tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post8111609445234766210..comments2023-09-06T18:25:29.962-07:00Comments on Emily's Culinary Adventures: Everyday Yumminess: Perfect Ricottaemmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03154686946588678005noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-55553553198558625962012-01-27T16:10:31.109-08:002012-01-27T16:10:31.109-08:00Better luck this time. I tried the recipe again i...Better luck this time. I tried the recipe again in my Sous Vide Supreme at 180 d. for 30 min. using 1/2 gallon of 5 day old raw milk, 1 c. cream, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and 1 scant tsp citric acid (it was old with a best-used-by date of 8/08). <br /> <br />I put the mix in the SVS while it was heating up, and it started forming curds well before the SVS was up to 180. Must be the extra citric acid right from the start that made the difference.<br /><br />It's still draining, but I can see small curds in the cheese.Lynn M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04108435081445060650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-22184011332795222192011-03-26T20:02:34.812-07:002011-03-26T20:02:34.812-07:00When I finished cooking my ricotta, I didn't s...When I finished cooking my ricotta, I didn't see any curds separating out after a 1 hour drain. I put the liquid in a jar in the frig while I disheartedly tried to figure out what to do with it.<br /><br />After a day, I could see a whey separation in the liquid, so I thought I'd try straining again. After straining for 24 hours, the result was almost 3 pounds of cream. I started with 3.6 cups of milk and 1.8 cups cream.<br /><br />The product looks like cream cheese - no curds. But it tastes great. I definitely will try it again, starting with the higher citric acid ratio that you used.Lynn M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04108435081445060650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-30358866472835440872011-03-24T15:16:31.072-07:002011-03-24T15:16:31.072-07:00I know how disheartening it is to lose awesome ing...I know how disheartening it is to lose awesome ingredients. I have definitely been there.<br /><br />The way I've been making it is pretty much a half batch of the Ideas in Food recipe with triple the citric acid. (I use 8C milk instead of 7.25C and 1C cream instead of 14.5T, just for the sake of not dirtying measuring cups and scales...) <br /><br />I don't have any experience with raw milk though, and it's possible that the chemistry is completely different. Maybe if you talk to your dairy farmer they will have a better idea? I'm stumped.emmohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16110893152717708067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-70068549083255590032011-03-24T14:47:39.377-07:002011-03-24T14:47:39.377-07:00I see that your ratios are significantly different...I see that your ratios are significantly different from what Ideas in Food has listed. <br /><br />After I saw that my initial batch didn't separate out (using 1/2 tsp citric acid, 3.5 quarts milk, 1.75 cups cream,1 tsp. salt), I added another 1.5 tsp citric acid to it and cooked it another 30 minutes. Still no separation. It had been sitting in a bucket for 10 minutes when I read your reply, and still hot, so I added another 1 tsp. citric acid. Still no separation.<br /><br />I just hate that my raw milk and raw cream are now cooked milk and cream and not ricotta. Sure wish I had cut the ingredients in half and that you had stated in the article that your photos showed a half-batch. I might get some fresh citric acid and try your recipe one more time as a half-batch.Lynn M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04108435081445060650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-55052109561848075472011-03-24T13:57:55.487-07:002011-03-24T13:57:55.487-07:00I've updated the post to include approximate q...I've updated the post to include approximate quantities... =)emmohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03154686946588678005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-64923079593949272322011-03-24T13:36:25.003-07:002011-03-24T13:36:25.003-07:00Hi Lynn,
I did a half-batch and fudged the quanti...Hi Lynn,<br /><br />I did a half-batch and fudged the quantities a little for simplicity, so that's why it's not quite the same. I ended up using 1/2 gallon milk, 1 cup cream, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and around 3/4 teaspoon citric acid.<br /><br />My guess would be that you need more citric acid. The first time I made this following the recipe exactly and curds didn't form, they formed almost as soon as I added more citric acid to the hot milk mixture. (I did this right after I pulled out the bag and saw that I didn't have curd separation, so the milk was still quite hot.) <br /><br />In a cheese-making book I have (where they call for unpasteurized milk) they use a full teaspoon of citric acid for a gallon of whole milk. I would just try sprinkling a little more into the hot milk mixture while stirring until you see curds start to form. (I'm a physicist, not a chemist, so I can't give a good scientific explanation... I'm just working from experience.)<br /><br />Good luck! I wish I had raw milk to play with. =) Let me know if you have success...emmohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03154686946588678005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-49290846030152930102011-03-24T13:23:18.540-07:002011-03-24T13:23:18.540-07:00I didn't see the ingredient list and quantitie...I didn't see the ingredient list and quantities posted on your blog, so I went to Amazon and searched in the contents of Ideas in Food there. The book says to use 3 qts + 2.5 cups (3,785 grams) whole milk, 1 3/4 cups + 1 TB (475 grams heavy cream, 1 tsp (6 grams) fine sea salt, and 1/2 tsp (3 grams) citric acid.<br /><br />But when you summarized your cost at the end, you said you used a half-gallon of milk and a cup of cream, which are different proportions. Were the quantities you used different from what the book specifies?<br /><br />I used raw milk and raw cream and put everything in a 3 ft. long Foodsaver-type bag, applied vacuum for 2 seconds, and then sealed it. The bag spent 30 min.in my SVS at 195 deg. I didn't have any separation of curds and whey when I took it out. I opened it up, added 1.5 tsp more citric acid, (you said some milks take 2-3X more) and am now cooking it another 30 min. Hope it works this time.<br /><br />My citric acid was 2.5 years past it's best-by date. Does citric acid go bad - could that explain my poor initial result? If using farm fresh raw milk, should I just assume I will need to use extra citric acid?Lynn M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04108435081445060650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-51868819503101267482011-03-19T15:45:47.369-07:002011-03-19T15:45:47.369-07:00None that I can think of. I had equipment failure...None that I can think of. I had equipment failure (stupid thermometer...) when I tried last weekend, (I think things over-cooled by a few degrees before I added the culture...) so it didn't turn out just right... Theoretically it totally works, I just biffed while seeking experimental proof... =)emmohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16110893152717708067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5233058818245130072.post-72723074820468705052011-03-19T15:32:04.335-07:002011-03-19T15:32:04.335-07:00any reason that wouldn't work with yogurt too?...any reason that wouldn't work with yogurt too?johannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10770286753644338228noreply@blogger.com