Fresh Ricotta

[porcupine]

Does anyone know which stores carry sheep ricotta? I'm going to need to get some in a hurry the day after a trip, and I won't have time to hunt for it. (my menu planning skills suck.) Cowgirl Creamery and Cheesetique are too far from me. Any place in Bethesda would be ideal.

If not sheep, then good cow. FWIW I don't like Blue Ridge Dairy's ricotta. (yeah, I'm fussy.) The ricotta will be used in both the appetizer and dessert courses.

Many thanks.

[Flavortown]

Does anyone know which stores carry sheep ricotta? I'm going to need to get some in a hurry the day after a trip, and I won't have time to hunt for it. (my menu planning skills suck.) Cowgirl Creamery and Cheesetique are too far from me. Any place in Bethesda would be ideal.

If not sheep, then good cow. FWIW I don't like Blue Ridge Dairy's ricotta. (yeah, I'm fussy.) The ricotta will be used in both the appetizer and dessert courses.

Many thanks.

The Whole Foods in Tenleytown might have sheep's milk ricotta. If not, I know that they do carry a few good options for fresh cow's milk ricotta, including Maplebrook Farm's, from Vermont.

[Sthitch]

I really like Calabro hand-dipped ricotta, I find it at the Italian Store in Arlington, but you might be able to find it at another Italian deli (Wegman's carries some of them).

[hungry prof]

I would give a call to the new Friendship Heights Whole Foods. Huge store with a large cheese counter.

[porcupine]

I really like Calabro hand-dipped ricotta, I find it at the Italian Store in Arlington, but you might be able to find it at another Italian deli (Wegman's carries some of them).

I just picked some up at the Bethesda WF for a test drive tonight. Good to hear that you like it.

In case anyone else is interested, BWF does not sell sheep ricotta, but they do sell sheep yogurt.

And the Bethesda Balducci's doesn't have sheep ricotta.

[Anna Blume]

I don't know if anyone around these here parts can sell sheep's milk ricotta to you legally.

Ricotta from dairy cows is made with pasteurized milk.

Sheep are raised for making aged cheese from raw milk in this region, but I think USDA (or local health department) regulations prevent their producers from selling fresh raw milk or its products to you.

I am surprised about the yogurt, but suspect the milk is pasteurized first in a company large enough to have a contract with a corporation the size of Whole Foods or even Balducci's.

What I've purchased instead of sheep's milk ricotta in the past is the French sheep's milk feta from Whole Foods. Creamy, mild. Excellent sub for most purposes.

[Sthitch]

I don't know if anyone around these here parts can sell sheep's milk ricotta to you legally.

Those hooligans at Cowgirl Creamery sells it.

[leleboo]

I don't know if anyone around these here parts can sell sheep's milk ricotta to you legally.

Ricotta from dairy cows is made with pasteurized milk.

Sheep are raised for making aged cheese from raw milk in this region, but I think USDA (or local health department) regulations prevent their producers from selling fresh raw milk or its products to you.

I am surprised about the yogurt, but suspect the milk is pasteurized first in a company large enough to have a contract with a corporation the size of Whole Foods or even Balducci's.

What I've purchased instead of sheep's milk ricotta in the past is the French sheep's milk feta from Whole Foods. Creamy, mild. Excellent sub for most purposes.

Those hooligans at Cowgirl Creamery sells it.

Which I think porcupine knew or guessed, possibly based on this thread. So is what they sell at Cowgirl fresh sheep's milk ricotta? Or pasteurized, presuming Anna's knowledge of the law holds? Or do I need an outing to do recon?

[KMango]

Is making the ricotta an option given the time constraints you'll have?

[Sthitch]

Which I think porcupine knew or guessed, possibly based on this thread. So is what they sell at Cowgirl fresh sheep's milk ricotta? Or pasteurized, presuming Anna's knowledge of the law holds? Or do I need an outing to do recon?

I realize that porcupine said it was too far, I was responding to the conjecture concerning one’s inability to find it in the area, but either way, I wonder if it really matters since the whey is cooked in the process of making Ricotta, so does it really matter one way or another if the milk has been paseurized?

