at the recipe, and it does look very easy! It doesn't even take that long to make; I mean, 30 minutes?! When you made it, did it look and taste as yummy as it does in the picture LOL I also hope the lemon flavour doesn't come through much because in all honesty, I don't really like the smell of it in my food
Thanks for the link! I've found a few recipes for homemade cottage cheese, but I'm a little afraid to try it out. Maybe I'll do this one first, it seems easy.
I would have to agree that the cheese in the pic looks yummy! I think when I decide to do that recipe then I will follow it.
I made another batch of ricotta. I really want to make some mozzarella in the future, so if you make it, please share how the experience went @kgord. @Lushlala I didn't have fresh lemons at home this time, so I used bottled lemon juice like I did the first time, but I added a little pineapple juice to this batch as well, because I knew I'd be using it for dessert. I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for yet, but it will be something sweet. If I'm feeling o.k., I might try making a small cheesecake or similar dessert, and if I don't have the energy, I might simply eat it with the chunk pineapple. I really enjoyed the last batch that I mainly ate with fresh raspberries, it was very refreshing, and I'm sure the pineapples and ricotta would be at least as enjoyable. I think I'm saving a little money by making my own ricotta, but that's just a side benefit. I really enjoy the freshness of it, as well as my ability to control how moist or dry it is, and the fact that I can flavor it slightly.
I've never made my own cheese at home before, but this looks very easy to make and very inexpensive too. I could actually cut the cost of making lasagna down a bit more. Thanks for sharing this recipe and I'm glad to see the Kitchn was the site you found the recipe at, I love that site!
I'm glad it worked out for you, @Diane Lane....It sounds like it turned out YUMMY and just thinking about it is making my mouth water LOL I think the addition of pineapple makes it even more appealing to me. I can imagine it being so very delicious with fresh fruit too. I'm now taking my healthy eating a little more seriously and want new ideas to keep it interesting, and I think this is something that I should definitely try. Thanks for that, Diane I don't know if I could tackle mozzarella, though! I just get the feeling it might be very difficult to make IDK. I'll wait to hear your feedback if you ever get to make it
@atlmom5 You're welcome. I tried another recipe first, which was easy and it came out fine, but this one from TheKitchn is even easier than that one, and I've made it I think 4 times now. I used one batch in with ziti, meat and sauce, and it came out nice. I haven't stuffed shells or manicotti, or used it in lasagna yet, but it should be fine in those dishes, also. @Lushlala I hope you do try it, and please let me know what you think. Before trying it, I had no idea it was so simple. As she states in the recipe, there are more detailed and elaborate ways to make it, but I really like this process and end product, so I'm going to stick with it. I will hopefully try mozzarella and other varieties eventually, but for now I'm content with my ricotta. It's one of my favorite cheeses, and I love that it's versatile enough to be used in main dishes as well as desserts. Here's another recipe I came across while I was researching Easter desserts, and it involves both ricotta and pineapple, so you might like it @Lushlala:Log In I used to watch this woman on her PBS show (Public Broadcast System) and she makes amazing dishes. She also has a link to purchase the flavoring from King Arthur Flour, another of my favorites .
@Diane Lane....oh believe me, I WILL be trying it and a whole other things LOL Thanks so much for the link. I went ahead and had a quick look at the site, and it looks fantastic! I bet I'll be able to learn a thing or two on there. Hehe I've bookmarked it for future use, too I can't wait to explore the site and play around with a few ideas!
Oh good, I love hearing about food experiments and new ways to do and make things in the kitchen. At some point, when my finances improve, I'll be able to at least have better kitchen equipment, if not a bigger and better kitchen, and then I'll really enjoy cooking and baking again. For now, I do the basics, and occasionally still get the urge to try something new, which is how I came to start making the ricotta. One of these days, I want to make my own pasta, but that might be a while, since I'll need room to hang the pasta pieces if I make spaghetti.
