Tips for Making Ricotta

Back when I lived in Wisconsin there was a store that carried imported ricotta.  It was fabulous.  I ended up getting spoiled using that.  Now that I've moved back to the South I can't find any ricotta in stores that is even a close second to that.  As a result I turned to making my own and discovered it was surprisingly easy.  I don't have my own recipe and usually use the Cook's Illustrated one, but if you can't access that one there are dozens online that likely work as well.  The important parts are milk, salt, lemon juice, and vinegar.  Here are some things that I've discovered through trial and error.

• Most recipes will call for fresh lemon juice.  I found myself making this recipe one day when I didn't have that and didn't want to make a special trip to get it.  Instead I used bottled lemon juice that I keep in my fridge.  It turned out great.  I used that a few more times and found that my recipe turned out more consistant as a result.  Looking into it a little bit on the internet it seems like it might be a result of the jarred stuff having a consistent PH.  
• Most of the recipes call for lining your strainer with cheesecloth.  I use a fine strainer and forgo the cheesecloth.  I find that it works just as well, saves me money on buying the cheese cloth, and makes less of a mess.  Just be sure that your strainer is fine enough that the curds won't slip through the holes if you are going to skip the cheesecloth.
• There are 3 main types of pasteurization you are likely to see.  Pasteurized, Ultra Pasteurized, and High Temperature Pasteurization which is sometimes listed as High Temperature Short Time, HTP, or HTST.  What's important for this recipe is that you not get the last 2.  Something about the Ultra Pasteurization and the High Temp keep them from separating properly to make the cheese.  
• When you strain your cheese the longer you leave it the drier it will become.  This is really a matter of personal preference and what you are doing with it so there is no right answer.  I tend to prefer mine on the less dry side.  If you are worried about getting it too dry you can save some of the whey you strain out to mix back in, or you can mix a little heavy cream with it when you are ready to use it.

This is the strainer I use.  As you can see I just set up up over the sink as I don't have a use for the whey.  If you do by all means strain it with a bowl under it.

This is mine in the strainer without any cheesecloth.  As you can see it's doing fine and slowly draining.  Some of the recipes tell you to gently pick out the larger curds and move them with a spoon before pouring.  I just gently pour the whole thing into the strainer.