[Sca-cooks] Ricotta non mascarpone

[smcclune at earthlink.net]

-----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