Ricotta and Queso Blanco

This is some cheese I made quite awhile ago, but I thought I would post it here for some info, or if anyone is interested in this type of cheese. I also know this is not what is called by cheese purists a "true" ricotta, but it works very well.

This first one is a ricotta cheese from whole milk. Here is the recipe. I add about double the amount of salt.

Ricotta from Whole Milk

1. Use whole milk .. The fresher the better

Use 2 tsp of citric acid per gallon of liquid (dissolved in 1 cup cool water). Add 1/2 of this Citric Acid solution to the milk (save the rest of the citric acid). Stir briskly for 5-10 seconds.

3. Add 1 tsp salt.

4. Heat the milk slowly on low to med stirring well to prevent scorching

5. At 165-170F watch for small flakes forming in the milk and the separation of small curds. If after a few minutes you do not see the flakes forming, add more of the Citric acid until they form (do this in small increments to avoid over acid milk).

6. Continue heating to 190-195F then turn the heat off.

7. As the curds rise, use a perforated ladle to gently move them from the sides to the center of the pot. These clumps of curd will begin to consolidate floating on top of the liquid. Let the curds rest for 10-15 min.

*** This is very important because this is the point where the final Ricotta quality is assured.

8. Ladle the curds gently into draining forms (No cheese cloth should be needed if you were patient in the previous step). Let the curds drain for 15 min up to several hours.

For a fresh light ricotta, drain it for a short while (until the free whey drainage slows) and chill to below 50F. For a rich, dense and buttery texture allow it to drain for an extended period of time (several hours). before chilling overnight.

Move to a refrigerator or cold room. Consume within 10 days.

Note: with raw milk you will get a much higher yield. As for the pasteurized milk I used that but it was not "ULTRA" pasteurized. if I remember right it is squeezed through a nozzle sorta like a fuel injector so small it destroys all the fat particles and that is what you need. There is even a formula for using dried milk and whipping cream to get a good yield of cheese.

Here are some photos:

Just getting started



Curd forming



Into some molds



A look at the whey after getting all the curds out.



Here is what the cheese looks like after the molds. I should have pressed them a little longer but it still tasted great.




Here is the recipe for queso blanco. I also use about double the amount of salt.

Start with 1 Gallon of Milk heated slowly to 185F with occasional stirring.

Once the temp is reached add 1/4 cup of White Vinegar (I used apple cider) while stirring. Add this in 3 equal additions. You should notice the curds beginning to form and the whey separating as a greenish yellow liquid. Let rest for 5 min.

Once the curds begin to form well, stir to keep from matting for another 5 minutes.

Spread a sanitized piece of cheesecloth over a colander which is placed over a pan to collect the whey.

Pour the curds and whey into this cloth. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt.

Chopped chiles, spices or herbs can be mixed in also at this point.

Stir the curds gently to increase whey drainage and mix the salt. The cloth may be hung for 10-30 minutes for a drier cheese.

Transfer your curds to an open ended 2 Lb. cheese mold resting on a draining mat and set the follower on top.

Begin with 10 lbs of weight for 20 min. and then increase to 25 lbs for 2-5 hours.

For the herbs, i used 2 fresh jalapenos from the garden and also cut some fresh oregano.

Here are some pics from the process:

Here is all it takes



All mixed up 



Into the press



Out of the press and time to sample





Tasty!

Milk is getting up there isn't it?

No I HAVEN'T DAVE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD WORK THO...I LOVE GARLIC...(oops)