Make Your Own Ricotta Cheese

I'm not really sure why, but I had always wanted to try to make my own cheese.  I love cheese.  All kinds.  There are too many to list here!  But after doing a little research, I found this recipe for easy ricotta.  It's not low-fat but it's delicious!  I personally like to spread it on crackers but you may choose to put it in lasagna or any other Italian specialty.  It makes a a great hostess gift.  Go ahead and make your own!

I found this recipe on Simply Recipes.  Get your supplies ready first.  You'll need  2 quarts of whole milk, 1 cup of plain whole milk yogurt, an optional half cup of heavy cream (I DO use the cream), 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt.  You'll also need some cheesecloth and a strainer.  That's it!

In a large pot, bring all of your ingredients to a boil.  Gently boil until the milk is curdled.  The recipe says one to two minutes.  I found that it took a few minutes more.  It may depend on the type of pot you use.

Line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth.  Make sure there are enough layers so that none of the curdled cheese gets through.

Bristol loves cheese and waits patiently for a taste!

Continue boiling until it starts to curdle.

Get your jars ready while your mixture is boiling.  Make sure they're washed and sterilized.  Covers too.

Pour the mixture into your strainer.  Look... it really does resemble ricotta cheese!

The directions say to let it sit for fifteen minutes.  I cover it and let it sit at least an hour.  You can put it in the fridge if necessary.  Make sure you taste a spoonful while it is still warm!

I filled seven small jars from one batch. 

Look at that yummy goodness.  Mix it with chives and make your own spread.  Now, go get some crackers!  I find that it lasts in the fridge for about a week but you can also freeze it.  Enjoy!