Hi all, I am planning to make some of KDs ricotta cheese tonight or tomorrow to use in making some lasagna later this week. Anyhow, I was wondering if bottled lemon juice would work in this recipe? She calls for fresh, but does anyone know if bottled would work? The lemon juice isn't really for flavor, it is for the acid..... what do you think?

Why am I MAKING ricotta cheese for lasagna? It isn't because I'm a SHE (I LOVED Denise's post on making jam!!!!), it is because I REFUSE (did I say that sternly enough?) to pay over $5 for a pound of skim milk ricotta cheese. Esp. when I know I can make it myself, AND for less than half the cost! And yes, I know that I could use tofu in place of the ricotta, and normally that is exactly what I do, but I am making this for another family as well, and they have soy allergies.

Thanks for your help with this!

Ok, I am putting the spaghetti sauce that I made earlier in the week into the freezer and am going to make the lasagna next week. I was going to make it for dinner tonight, but realized that we have a dinner at the church tonight, and that I don't have to cook tonight! SO, I will make the ricotta over the weekend (dh suggested doing two batches, one with the bottled and one with the fresh lemon juice and try them side by side and to make two lasagna's....one for that night and one for the freezer for another meal....esp. since I already have everything to make two lasagnas), and then make the lasagna(s) on Monday.

I would think this would work fine. KD has a STRONG preference for fresh citrus juice but really, many times I've used good bottled stuff in her recipes with good success. Sorry I didn't respond sooner...can't wait to hear how it turned out.

Peg

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:


OTOH, I could be wrong... and it might not work... I've been wrong before... and it would be a very SHE thing to use up a gal. of milk and spend 6 hours cooking cheese and make a big mess... and need to buy cheese tomorrow.

Exactly! Which is what I want to avoid I just discovered that I am going to have to go to the store for a friend so I'm just going to break down and buy the lemons for the recipe. Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow

quote:

Originally posted by Lori4squaremom:
Sure do wish I knew if the bottled lemon juice would work!

I think that it should work. If you google homemade ricotta (or something like that), recipes come up using white vinegar.

OTOH, I could be wrong... and it might not work... I've been wrong before... and it would be a very SHE thing to use up a gal. of milk and spend 6 hours cooking cheese and make a big mess... and need to buy cheese tomorrow.

I haven't done it yet, because I don't know if bottled lemon juice will work, and I haven't been to the grocery store. I really don't want to waste the $$ on the milk to have it not work out. I don't have to do the dinner for the other family now (another friend that was supposed to have taken dinner over on Monday and forgot is doing it tonight) so I'm doing something else for tonight's dinner, and will do the lasagna tomorrow....which means I'm going to need to get the ricotta made today.....I guess I'm going to have to break down and go to the store and get some fresh lemons.

Sure do wish I knew if the bottled lemon juice would work! I always have that on hand....and don't buy lemons when they are out of season, at least not normally.

Did it work?

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
PS... to make enough ricotta/paneer to make lasagna for 2 families... I think that you will need $5+ worth of milk... and you might want to just breakdown and buy the ricotta.

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that I forgot to post the link for the recipe....

Actually, in order to make the 2 lasagnas, I need 2 pounds of ricotta, and using KDs recipe that will take a gallon of milk...which is $3.15 at Winco. (I did check on that before I asked the question)

Here's the link for the recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/r...se-recipe/index.html

PS... to make enough ricotta/paneer to make lasagna for 2 families... I think that you will need $5+ worth of milk... and you might want to just breakdown and buy the ricotta.

I looked in both books and can't find any KD recipes for making the ricotta...

I've seen Indian paneer cheese recipes (which is pretty much the cheese that it sounds like you are trying to make)... a couple recipes are here:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Paneer-Home-Made/Detail.aspx

I've heard that you have to use whole milk to make paneer... Don't know about the bottled lemon juice... I know somebody with a BUNCH of lemons.