I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. For the first try, I
decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.

I used unpasturized, unhomogenized, whole raw milk. Raw milk is a
little hard to find in the US but can be had at some markets. From
what I've read, homogenized milk sometimes is iffy for cheesemaking in
this way because the even fat distribution means the cheese won't
break properly. If one can't find unhomogenized milk, it is suggested
to use non fat milk b/c there's less fat to interfere with the
breaking.

To break the curds, some recipes call for lemon juice, some white
vinegar, and some just suggest adding live yogurt or buttermilk. I
used apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and lemon juice, and I
added some left over buttermilk. I'm the belt and suspenders type.

I heated the milk in a large nonreactive pot with a teaspoon of salt,
stirring constantly until it reached 200F. I then removed it from the
heat and immediately stirred in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
and a tablespoon of lemon juice. I left it alone for a half hour and
when I took a look, it had broken nicely, with large creamy curds
floating in yellow whey.

I tried a couple of methods to separate the curds from the whey, and
the easiest was using my drip Melitta coffee pot with a paper
filter. It can be very creamy or somewhat dry, depending on how long
you drain it. I got about a cup and a half of cheese and a lot of
whey.

We ate some of the cheese right away and it was good, although a bit
bland. I think it is better for cooking, and today I added a quarter
cup along with some whey to a big pot of vegetable soup I pureed for
our dinner. It was so good, I think I will make soup again
tomorrow.

Next I'm going to try making feta.

Ricavito > wrote:
> I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. For the first try, I
> decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
> [ . . . ]

That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same thing
with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(

> Next I'm going to try making feta.

Good luck! Please post or email me your recipe.

This one makes 1 quart of Ricotta:

1 Gallon Whole Pasteurized Milk

1/3 Cup White Distilled Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Salt

Heat the milk in a heavy, non-reactive pot until it reaches 185 F.
Remove from the heat and add the vinegar and salt. Stir gently just to mix.
The curds will begin to form immediately. Cover the pot and let sit for 2
hours to allow the curds to fully develop. Line a colander with two layers
of cheesecloth, and pour the mixture into it. Let the cheese drain for one
to two hours depending on how dry you want your ricotta cheese to be. Store
the ricotta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

"Ricavito" > wrote in message
...
>I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. For the first try, I
> decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
>
> I used unpasturized, unhomogenized, whole raw milk. Raw milk is a
> little hard to find in the US but can be had at some markets. From
> what I've read, homogenized milk sometimes is iffy for cheesemaking in
> this way because the even fat distribution means the cheese won't
> break properly. If one can't find unhomogenized milk, it is suggested
> to use non fat milk b/c there's less fat to interfere with the
> breaking.
>
> To break the curds, some recipes call for lemon juice, some white
> vinegar, and some just suggest adding live yogurt or buttermilk. I
> used apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and lemon juice, and I
> added some left over buttermilk. I'm the belt and suspenders type.
>
> I heated the milk in a large nonreactive pot with a teaspoon of salt,
> stirring constantly until it reached 200F. I then removed it from the
> heat and immediately stirred in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
> and a tablespoon of lemon juice. I left it alone for a half hour and
> when I took a look, it had broken nicely, with large creamy curds
> floating in yellow whey.
>
> I tried a couple of methods to separate the curds from the whey, and
> the easiest was using my drip Melitta coffee pot with a paper
> filter. It can be very creamy or somewhat dry, depending on how long
> you drain it. I got about a cup and a half of cheese and a lot of
> whey.
>
> We ate some of the cheese right away and it was good, although a bit
> bland. I think it is better for cooking, and today I added a quarter
> cup along with some whey to a big pot of vegetable soup I pureed for
> our dinner. It was so good, I think I will make soup again
> tomorrow.
>
> Next I'm going to try making feta.

I've only used Ricotta for a few things. Lasagna or eggplant rollatine, or
in mixed with a little sugar and flavoring like orange and marbled in
brownies.

On Jun 15, 11:48*pm, Nick Cramer > wrote:
> Ricavito > wrote:
> > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. *For the first try, I
> > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
> > [ . . . ]
>
> That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same thing
> with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
>
> > Next I'm going to try making feta.
>
> Good luck! Please post or email me your recipe.
>
> This one makes 1 quart of Ricotta:
>
> 1 Gallon Whole Pasteurized Milk
>
> 1/3 Cup White Distilled Vinegar
>
> 1 Teaspoon Salt
>
> Heat the milk in a heavy, non-reactive pot until it reaches 185 F.
> Remove from the heat and add the vinegar and salt. Stir gently just to mix.

