Someday, I will learn how to make hard cheeses but until that day, I will play with things like ricotta. Cream cheese is on my list too. Especially after finding out how easy Indian saag is to make, why not? Yes, it is easier and takes less time to go to the grocery and buy the cheese you need. Unless of course, the type of cheese you need has been completely pulled from the shelves due to a listeria outbreak. I have had this happen. Having the skills to make my own, wahoo!
I tried making fresh ricotta. Easy and yummy. You do have to use it quickly becasue it is very fresh and will go bad if left too long. But I can do this now and it is easy. Milk and cultured buttermilk. To get a creamy ricotta, a bit of cream would need to be mixed in but that is the only thing. More tea cakes, here we come!
fresh ricotta
2 quarts milk (a half gallon)
2 cups buttermilk
Take a clean piece fo muslin or four sheets of cheesecloth and line a colander.
Put the milk and butter milk in a large pan over high heat. Stir to keep the bottom from burning.
When the milks reach 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the solids will curdle out and there will be a watery whey underneath.
Spoon the solids into the muslin lined colander. Let the solid drain. When most of the whey has drained out, twist the muslin together, and let drain for at least another 15 minutes.
Discard the whey and put the ricotta in air proof containers in the refrigerator. Use within a week.
So good.