Fresh Cheese
The pantry had extra milk this week, so instead of letting it go to waste, I turned it into fresh cheese and brought it along to the Witch Well Farmer’s Market for our mobile pantry there. The cheese on the left is ricotta — mild, creamy, and perfect for pastas or pastries. The one on the right is queso fresco — firmer, saltier, and great for crumbling over beans, tacos, or even roasted vegetables. They’re made almost the same way, but they fit into totally different cooking traditions, which is exactly why I love making both.
Ricotta Cheese
1 gallon of milk*
4 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
In a large pot over high heat, add the milk. Bring the milk to a low boil around 185-195 degrees and stir in the lemon juice. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to cheesecloth and drain for 10-30 minutes. The cheese above is drained for 10 minutes, which is better as a spreadable cheese on bread or used in the layers for lasagna. The cheese at the market, which was drier and better for adding to pastries, pancakes, or adding into pasta dough, was drained for 30 minutes. Salt it to taste before storing it in the refrigerator.
*To make the ricotta, the pantry had 2% milk, though whole milk gives a richer result if you have it.
Queso Fresco
1 gallon of milk
4 tbsp white vinegar
salt to taste
In a large pot over high heat, add the milk. Bring the milk to a low boil around 185-195 degrees and stir in the vinegar. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to cheesecloth and drain for 30-45 minutes. Salt the cheese at this stage to taste. It is usually a bit saltier than Ricotta cheese. Then press for 60 minutes. I did not press the cheese that went to the market. Store in the refrigerator.
Recipes that use Ricotta or Queso Fresco:
Life is great. Cheese makes it better.
- Avery Aames
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