Ricavito > wrote:
> On Jun 15, 11:48=A0pm, Nick Cramer > wrote:
> > Ricavito > wrote:
> > > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. =A0For the first try,
> > > I decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> > > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
> > > [ . . . ]
> >
> > That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same
> > thin=
> g
> > with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
> > [ . . . ]
> Nick, I am curious if you use homogenized milk in your recipe and if
> you experienced any problems with that breaking? That is interesting
> about the goat milk -- I did a little sleuthing and apparently goat
> milk is naturally homogenized, which is maybe why it more difficult to
> get it to break. There are recipes for goat milk ricotta however, so
> apparently it can be done. Personally, I think sheep's milk makes the
> best ricotta but I have yet to find a source for it.
>
> For the feta I will use rennet. After that.... I brought back some
> cheese baskets from the old country last year, and I'm eager to
> eventually try making hard cheese. I'm a little nervous over all the
> sterilizing warnings so I have to work up to it ;-)
>
> I found a lot of good cheese (and other) recipes on David Lebovitz'
> site: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hom...icotta_cheese/

It's been several years, Rica. I think it may have been Alta Dena raw milk.

I wonder if a halal grocery might have sheep's milk?

I would think that boiling water should be sterilization enough, but,
honestly, I think all you've gotta do is keep bugs and other critters away.
What did they do 1,000 years ago? If the cheese gets moldy over the several
months or years its aging, you can just cut off the mold, if you're worried
about it. I don't worry about it. I've been eating cheddar and other hard
cheese that got moldy for over 50 years, with no bad results. My wife and
daughter get upset when I do that!

Thanks for the website. It looks cool. I'll have to peruse it more.

I wish I could go to Giardini-Naxos before I croak. <sigh>

FBG 99.

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

Nick Cramer > wrote:
: Ricavito > wrote:
: > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. For the first try, I
: > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
: > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
: > [ . . . ]

: That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same thing
: with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(

goat milk is naturally homogenized. I had a long discussion with a goat
milk cheese maker near our summer place, who said making a lower fat goat
cheese was very difficult as you need a special seperator to break the
milk to get the fat out and it is just too expensive for small sheep
raiser making cheese.

Wendy

"W. Baker" > wrote:
> Nick Cramer > wrote:
> : Ricavito > wrote:
> : > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. For the first try, I
> : > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> : > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
> : > [ . . . ]
>
> : That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same
> : thing with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
>
> goat milk is naturally homogenized. I had a long discussion with a goat
> milk cheese maker near our summer place, who said making a lower fat goat
> cheese was very difficult as you need a special seperator to break the
> milk to get the fat out and it is just too expensive for small sheep
> raiser making cheese.

Sounds like a good use for a centrifuge. "I know nothing!"

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

On Jun 16, 12:06*pm, "W. Baker" > wrote:
> Nick Cramer > wrote:
> : Ricavito > wrote:
>
> : > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. *For the first try, I
> : > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> : > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
> : > [ . . . ]
>
> : That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same thing
> : with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
>
> goat milk is naturally homogenized. *I had a long discussion with a goat
> milk cheese maker near our summer place, who said making a lower fat goat
> cheese was very difficult as you need a special seperator to break the
> milk to get the fat out and it is just too expensive for small sheep *
> raiser making cheese.
>
> Wendy

Yes, I read that too. Some of the ricotta/farmers' cheese recipes
suggest using nonfat milk or even powdered milk to get around the
homogenization, if that is all that's available fresh. Personally, I
don't see the point in nonfat cheese ;-)

How are you Wendy?

Nick Cramer > wrote:
: "W. Baker" > wrote:
: > Nick Cramer > wrote:
: > : Ricavito > wrote:
: > : > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. For the first try, I
: > : > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
: > : > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
: > : > [ . . . ]
: >
: > : That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same
: > : thing with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
: >
: > goat milk is naturally homogenized. I had a long discussion with a goat
: > milk cheese maker near our summer place, who said making a lower fat goat
: > cheese was very difficult as you need a special seperator to break the
: > milk to get the fat out and it is just too expensive for small sheep
: > raiser making cheese.

: Sounds like a good use for a centrifuge. "I know nothing!"

: --
: Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their


that could well be what the seperator is in a s terilizable format for
small goat farmers.

Wendy

Ricavito > wrote:
: On Jun 16, 12:06?pm, "W. Baker" > wrote:
: > Nick Cramer > wrote:
: > : Ricavito > wrote:
: >
: > : > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. ?For the first try, I
: > : > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
: > : > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
: > : > [ . . . ]
: >
: > : That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same thing
: > : with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
: >
: > goat milk is naturally homogenized. ?I had a long discussion with a goat
: > milk cheese maker near our summer place, who said making a lower fat goat
: > cheese was very difficult as you need a special seperator to break the
: > milk to get the fat out and it is just too expensive for small sheep ?
: > raiser making cheese.
: >
: > Wendy

: Yes, I read that too. Some of the ricotta/farmers' cheese recipes
: suggest using nonfat milk or even powdered milk to get around the
: homogenization, if that is all that's available fresh. Personally, I
: don't see the point in nonfat cheese ;-)

: How are you Wendy?

