Author Topic: Yet another Ricotta recipe  (Read 8598 times)

bigfish_oz

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Yet another Ricotta recipe
« on: January 20, 2010, 11:41:37 AM »
My wife was talking to an Italian lady at work about my cheesemaking efforts and was told about her family "ricotta" recipe with three ingredients:

2 litres of milk
1/2 teaspoon of Epsom salts (yep! I discovered that is a common coagulant for tofu making)
lemon juice

Hopefully I can get the instructions from her tomorrow.

Cheers,
Alan

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2010, 02:55:45 PM »
Let us know how that works. I've never heard of the Epsom salts in cheese making.
Pam

Alex

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2010, 04:32:28 PM »
Alan, I don't know what Epsom salt is. As the lady is an Italian, I'm sure she knows this isn't a real Ricotta. I use to follow this process sometimes, because the outcome is very similar to Ricotta. I do not salt at all as I use this cheese for sweet fillings and salty fillings, so I add salt only where and when needed.
As coagulant, you may use lemon juice, yogurt or vinegar.
For 2 liters of milk, you should add 6 Tb lemon juice/2 cups yogurt or 2 Tb + 2.5 ts of 5% vinegar.
I've learned that with vinegar I get the best results and taste.

Heat the milk to 88-92 deg C, pour the coagulant, stir well and let the curds form, don't touch. wait 15-20 minutes, transfer the curds to a colander lined with cheese cloth. Hang the cloth for dripping 2-3 hours according to the desired consistency.

Good luck!!!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2010, 03:02:41 AM »
I didn't know Epsom salt was eddible. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate I thought it was only for soaking  or bathing in.

bigfish_oz

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2010, 08:12:37 AM »
And I thought it was used as a laxative  :o

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2010, 09:32:39 PM »
Maybe the Italian lady was playing a joke on you...

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2010, 02:21:06 AM »
I guess we have to wait and see ...

Billingsley15

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2010, 03:41:15 PM »
My wife was talking to an Italian lady at work about my cheesemaking efforts and was told about her family "ricotta" recipe with three ingredients:

2 litres of milk
1/2 teaspoon of Epsom salts (yep! I discovered that is a common coagulant for tofu making)
lemon juice

Hopefully I can get the instructions from her tomorrow.

Its true. My Italian grandmother and mother let me make ricotta this way when I was just a kid. Epsom salts is used as a laxative but using just 1/2 teaspoon has no taste or effect.... except in curdling the warm milk.

Makes a very light and soft ricotta. The lemon juice is option.

My memories of the recipe were to simply warm the milk to around 80-85 degree C, then dissolve the epsom salts in about 1 TBS of water.

Pour the mixture into the warm milk and very slowly and very gently stir.

When the ricotta starts to form as curds at the top of the milk, leave it to rest.

The milk will turn reasonably clear and the ricotta is then ready to strain through a doubled piece of cheese cloth.

Once drained, refrigerate and you have a fine ricotta. (Salt to your taste when serving).

Would love to read your posts when you try it.

Cheers,
Billingsley

Tagirone

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2018, 01:49:15 AM »
I watched this documentary on TV showing places in Scotland (?) and there was this older lady that has this traditional pastry shop and only bakes with tons of lard. She was making a cheese on her stove and all she put in except milk was Epsom salt... My eyes opened widely and after that show I started reading more about uses of Epsom salt and what it really is...now, I am really tempted to try this recipe here, as it would be great in pastry ;-) ...I also use this miracle  substance in my garden, in my bath, in my body scrub, the kitchen will be next ;-) wow! So many uses... <3

dc-k

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Re: Yet another Ricotta recipe
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2018, 05:44:02 PM »
Food grade Magnesium Chloride is certainly used as a coagulant in tofu, as is Calcium Chloride. I have used both in tofu (I find the former much better), which is a very similar process to ricotta but using soya bean milk. The heating and coagulation is very similar for both. I have not heard of Magnesium Sulphate being used as a coagulant but I'm no expert.