Homemade Ricotta

I know I’ve complained about the lack of affordable cheese in Korea, but now I just feel ridiculous. If I had known it was this simple to make ricotta, with ingredients I usually have on hand, I would have done it LONG ago!

I was initially inspired by this post by David Lebovitz on Simply Recipes, but it took me some time to actually get around to trying it out.

After a little internet investigating, I found that the acid didn’t have to be vinegar… it just needed to be something that would make the milk curdle. Like lemon juice! And because I happened to have a lemon in the fridge but no white vinegar, that’s what I used. I also used low-fat yogurt, instead of full-fat as the recipe suggested, but it still turned out wonderfully.

I like the texture of this so much more than the store-bought stuff, which can sometimes be a little gummy. This is definitely not the last time I make this!

Recipe:
(adapted from Simply Recipes)
1 quart whole milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt (not fat-free)
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Boil for about 3 minutes, or until the milk is curdled. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Line a strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth and set it over a deep bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the strainer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Squeeze the cloth to remove excess moisture from the cheese, then store for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Makes about 1 cup.