Coming alone slowly. As I told my daughter yesterday when she finally
left to return home, leaving me really alone in the apartment, that just
as I sad on my wedding day"today is the first day of teh rest of my life."

Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork staring
at her.

In article >,
"W. Baker" > wrote:

>
> Coming alone slowly. As I told my daughter yesterday when she finally
> left to return home, leaving me really alone in the apartment, that just
> as I sad on my wedding day"today is the first day of teh rest of my life."
>
> Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork staring
> at her.

Oh, I remember walking my mother through the paperwork (my father died
in January; they'd been married 58 years). It gets better, slowly and
incrementally.

--
"Isn't embarrassing to quote something you didn't read and then attack
what it didn't say?"--WG, where else but Usenet

"W. Baker" > wrote:
> [ . . . ]
> Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork
> staring at her.

I don't envy you that, Wendy. I have a two page list of things that have to
be done when I die. And Jun's English is marginal.

Prioritize and work your way through it a little at a time. You have family
and friends who will help and support you.

Zay gezunt.

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

On Jun 17, 8:30*am, "W. Baker" > wrote:

>
> : How are you Wendy?
>
> Coming alone slowly. *As I told my daughter yesterday when she finally
> left to return *home, leaving me really alone in the apartment, that just
> as I sad on my wedding day"today is the first day of teh rest of my life." *
>
> Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork staring
> at her.

I've cried a few tears thinking of what you're going through Wendy.
Keep reading and writing and to hell with the paperwork, you will get
it done when you are ready.

Ricavito > wrote:
> On Jun 17, 8:30=A0am, "W. Baker" > wrote:

> > : How are you Wendy?
> >
> > Coming alone slowly. =A0As I told my daughter yesterday when she
> > finally left to return home, leaving me really alone in the
> > apartment, that just as I sad on my wedding day"today is the first day
> > of teh rest of my life.=

> > Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork
> > staring at her.
>
> I've cried a few tears thinking of what you're going through Wendy.
> Keep reading and writing and to hell with the paperwork, you will get
> it done when you are ready.

Would that it were so, Rica. Sadly, some things have to be dealt with in a
timely manner. That's why prioritizing is so important. You have to take
care of the stuff that has to be taken care of now, now. <sigh>

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

"W. Baker" > wrote in message
...
> Ricavito > wrote:
> : On Jun 16, 12:06?pm, "W. Baker" > wrote:
> : > Nick Cramer > wrote:
> : > : Ricavito > wrote:
> : >
> : > : > I tried my hand at cheese making last weekend. ?For the first try,
> I
> : > : > decided to use the easiest recipe I could find, one for a homemade
> : > : > ricotta type cheese to be eaten within a week.
> : > : > [ . . . ]
> : >
> : > : That sounds very similar to my Ricotta recipe. When I tried the same
> thing
> : > : with goat's milk, it never broke. ;-(
> : >
> : > goat milk is naturally homogenized. ?I had a long discussion with a
> goat
> : > milk cheese maker near our summer place, who said making a lower fat
> goat
> : > cheese was very difficult as you need a special seperator to break the
> : > milk to get the fat out and it is just too expensive for small sheep ?
> : > raiser making cheese.
> : >
> : > Wendy
>
> : Yes, I read that too. Some of the ricotta/farmers' cheese recipes
> : suggest using nonfat milk or even powdered milk to get around the
> : homogenization, if that is all that's available fresh. Personally, I
> : don't see the point in nonfat cheese ;-)
>
> : How are you Wendy?
>
> Coming alone slowly. As I told my daughter yesterday when she finally
> left to return home, leaving me really alone in the apartment, that just
> as I sad on my wedding day"today is the first day of teh rest of my life."
>
> Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork staring
> at her.


Hugs, Wendy.
I am glad to see you posting here.
You have many friends on these groups.

--
Best Regards,
Evelyn

We already have perfect compassion, perfect wisdom, perfect joy. We only
need to settle our minds so they can rise from deep within us. - Buddha

could you get your list translated for her so she could understand it better
in her tounge and maybe that would make it easier for her, Lee
"Nick Cramer" > wrote in message
...
> "W. Baker" > wrote:
>> [ . . . ]
>> Wendy reading and writing on newsgroups to avoid all the paperwork
>> staring at her.
>
> I don't envy you that, Wendy. I have a two page list of things that have
> to
> be done when I die. And Jun's English is marginal.
>
> Prioritize and work your way through it a little at a time. You have
> family
> and friends who will help and support you.
>
> Zay gezunt.
>
> --
> Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
> families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
> Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
> Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061