DIY ricotta: whey cheaper, smoother

Ricotta is insanely easy to make and, once you've had a taste of the real thing, you will swear off those tubs of grainy, flat-tasting ricotta you find in the supermarket. Plus, it will be far less expensive than what you might pay in a cheese shop.

Like many other things in life, the trick is not to rush the process. Ricotta is the most elemental of cheeses and a great lesson in fresh cheese-making.

In essence, you gently heat whole milk, cream, fresh lemon juice and salt very, very slowly so that the curds (or solids) gradually separate from the liquid whey and float to the top. That slow heating keeps the curds soft, giving the ricotta its authentic creamy quality. Then you drain off the liquid whey by pouring the curds into a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel.

That's it. Your ricotta will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator. The whey could be saved for soups and baking.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

Yields about 500g of cheese, and halves or doubles easily.

If possible, use organic dairy here.

Anticipate this recipe taking 90 minutes from start to finish. You won't need to hover over the stove all that time, but you will need to be in the vicinity (a good time to settle in with a favourite book). Have an instant-reading thermometer handy as well as a good-sized sieve lined with cheesecloth (found in most supermarkets) or a thin kitchen towel, and set over a large bowl.

2.3l whole milk

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream - not ultra-pasteurised or sterilised

5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

Stir all the ingredients together in an eight-litre, non-reactive (enamel- or stainless-steel-lined) saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the milk reaches 85C - about 40 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium, and slowly bring the milk's temperature up to 100-105C (six to eight minutes). Avoid stirring to keep the developing curds large. At this point, the curds should mound on a spatula like soft-cooked scrambled eggs.

Turn off the heat, and let the ricotta rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth (wet it to keep it in place) and turn out the contents of the pot and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Add more salt if desired. Keep covered in the refrigerator.