Homemade Ricotta

• 1 gallon (4 liters) whole milk
• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon liquid vegetable or animal rennet (see Notes)
• Two 2 1/2-cup (600-milliliter) ricotta draining baskets (see Notes) or a fine sieve with a 6-cup (1 1/2-liter) capacity

1. Put the milk and cream in a heavy-bottomed pot and stir to mix well.
2. Warm the mixture over moderate heat.
3. Remove from the heat as soon as the milk begins to foam and climb toward the top of the pot.
4. The temperature of the milk will be 200F to 210F (95C to 100C).
5. Pour the milk into another pot to leave behind any scorched milk adhering to the bottom of the pot.
6. Add the salt and stir to dissolve it.
7. Let the milk cool to 100 (38C), which takes about an hour.
8. (You can speed this process considerably by placing the pot in a bath of ice water.)
9. Skim any foam or skin that forms on top of the milk as it cools.
10. In a small bowl, mix the rennet with 1/4 cup (60 millimeters) cold water, then stir the diluted rennet into the pot.
11. Let stand undisturbed until the milk has visibly thickened, about 10 minutes.
12. With a wooden spoon, cut a large cross in the milk.
13. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon for 15 to 20 seconds to break up the coagulated milk.
14. Using a perforated metal skimmer immersed in the milk, slowly and gently stir in one direction-so slowly that it takes about 20 seconds to make one revolution.
15. You will see the milk begin to separate into curds and whey.
16. Continue the slow, gentle stirring with the skimmer, moving the curds toward the center of the pot, until you have gathered a big pile of curds with whey surrounding them.
17. (The whey may be dotted with bits of curd.)
18. This process can take up to 5 minutes.
19. Slowly and gently pour off the whey, either directly into the sink or, if you want to catch every stray curd, into a cheesecloth-lined colander.
20. Disturbing the curds as little as possible, fill the ricotta draining baskets or the fine sieve spoonful by spoonful, mounding the curd in the baskets if necessary
21. If using ricotta draining baskets, set them in shallow plastic containers or on a tray to drain.
22. If using a sieve, set it over a bowl to drain.
23. Let stand at room temperature until the whey stops dripping from the baskets or sieve, about 2 hours, emptying the drained whey several times.
24. The ricotta can be used immediately or refrigerated for later use.
25. If the ricotta is in baskets, nestle the baskets in another container to catch any dripping whey, and cover the top with plastic wrap.
26. To use, remove the plastic and invert the basket onto a plate.
27. If the ricotta is in a sieve, invert the ricotta into a plastic container, cover, and refrigerate.
28. The ricotta is best used within 2 to 3 days.

gallon, milliliters, kosher salt, liquid vegetable, ricotta draining baskets

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/homemade-ricotta-2 (may not work)