Sometimes with our goats, we end up having way more milk than we know what to do with. One thing we make when this happens is ricotta cheese. Its such a versatile cheese and can be used as an herbed dip, sweetened for a dessert, or used in many different Italian main dishes, such as stuffed shells, manicotti, and lasagna.
To make ricotta, you will need a gallon of milk, 2/3 cup white vinegar, a large colander, some cheese cloth, and a large non-reactive pan. Bring milk to almost boiling...it gets quite steamy when its ready. Then stir in the vinegar. Turn off the heat and let the milk sit for a minute...the curds and whey will separate quickly. Line your colander with a single thickness of real cheese cloth...don't buy that gauzy stuff...its not really cheese cloth and if you try to use it, you can kiss your curds goodbye as they will go right through the mesh. Carefully pour the hot curds and whey into the colander. It will take a little while to drain, and you may want to scrape the curds off the cheese cloth as they collect to facilitate drainage.
Notes:
- You can put a large bowl under the colander to catch the whey and use it for soup or baking or what have you. Its good stuff!
- You can use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in place of the white vinegar, but they leave a pronounced flavor in the cheese that I don't care for. The white vinegar leaves a neutral flavor.
-Old, worn pillow cases and sheets can be use for cheese cloth.
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