Fresh Ricotta!!

OK So I came across this recipe and thought, oh how I would love to make my own cheese! I decided to start with the simplest one I have collected and that was definitely the ricotta cheese. I would love to make mozzarella too.. but that's another day. What I would really like to do is make this with raw milk, real buttermilk, and real cream. But since I don't have any of those right now...I made do. This was so simple I was really shocked. I may never buy ricotta again. I bought a big container of ricotta for a recipe I am making later this week because I didn't want to rely on this recipe turning out good. So I did a comparison taste... there is no comparison. Even the really good ricotta at the store, tasted bland and flavorless after tasting the one I made. So easy and so delicious. I don't use ricotta often, but when I do I will make it myself now!! 

Fresh Ricotta

From: Framed Cooks

4 cups whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt

1. Line a colander with several layers of cheese cloth (3-4) and set it in your sink. 
2. combine milk, buttermilk, and cream in sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil until cooking thermometer registers 185. If you don't have a thermometer, keep an eye on it to see when the curds (solid white parts) are mostly separated from the whey (cloudy liquid). This will take about 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times during the boiling process. 
3. Remove from heat and using a slotted spoon, scoop spoonfulls of the curd into the cheesecloth-lined strainer, sprinkling with salt every few spoonfulls or so. 
4. Let the ricotta drain for about 5 minutes and then taste to check consistancy. If you like it drier, drain more. If you like it moister, stir in a tablespoon or 2 of milk. This ricotta is best used right away, but will keep a day or 2 in fridge. 

*Note this made almost 3 cups of ricotta.