[Sca-cooks] Ricotta non mascarpone
smcclune at earthlink.net
smcclune at earthlink.net
Thu May 1 12:49:31 PDT 2008
-----Original Message-----
>From: Dragon <dragon at crimson-dragon.com>
>
>I've never seen a cheese recipe that uses such a low temperature that
>does not also use a live culture and/or rennet as the coagulant.
>
>Doesn't mean they don't exist, only that I have never seen one.
<<<
I started with the one quoted in Mark Grant's "Roman Cookery":
"Bassus, Country Matters:
The best method for making what are known as curds is to pour sharp vinegar into new earthenware pots and then to put these pots on a slow fire. When the vinegar begins to boil, take it off the flame so it does not bubble over and pour milk into the pots. Place the pots in a store or some other place where they will not be disturbed. The next day you will have curds that are much better than those made with a great deal of fuss."
But because I didn't have new earthenware pots to put in the fire, I decided to approximate the effect by warming the milk slightly. I guesstimated that if you started with really fresh milk, it would be about body temperature; the heat from the boiling vinegar and the earthenware pots might raise the temperature by about five degrees or thereabouts. I do boil the vinegar before adding it, though I've forgotten a time or two and it still works, just not as quickly.
After the curds form, I transfer them to a cheesecloth bag and hang them up to let them drip for a couple of hours. The resulting cheese is more like a cream cheese than a solid, sliceable cheese (though it does become more solid the longer it hangs). There is a slight tang to it from the vinegar, but it's not unpleasant.
>>>
>I'd also be inclined to believe that it will take a lot more acid and
>a lot more time to set at that temperature.
<<<
I generally use a quarter cup of vinegar to a quart of milk, give or take. But the curds form pretty much right away.
I've also used lemon juice on occasion, but with that, I just dribble it in a little at a time until curds happen.
>>>
<re: infrared thermometers>
>Don't count on it being any better or more accurate. In fact, it may
>be wildly inaccurate for several reasons. I'd test it against a
>trusted "instant read" electronic type before trusting the infrared
>thermometer to give you an accurate reading. This is because of
>differences in the way different materials emit infrared radiation
>(called the emittance or emissivity factor). Better models of these
>devices have a setting on them to compensate for varying emittance
>but you will have to determine which setting (if any) works for
>checking the temperature of the milk.
<<<
Mine does have this feature, though I haven't played with it yet. In the limited amount of testing I've done, it seems to be reasonably accurate, but I haven't measured a lot of liquids. We've also (okay, I say "we," but I mean my Beloved Husband, here) used it to measure the temperature of the koi pond, with the result being within a few degrees of the drop-in thermometer.
(All right, to be honest, the first few days we had the thing, we measured the temperature of just about everything in the house, just because...yes, we're geeks!)
>>>
> Another factor at work here is
>that a layer of water vapor at the air/liquid interface can result in
>a lower temperature reading.
<<<
Oooh, good to know. Thank you!
Though I have to confess, my usual method of measuring the milk temperature is pretty complex: I stick a (clean!) finger into it, and if it feels like about the right temperature for a hot tub, it's right. I've double-checked myself a couple of times with a thermometer (not the infrared one), and been within a degree either way every time.
Arwen Southernwood,
Outlands
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