# Ricotta failure-whey not separating at all



## MamaDee (May 10, 2006)

I've tried several times to make the vinegar recipe for ricotta. Each time there were no curds at all. Just whey like it started out. 

So....today I tried a recipe where you let the whey sit overnight. Then you get it to almost boiling and then let is sit. Still no curds at all. Just watery liquid. What gives?!

Dee


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## SHELBY (Mar 9, 2003)

How much vinegar are you using to how much milk?


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

Two things - what was the whey left over from?
I _think _you can only do it with whey left from hard cheeses, not chevre, for example.

And two - don't bother with whey ricotta. IMO, it is a giant mess, it is incredibly low yield and totally not worth it. I only make whole milk ricotta now. The only time I made whey ricotta I had to throw away the cheesecloth - it was disgusting.


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## MamaDee (May 10, 2006)

How much vinegar are you using to how much milk?>>>

The recipe was 1/4 cup vinegar to 2 quarts whey. It was the same recipe as vinegar cheese (chevre) (2 quarts goat milk, 1/4 cup vinegar) only you use whey.

The other recipe I just tried was no vinegar. You use 1 gallon on milk to make the vinegar cheese and then let the leftover whey sit for 24 hours to develope the acidity. Neither one worked.


<<<Two things - what was the whey left over from?
I think you can only do it with whey left from hard cheeses, not chevre, for example>>> Hmmm.....that's interesting. It makes sense, but the Storey goat book had the ricotta cheese recipe right under vinegar recipe. It said to follow the directions for the chevre, only use whey.

<<<And two - don't bother with whey ricotta. IMO, it is a giant mess, it is incredibly low yield and totally not worth it. I only make whole milk ricotta now. The only time I made whey ricotta I had to throw away the cheesecloth - it was disgusting>>>

Really? That's good to know. I was just looking for a way to use up the leftover ricotta besides cooking.
__________________

Dee


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## marusempai (Sep 16, 2007)

Yes, you can only make whey ricotta from whey leftover from a rennet cheese. Once you have acid-precipitated milk once, there is nothing left for the vinegar to curdle in the whey. It is extremely low yeild. That being said, I kind of like whey ricotta. It is goopy (I have to scrape it out of the cheesecloth with a spoon), but I save it in the freezer until I have enough to make a small cheesecake for my husband and me. I am not finding the recipe right now, but I will look for it.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

i prefer the whey ricotta

one thing tho the whey has to be fresh like less than an hour or two old

you can do it with the easy mozerella, or the other hard cheeses


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