Name: Sous Vide Ricotta Cheese
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 8 cups whole milk; 5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar; 1 teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

Ricotta is Italian for “twice cooked,” a reference to the traditional ricotta-making process of reheating whey, or the liquid left over from the production of other cheese, and then adding acid to coagulate the milk proteins. This method is called acid-heat coagulation. For our recipe, we started with whole milk and used distilled white vinegar for the acid. Distilled white vinegar, unlike lemon juice (the other common choice), is neutral in flavor and always contains 5 percent acidity. Heating the milk to 190°F/88°C denatured the whey proteins, allowing them to interact and coagulate with their casein counterparts. Using the sous vide technique for this process eliminated the risk of scorched pots and ruined batches of ricotta, a common problem when making it on a stovetop. Once the curds had formed, all that was left to do was strain them through cheesecloth. Cheese making has never been easier.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use whole milk; milk with other fat percentages will not work as well for this recipe. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 190°F/88°C in 7-quart container.

Whisk together milk, vinegar, and salt in large bowl. Pour mixture into 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until mixture is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook until milk mixture fully separates into solid curds and translucent whey, about 30 minutes. If curds have not separated, cook for additional 10 minutes.

Remove bag from water bath and let milk mixture cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, set colander over large bowl and line with double layer of cheesecloth. Gently pour cooled milk mixture into prepared colander. Let drain, stirring occasionally, until whey has drained from edges of cheese but center is still very moist, about 30 minutes. Discard drained whey. Gently transfer cheese to now-empty bowl. Stir well to break up large curds and incorporate remaining whey. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.

to make ahead

Ricotta can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; stir to recombine before using.