For Fresh Cheese
8pnts whole milk
3tbsp lemon juice
pinch salt
Place the milk in a thick bottomed pan and heat up to 80 centigrade/ 175 Fahrenheit - DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Turn of the heat and add the lemon juice and salt and stir for a couple of minutes then leave till the curds and whey begin to separate. Once the curds begin to form stir gently making sure any curds are not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Remove from oven and cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 30 minutes to an hour so the curds will have formed.
Place a colander in a container, to catch the whey,sink and line it with double thickness folded cheese cloth or muslin and pour the curds and whey into the cloth. Scoop the curds up into the chesse cloth and squeeze as much liquid out as you can.
If you have a cheese basket BRILLIANT but if you don't take a plastic Tupperware bowl and make holes in it using a heated thin metal skewer. If you are going to make cheese often invest in the proper equipment but for a first attempt a little DIY mold works just as well.
Pour the curds into your mold and push down to try to get rid of liquid and trapped air so your cheese doesn't have holes through the centre. Leave the cheese in the mould to drain for 30 minutes to an hour, by this time it should have formed into a smoothish rubbery block. Place your hand over the top of your mould and turn the cheese out onto your hand, turn the cheese over so its the opposite way up, then place it back in the mold and press down gently then leave to drain for another 30 minutes to an hour.
For Ricotta
Return the whey to a pan and re heat to 90 centigrade/ 200 Fahrenheit and hold at temperature for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool, to 60 centigrade/ 140 Fahrenheit. While cooling small curds will begin to form.
Line a colander as before in a sink, but don't worry about catching the whey this time, and pour the whey into the muslin to drain.
Fold up as before and to strain as much moisture from the curds as you can.
Pour the curds into a ricotta basket, or equivalent, and leave to drain, cool and firm up.
Turn out of your basket and store or use.
Let me try this again. Great Post Wayne. It's alot easier than you think, right? The only thing is that you might want to make a note about Milke Products. Whole Milk in this country (United States), is pasturized mechanically. It's difficult to get this result so easily. You might want to make a note about the importantance of percentage of milk Fat when attempting Cheese Making of any kind. I have learned the hard way in my kitchen. Saluti! Wish I could have a piece of this right now!!! Barbara Giacometti, Sunday at the Giacometti's.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the idea of making holes in your tupperware. I am glad I am not the only one!!heheh