Ricotta Cheese

I have fallen in love with homemade Ricotta Cheese from the first time I made it. I'm only sorry I did not discover this many years ago when my children where younger. I love to have a plate of melons with a dollop of ricotta cheese. So refreshing and nutritious for a light meal.

1 gallon of organic milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 pint heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 quart of buttermilk
1 tablespoon salt

Place the milk, cream, buttermilk and salt in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, stirring slowly occasionally. Bring the milk to about 180-190 degrees. (You will see that the curds have begun to form.) Take the milk off the heat and add 1/2 cup organic apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's) and use a very gentle back-and-forth motion to stir it in. Let it sit undisturbed for about 1/2 an hour.

Place a fine-mesh cheesecloth over a colander and carefully scoop out the curds into the colander.

Let the whey drain out.

Put the ricotta in a container and refrigerate. You can use this for any recipe that calls for ricotta or cottage cheese.