How To Make Killer Fresh Ricotta

Making ricotta at home is much easier than you'd think! Check out this recipe from Pizzacraft's culinary manager, Jonny Meinke.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon of whole milk
• 1 quart of heavy cream
• 2 ½ teaspoons of salt
• 2 ¼ cups of distilled white vinegar

Directions

In a heavy bottomed pot, combine the milk, cream, and salt. Heat the mixture over a medium low flame until it reaches 170°F. Frequently stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure it doesn’t scorch.

When the mixture hits 170°F, remove the pot from heat. Add the vinegar to the milk and stir for 10 seconds. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place a strainer above a bowl and line with two layers of paper towel or cheesecloth.

Scoop the curds from the whey using a slotted spoon or a wire skimmer and place in the strainer. Try to be as gentle as possible to avoid breaking the curds.

Allow the curds to strain for 15 minutes before transferring it to a container with an air tight lid. Ricotta is ready to use on your favorite sandwiches, salads, or pizzas!

* The left over whey can be thrown away but there are plenty of great uses for it. You can use it to braise meat or as the liquid for a soup. However, one of my favorite ways to use it is to replace the water in recipes for baked food, it is amazing in pancake batter.