Recipe of the week: Homemade Ricotta

Homemade ricotta cheese is so easy to make and so much better than standard supermarket versions, “you won’t believe it’s the same stuff,” said Russ Parsons in the Los Angeles Times. This “short-cut” version takes 45 minutes, doesn’t require any special equipment, and uses ingredients you can find at any grocery. Unlike the bland taste you might associate with commercially produced ricottas, its flavor is “a wonderfully milky combination of sweet and tang.”

Homemade Ricotta

9 cups whole milk

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1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp salt

2½ tbsp white vinegar

Warm milk and buttermilk in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until bubbles ring the edge (about 185 degrees). Remove from heat and stir in salt and vinegar. Let stand until curds form, 5 to 10 minutes. Pull curds gently to side.

Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set over a bowl or plate. Using a perforated skimmer, gently lift mass of curds out of pot and into cheesecloth-lined strainer. Repeat until no more curds remain. Discard remaining whey.

Drain curds for 5 minutes. Transfer to covered container and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Best used the same day, but lasts 2 to 3 days.