Ridiculously Easy Homemade Ricotta Cheese

The following will make just shy of 2lbs depending on how thick you prefer your cheese and will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Though the texture may chance slightly, this cheese freezes well – place in a freezer bag, remove all of the air and freeze. For best results, use within two weeks.

Equipment:

• 1 large non-reactive stockpot (stainless steel works well)
• Candy or other cooking thermometer
• Cheesecloth
• Footed colander
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon whole milk (you can also use 2%)
• 1 quart low-fat buttermilk
• ¼ c lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Kosher salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive stockpot. Affix candy thermometer to the side of the pot and heat over med-low to med heat, stirring frequently until the temperature reaches 145 degrees (depending on the size of your pot, this may take ~40-50 minutes). At this point, stop stirring and allow the temp to rise to 175 degrees. While the milk is heating, line a footed colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth and place in a clean sink. Once the milk reaches a temperature of 175 degrees (note: you do not want to heat over 180 or the cheese may become grainy), remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, ladle the cheese curds from the whey into the cloth-lined colander. Allow to drain ~30-45 minutes, or longer for thicker cheese. Instead of draining in the colander, you may wish to wrap the cheesecloth up around the cheese and tie with string - hang from a cabinet knob (with a bowl underneath to catch dripping liquid) for faster draining. Store in an airtight container and use or freeze within 5 days.