How to make ricotta: your first cheese

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Traditional ricotta is made from the whey left over from other cheeses. You can also make a fresh, ricotta-style cheese straight from whole milk and an acid, with no rennet and no leftover whey needed. It's the simplest cheese to start with, and it needs only a few things from the supermarket.

What you need

• 1 gallon whole milk. Use regular pasteurized milk, not ultra-pasteurized, which won't curdle properly.
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice or white distilled vinegar
• A thermometer, a large pot, cheesecloth and a colander

How to make it

1. Heat the milk slowly, stirring often so it doesn't scorch, to about 180 to 185°F.
2. Stir in the lemon juice or vinegar and keep stirring for about 2 minutes. The milk separates into curds and thin, yellowish whey.
3. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 20 minutes, so the curds rise.
4. Ladle the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth and let them drain.
5. Let the cheese cool to room temperature, then keep it in the refrigerator.

Soft or firm

How long you drain it sets the texture. About 15 minutes gives a soft, creamy ricotta. About 30 minutes gives one that's firmer and slightly dry.

Recipes differ a little on the exact numbers: some heat the milk to 190°F, and some use more or less acid, but too much acid makes the cheese taste sour. Fresh ricotta keeps for up to a week.

Method based on the homemade ricotta recipe on Nutrition.gov, with drain times from Food Network Kitchen.

Next: paneer

Paneer is made in a very similar way: milk, an acid, and draining. The difference is that paneer is pressed, so it ends up firm and holds its shape when cooked. That's the next chapter.