What do you do with milk that's nearing its expiration date?

You make cheese, of course.  Sometimes I'll buy a gallon of milk and we do not use it.  Rather than throwing it out when it nears its expiration date, I make ricotta cheese.  It's really easy to make and it freezes well.  I use it to make stuffed shells, pierogi, lasagna and even use it as a base for stuffing mushrooms.

If you want to know how to make it, here's the recipe.  This is for a full gallon of milk, but if you only have a quart or half gallon, do the math to come up with the ingredients.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Makes about 1 ½ pounds

1 gallon	Whole milk (or you can use 1%, 2% or even fat free)
6 tbsp	White vinegar
½ - 1 tsp	Kosher salt (depending on your tastes)

Heat the milk in a large pot over medium/medium high heat to 200º (this temperature is key.  Too low and it will not work properly.)  Stir often to assure the milk does not burn on the bottom 

Stir in the vinegar, then remove pot from heat.  Cover and let rest undisturbed about 15 minutes.  You will see what looks like an ‘icky mess’.  The white part is the curd, the yellowish liquid is the whey. 

Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel that has been soaked in water and wrung dry.  Pour the whole pot into the cloth, letting the liquid whey drain.  Tie the ends of the towel together and tie it to your sink faucet.  Place the colander underneath it, in case it unties and drops. Let it drain about 20 minutes.  Put it in a bowl and add salt to taste. 

 

Optionally, wait until the cheese cools a bit and wring it dry with your hands.  Place the towel full of cheese in a colander and let it settle for a few minutes.

Use right away or freeze until you need it.

Some people also save the whey and use it for making bread or other cheeses.  I have not done that yet so I do not have any recipes for you.  In this case, GOOGLE is your friend.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

 

Note:  the whey which is the liquid that drains off the cheese, is wonderful for baking bread.  If you want to save it, just put a bowl under the colander before you drain the curds and whey.