Sicilian Homemade Ricotta Cheese

• servings: 20 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk

1 quart buttermilk

1 pint heavy cream

1 tablespoon kosher salt

18-inch squares cheesecloth

Directions

Line a large colander or sieve with 4 layers of cheesecloth. Set aside.

Heat milk, buttermilk, heavy cream, and salt in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for the first 10 minutes. Continue heating, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 190 degrees F. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. The mixture will be separated into white curds and clear whey.

Using a slotted spoon, ladle approximately 1/4 of the curds into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gather up the corners of the top cheesecloth and secure closed with a zip tie. Repeat with the rest of the curds, cheesecloth, and zip ties. Use the last zip tie to thread all of the cheeses together. Suspend the cheeses over a large wooden spoon over a large bowl, and let drain for 2 hours.

Place the four cheeses, still in cloth, in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, cut zip ties, and transfer cheese to an airtight container.

Nutrition

• Calories: 219 kcal
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 9 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 54 mg
• Sodium: 427 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
• Total Sugars: 11 g
• Protein: 8 g