Ricotta

If you haven't noticed yet, we've been consuming a lot of milk. About 10 days ago, I stopped by Whole Foods and stocked up on our favorite non-homogenized milk. Typically buying a case of milk (9 cartons) is not a problem for us, however, we've been trying to cut back on cereal eating a bit, which means less milk for breakfast, and the Little Guy (LG), who typically drinks a ton of milk was fighting off a nasty cold and hardly drank for 3 days. So those two things together, resulted in a lot of extra milk.

So, after three batches of pumpkin soup and a batch of pudding, I still had 2 full gallons worth left, EEK!

What's a quick way to use a  half gallon? Homemade ricotta cheese!

Start by pouring a half gallon WHOLE milk (it only works with whole), heat over a medium-low temperature to 185 degrees (stirring throughout so it won't burn), once it reaches 185, add either 3 TBSP lemon juice, OR 3 TBSP white vinegar and some salt. Remove from heat and cover with a tight lid, sit aside for 15 minutes.

Next, cover a colander with a cheese cloth (note, I can't find mine, I have one, I looked all over for it, and after 2 weeks, I'm giving up, it's being added to my Christmas list). Never fear though, if you don't have cheese cloth, in a pinch, I have placed a strainer in a bowl (pouring our the left-over liquid so the bottom of the strainer isn't wet). With or without the cheesecloth, let it sit and drain for 15 - 30 minutes, then squeeze the excess liquid.

You can serve immediately, or refrigerate for later. (Or stay tuned later this week for a recipe to use your fresh ricotta).