Slower, better-set fresh cheese (ricotta-style, but not ricocta/cooked twice): 1. Pour 1/2 C lemon juice or vinegar into a big bowl. 2. Pour in half a gallon of milk. The milk can be raw or pasteurized, but NOT ultra-pasteurized. Also, never ever mix raw milk with pasteurized milk: the pasteurization process alters the protein structure such that the pasteurized milk will cause the non-pasteurized milk to go rancid very, very quickly. 3. LET SIT OUT for a couple of hours, or overnight, or start this in the morning before work and then finish when you get home. No, it wont spoil. Yes, you could put it in the fridge, but why bother? Milk absorbs smells of everything else thats in your fridge. Cover it, if you must, with plastic wrap or a (NEW, please) shower cap. 4. Microwave: - medium-low (or Power Level 4) for 25 minutes; - medium (PL 5) for 20 minutes; - medium-high (PL 6) for 15 minutes; 5. Let sit for an hour. If the curd hasnt separated from the whey, so that it looks sort of like a cloudy mass floating in... lemonade-looking stuff, more or less... microwave at medium-high for 10 minutes, then at high (PL 7) for 2-5 minutes (start with 2 minutes and see how you get on). 6. Line a colander with a damp piece of muslin or a cloth napkin, big enough to drape over the sides and down to the countertop even after youve set it all atop a bowl (so yes, this means you need TWO biggish bowls). The bowl should be big enough to hold the bottom inch or two of the colander while letting most of the rest of the colander sit atop the bowl. 7. Ladle most of the WHEY (lemonade-like stuff) into the colander first, using a slotted spoon if you have one, or a ladle if you dont have a slotted spoon. Then get the curds into it with a slotted spoon if you have one, or the ladle if you dont have a slotted spoon. Treat the curds very gently and try not to break them overly much. 8. Tie the corners of the cloth together and suspend the resulting hobo-bag over a cabinet door handle, or a plant-hanging hook, for an hour or so. 9. Save the whey. Use it to boil pasta, potatoes, or rice; use it instead of water when making a soup stock; dilute it (1 part whey to 6 parts water) and pour it over your tomato plants, or other plants that enjoy slightly acidic soil; feed it to dogs, pigs, cows, or goats. 10. Take down the cheese bag and empty the cheese into a bowl. Sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of salt over the cheese and work it in gently with your fingers or a spoon. 11. Use right away, or let sit for a few minutes or up to two days. Eat within 4 days, tops.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:59:17 +0000
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