How to Make Ricotta Cheese

This week's project is one of my favorites. Homemade ricotta cheese is so easy and so delicious compared to grocery store counterparts. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, so you can easily incorporate it into your favorite recipes without adding extra time and the taste will surely wow your guests.

Here's what you'll need:
½ gallon of Snowville Creamery’s whole milk
1 pint of buttermilk
cheesecloth
Colander

Instructions
1. Fold rinsed cheesecloth into layers and use it to line a colander in the sink. (If you would like to save the whey for use in other recipes, place a bowl under the colander.)
2. Combine milk and buttermilk into a large stainless steel, glass, or ceramic saucepan. (Don't use aluminum or copper which will react to the acids in the milk.)
3. Put the pan over medium to high heat and stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure the milk doesn't burn.
4. Once is the milk is warm, stop stirring and continue to heat.
5. You will start to see lumps forming in the milk - these are the curds. Once the temperature reaches between 175 and 180 F, the curds and whey will separate. At that point remove your pan from the heat.
6. Pour mixture in the colander.
7. Once the draining has slowed to a drip, carefully gather the edges of the cloth around the cheese and secure with a rubber band or tie in a knot, into a bag shape which can be hung from your faucet or tap.
8. Drain further until the cheese cools down and dripping completely comes to a halt, about 10-15 minutes.
9. Remove from the cheese from the cloth and refrigerate. For absolute freshness, consume as quickly as possible.

How to Grow Sunflower Microgreens

Growing your own micro mix is fun and easy! In about a week's time you can have delicious healthy microgreens to add to salads or to garnish your favorite recipes.

Here's what you'll need:
Sunflower Seeds
Quart Mason Jar
Water
Small piece of screen or mesh
Rubber Band
Potting soil
Plastic planting tray or ceramic tray of similar size

Instructions:
1. Put a few cups of sunflower seeds in a mason jar and cover completely with water. Let this sit for about 12 hours.
2. Drain the water and use a rubber band to secure a piece of screen over the mouth of the jar. Rinse the seeds with water a few times and drain. Place on a drying rack or somewhere where the jar can be relatively horizontal and drain.
3. Rinse a few times a day for the next few days until you start to see sprouts form. When sprouts are about 1/4" long you are ready to plant. (Not all seeds will have sprouted, this is okay.)
4. Spread sprouting seeds in a tray of well draining soil. No need to cover seeds, just let them sit on top.
5. Water daily and keep in a sunny location.
6. In about a week your sprouts will be ready to trim with scissors and eat!!
Change soil before planting your next round of sprouts as molding can occur.

How to Make Sour Cream

For this week's project we will be making the most delicious sour cream I have tasted. The process is so simple, you'll never want to buy store bought sour cream again. For our recipe we used Snowville Creamery Half and Half and buttermilk left over from making butter from Snowville Whipping cream. You can substitute store bought buttermilk if you'd like. The recipe is as follows:

2 cups Snowville Creamery Half and Half
2 Tbs. Buttermilk


1. Combine half and half with the buttermilk in a glass jar and shake well.

2. Let jar stand in a warm place for 24-48hrs

3. Voila! Delicious sour cream. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Don't worry if it seems a little thin at first- the sour cream will firm up once refrigerated.

4. Enjoy you delicious sour cream on homemade burritos, or use in your favorite recipes.