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Truffle Salt Ricotta

Servings 6
Author Adapted from Ricki Carroll’s Home Cheese Making

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon whole milk 2% will work, but produce a drier cheese
  • Juice of 2-3 lemons approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup
  • Approx. 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. truffle salt any salt will work
  • Optional: Finely chopped herbs such as chives, oregano, or lavender

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, gently bring the milk to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to stir frequently to keep from scalding the milk.
  2. Turn off the heat. Add about 1/4 cup of lemon juice and stir well. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  3. After waiting, the milk should be curdled, and the whey (the liquid) should be clear. If it’s still milky/cloudy, add more lemon juice, stir gently, and give it a few more minutes. Depending on the acidity of the lemon juice, it may take quite a bit more. It won’t hurt to use more, but if you use more than necessary, the final result will have a stronger lemon flavor.
  4. Line a colander with butter muslin and gently pour the curds into it. Allow it to drain for a few minutes, and then tie the corners of the muslin together to form a bag.
  5. Hang the curds to drain. I use a twist-tie and rubber-band combination to hook the bag over the kitchen faucet.
  6. Allow to drain for 1-2 hours, until it stops dripping and has firmed up a bit. (If you’re in a hurry you can speed the process somewhat by squeezing the bag gently from the top down).
  7. Remove the cheese and mix in the salt and herbs to taste.
  8. Ricki says to store the cheese in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, but I guarantee it’ll be gone long before then.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be easily doubled.
Do not use “ultra-pasteurized” milk — it’s been heated too high during the pasteurization process and won’t curdle properly. I used Trader Joe’s Organic milk (it’s pasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized).