Author Topic: What to do with the ricotta  (Read 1879 times)

Denise

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What to do with the ricotta
« on: August 29, 2013, 03:01:29 PM »
The whey from the last couple of cheeses I've made has produced quite a bit of ricotta, which has been used on bread, in salad dressings and moussaka toppings, as a dip and to make cheesecakes. Ricotta is OK, but I don't really need so much; what I want is good yummy hard cheese. I'm using the ricotta more because I hate waste than for any other reason.

So the miser in me got to thinking; what would happen if I made the ricotta while the curds were cheddaring, and mixed the ricotta in with the curds before pressing? Would it make a new breed of cheese? Common sense tells me I would get a much bigger cheese...but would it be good cheese? Has anyone tried doing this?

Spellogue

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Re: What to do with the ricotta
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2013, 01:30:03 AM »
Interesting idea.  I can't say whether it would be a good cheese or not.  I dont make much ricotta.  The closest I've come to your idea is making curds in two different pots and mixng them before pressing. I've had good results doing this but the curds I was combining were always made in a rather similar fashion.  You might not get a tight knit when you combine the cooked/acidulated ricotta with the curd from your primary make. 

I'd be inclined to try it on a small scale first. 

gsager18

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Re: What to do with the ricotta
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2013, 02:36:25 AM »
Yeah I have no idea if/how that would work but it does sound like a cool idea. If you added a couple of drops of annatto to the whey before heating it to make ricotta, you might get an interesting marbled effect or something...

Denise

  • Guest
Re: What to do with the ricotta
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2013, 03:09:19 AM »
I can't believe I'm the first skinfint ever to make cheese...I'm sure someone must have thought of 'recycling' the ricotta before now. Maybe the fact that there is no ricoddar or cheddotta on the supermarket shelves next to or in place of the cheddar means that my brilliant plan contains an as yet unrevealed but fatal flaw. I think I will give it a try though, once I have stocked the cave with short-aging cheeses ready for Christmas.

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: What to do with the ricotta
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2013, 06:23:47 AM »
Ricotta is mainly the proteins left in the whey after the curds are removed and does not keep very long. (As per http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/217-Ricotta.html )

"Ricotone and Ricotta cheese are very high in moisture and contain most of the lactose from the milk. Therefore, the keeping quality is not very good. It may last 10 days at best"

But who knows, it may work incorporated into the curds, although I suspect re-adding the lactose may be problematic.
Someone like LinuxBoy would probably have a good answer.
-Bill
One day I will add something here...

Back 2 The Frotture

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Re: What to do with the ricotta
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2013, 11:28:02 AM »
Due to the high whey content in ricotta it doesn't have a long shelf life, but if you press it, perhaps you could age it.  Be careful of pathogens due to the fact that the ricotta is essentially pasteurized. Schabziger is a cheese that may be a good starting point for your cheese research.  I dont know if fresh ricotta can knit well with curds.  Its worth a shot though.

gsager18

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Re: What to do with the ricotta
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2013, 10:36:52 PM »
Also, there's always ricotta salata, which is pressed and salted ricotta that's aged for a few weeks once it's done. I haven't had great results (either too salty or it dried out -- probably because I saw it as a "bonus" cheese and didn't take great care of it), but it' supposedly very good crumbled on salads.