today i arrived home from work at 7:14 pm to deal with the huge pot of whey. we opted to mix the whey from both the 2% and whole milk to make just a massive mountain of ricotta. upon examination, i found the whey, which i had left to acidify on my stovetop, to have a vaguely greenish pallor and a not-so-fresh smell (dracula cheese?). i started the heating process. fankhauser says to heat it to near boiling, or 220 degrees. when it reached 197, there were large bubbles beginning to burst in the center, so i stopped, covered, and removed from heat. i thought it would be better not to push it to the higher temperature. my thermometer is also not the most reliable.
this proved to be the wrong decision, i guess. after 3 hours of resting, undisturbed, on the counter, the mixture had achieved a 'comfortable' temperature. (cheesemaking, at least in this experience, requires A LOT of waiting. we will have to investigate the 30 minute kit jknepfle suggested in the future) i tried to gently remove the curds that had formed, only to discover there were hardly any. what i saw on the surface was all there was. i drained it over 
cheesecloth anyway, but, alas, lasagna with homemade ricotta was not in the cards. maybe next time.
cheesecloth anyway, but, alas, lasagna with homemade ricotta was not in the cards. maybe next time.i sent a text to beth at quarter after eleven - 'ricotta: abysmal failure'.
2 comments:
Sorry to see that the cheesemaking experience did not quite turn out. Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised, but you know I always applaude your efforts:)
Love, CL
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