[porcupine]

Which I think porcupine knew or guessed, possibly based on this thread. So is what they sell at Cowgirl fresh sheep's milk ricotta? Or pasteurized, presuming Anna's knowledge of the law holds? Or do I need an outing to do recon?

Yep, I knew it. Thanks for the reminder about that thread - I'd forgotten about it. I never did find sheep milk, though.

Is making the ricotta an option given the time constraints you'll have?

Absolutely not.

There is a brand in a green and white container, can't recall the name. Know I've seen it around somewhere. Anyway, I don't care whether it's fresh or pasteurized, so long as it isn't ricotta salata.

The cow stuff will work fine for the dessert, and for the first course I'll use burrata (which I think I've seen at WF), or if not that, mozzarella.

[leleboo]

The cow stuff will work fine for the dessert, and for the first course I'll use burrata (which I think I've seen at WF), or if not that, mozzarella.

Never give up! Never surrender!

But now I'm curious about Sthitch's point. I definitely need to do some recon. I just needed a recipe reason.

[porcupine]

Never give up! Never surrender!

that's one of my favorite movies

[leleboo]

that's one of my favorite movies

ditto

[Anna Blume]

Those hooligans at Cowgirl Creamery sells it.

but they're not hooligans since the larger, presumably (all these conjectures!!) operation in CA uses pasteurized milk. only local sheep-milk cheese maker I know around here is just too small--and dedicated to raw milk-cheeses--to have that kind of equipment.

[Sthitch]

but they're not hooligans since the larger, presumably (all these conjectures!!) operation in CA uses pasteurized milk. only local sheep-milk cheese maker I know around here is just too small--and dedicated to raw milk-cheeses--to have that kind of equipment.

Nice try, but your quote was "I don't know if anyone around these here parts can sell sheep's milk ricotta to you legally" nothing about local producers.

[leleboo]

Nice try, but your quote was "I don't know if anyone around these here parts can sell sheep's milk ricotta to you legally" nothing about local producers.

But she also said the sheep "in this region" are raised for raw milk cheeses; I read it as local producers, which wasn't explicit but possibly implied (? ... hey, we all mistype/misspeak sometimes).

[Sthitch]

But she also said the sheep "in this region" are raised for raw milk cheeses; I read it as local producers, which wasn't explicit but possibly implied (? ... hey, we all mistype/misspeak sometimes).

If that was the case why recommend French feta? Not really local. But still, come back to the question of why does it matter if it is raw if the whey is cooked before selling?

[leleboo]

But still, come back to the question of why does it matter if it is raw if the whey is cooked before selling?

Yeah -- that's the question I wanted to do recon on, because I think it's a fair point. The laws don't always follow logic, though ... It does seem that since the whey cooks, the issue is resolved. (At least in my understanding.) However, could it be possible that because the sheep are raised for the purpose of making raw milk cheeses, it's verboten to go ahead and sell ricotta made from their milk, despite the fact that the process of making the ricotta eliminates the perceived problem? (I don't know the answer; I'm back to conjecture here.)

[bookluvingbabe]

Yeah -- that's the question I wanted to do recon on, because I think it's a fair point. The laws don't always follow logic, though ... It does seem that since the whey cooks, the issue is resolved. (At least in my understanding.) However, could it be possible that because the sheep are raised for the purpose of making raw milk cheeses, it's verboten to go ahead and sell ricotta made from their milk, despite the fact that the process of making the ricotta eliminates the perceived problem? (I don't know the answer; I'm back to conjecture here.)

Is it that the heating the whey to make the ricotta doesn't heat it to the same level as pasturizing would???

[Sthitch]

Is it that the heating the whey to make the ricotta doesn't heat it to the same level as pasturizing would???

According to a cheese maker in the new edition of Culture to make ricotta he brings the milk almost to a boil before adding acid. According to the extension program at Oregon State "milk for cheese making must be pasteurized at a minimum of either 145°F for 30 minutes or 162°F for 15 seconds." I am fairly sure that bringing the whey to almost a boil will mean that it has been above 162°F for 15 seconds.