Homemade Ricotta

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized
• Pinch kosher salt, optional
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Pour the milk into a pot, and add the salt if you’re using it. Warm it over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 185 degrees F (85 degrees C). Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice just enough to mix it through. You should see curds forming right away; once they’re visible all through the pot, put down the spoon.
2. Leave the curdled milk undisturbed and keep it at 185 degrees F for 20 minutes. A little movement in temperature is fine, anywhere from 175 degrees F (79 degrees C) to 190 degrees F (88 degrees C), but do your best to stay in that range for the full 20 minutes.
3. Set paper towels or cheesecloth inside a fine-mesh strainer. Lift the curds out with a slotted spoon and place them in the strainer, then let them drain until the extra liquid is gone. The draining time is up to the texture you want: less for softer ricotta, longer for a firmer result. Don’t pour the whole pot of milky liquid into the strainer, or it can block the mesh and slow everything down.
4. Once drained, the ricotta can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, although it is at its best fresh.