The best ingredients are those that can be used in a variety of dishes whether sweet savory or spicy. Ricotta one of the most popular Italian cheeses finds its way into this category of versatile dishes. It can be used in a variety of recipes from luxurious ricotta pancakes to springy asparagus and lemon tarts. While you may already be familiar with many of its wondrous uses did you know that you should strain store-bought ricotta before using it? Ricotta is a joke if you don’t!
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 Pudge Factor | 2021-03-13 22:34:01 |  43,706 Views |
Easy Homemade Ricotta Cheese
The importance of this step becomes easier to understand when you know what ricotta actually is. It’s traditionally made from leftover whey a yellow liquid that’s created during the cheesemaking process (sometimes with whole milk and vinegar added). The whey is then heated bringing all the remaining curds together until you’re left with soft delicious ricotta. This is where the cheese gets its name (which means “recooked”). It can also be made entirely from whole milk (which is what you’ll most often find in supermarkets). Because it starts out as such a liquid product it needs to be strained when using pre-made ricotta in your cooking.
Strain-drying store-bought ricotta is essential for removing the cheese’s naturally excess moisture especially if you’re using the kind made from cow’s milk which has a high moisture content and a milder flavor than versions made from whey or the milk of goats sheep or water buffalo (all of which are regionally available in Italy but less common in the United States). The vast majority of ricotta available in the United States is made from a mixture of cow’s milk whey and some acid or enzyme which produces moist fluffy curds.
Not every brand removes the same amount of liquid from their final product; this variation in texture and production process is why straining your store-bought ricotta is key to ensuring your recipe turns out just right. It can make the difference between a soggy mushy dish that won’t come together and a well-structured one. Baked goods like puff pastry cupcakes and cookies will especially benefit from this simple step. Otherwise you could end up with thin lasagna or soggy focaccia and your cheesecake or cannoli filling could end up looking gooey.
