Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta is Italian for "recooked" because it is made by "cooking" whey. Ricotta cheese are creamy white in appearance, slightly sweet in taste, and contain around 13% fat and is bit like cottage cheese but much creamier. It makes delicious lasagna, gnocchi, cannoli or a type of cheese cake.

Ingredients

Leftover whey after making Cottage Cheese

Method

1. Save the clear whey from making cottage cheese in a non-reactive heavy bottomed pan. Let it cool down at room temperature for 12-24 hours to develop acidity.
2. Heat the acidified whey while stirring to avoid burning.
3. Continue heating till it starts boiling and forms a foam at the top.
4. Remove from heat and cover and allow the cooked whey to rest for 4-5 hours or till the curd is firm enough to take out.
5. Do not stir the curd. Line a muslin cloth on a colander placed on a deep bottomed pan. Drain the contents in muslin cloth.
6. Do not squeeze the cloth contents and let the whey drain out completely. 
7. Pick up the corners of the cloth, suspend it like a bag over the drainage pot (or sink), and allow the last of the whey to drain out. It will take several hours, and can be done in the refrigerator over night.
8. Remove the ricotta from the cloth, pack into a container, cover and store in the refrigerator. Use it soon after making. Alternatively, ricotta will freeze very well. It's highly perishable.