CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Homemade Ricotta

Making your own cheese provides big payoff for so little effort.

Homemade Ricotta

9 cups whole milk

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

2½ tablespoons distilled vinegar

Heat milk and buttermilk in heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to temperature of about 185 degrees. Stir in salt and vinegar. Remove from heat. Let stand until curds have formed, 5 to 10 minutes. Pull curds gently to side. Line strainer with cheesecloth. Set it over bowl. Using 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 then transfer to covered container to store in refrigerator until ready to use. Ricotta is best used same day but will still be good for 2 to 3 days.

Yield: 1 pound or 2 cups.

Approximate nutritional analysis per ¼-cup serving: 110 calories, 8 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 8 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 24 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams sugar, 163 milligrams sodium.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

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