Homemade Fresh Ricotta

I'm happy to be a part of Kristen's Adopt a Blogger #3. When I introduced my 'adoptee' I appreciated all the people who took a minute to visit Linda aka goodshoeday at With Knife and Fork and leave a comment.

So, when I saw Bunny's introduction of her Adopt a Blogger daughter, Melissa at Baking for the Boys, I clicked to check out Melissa's blog and welcome her as a newbie blogger.

Holy cow! I found out that Melissa had made fresh ricotta! I left a comment and told her I was going to make some this week. Here's how it went!

This couldn't be easier. Take 8 cups of whole milk, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer in a large pan. When it simmers, add 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and give it a stir.

Let is sit for a few minutes while the curds form, then scoop them out into a cheesecloth lined colander. Depending on how wet or dry you want the end result, let drain as little as a few minutes or 15 minutes, like I did to end up with a drier product.

I gathered the cheese into a ball and this is what it looked like right after draining. I put it in a covered plastic container and refrigerated it overnight.

This is some good stuff! I won't ever buy ricotta again and I bet if you make this you'll be passing it up at the store, too!

You can find the recipe on Melissa's blog or at bon appetit where Melissa got the recipe and where they give tips on making your own ricotta.