8 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

pinch of salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix milk, cream and salt in saucepan.  Heat over medium heat to 195 degree, stirring frequently to prevent burning/scorching.  When the mixture has reached 195 degrees add lemon juice and stir until just combined.  Remove from heat and let set for 5 minutes.  In the meantime line a fine mesh strainer with a triple layer of cheese cloth and place over a large bowl.  Pour the mixture from the saucepan into the cheese cloth lined strainer (careful not to splash on yourself!).  Let set for 20 minutes or so to completely drain the whey from the curds.  If you want a drier ricotta, tie the ends of the cheese cloth together and hang over the bowl (like from a cabinet knob).  You can save the whey or discard it.  I saved some of it.  That's it!  Easy Peasy.  

sweet ricotta with strawberries

OK, now for this deliciousness!  I used most of the ricotta I made for this recipe, I wanted to have some unsweetened ricotta for another to be determined use.  Put the ricotta cheese into a food processor and blend until creamy.  I had to add some whey because I let the ricotta drain too much and I thought it would mix better with some moisture.  Add in powdered sugar.   I started out with two tablespoons and blended until creamy.  After a taste, I decided to add one more tablespoon of powdered sugar.  Perfect. I wanted to lick the spoon and everything the cheese was on.

The strawberry part and my measurements (which you can change to your taste)
hull and quarter strawberries about 2 cups
sprinkle with sugar (approx) 4 T
top with balsamic vinegar (approx) 2 T
sprinkle with salt and pepper
Mix and let set for 15 minutes.  Spoon strawberries and some syrup into a bowl.  Top with sweet ricotta.  Enjoy.

Shared: Independence Days Challenge