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Making Mascarpone

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One of my long-time kitchen goals has been to make my own cheese. So, when I saw a kit online, I ordered it. It came with everything that we needed to give cheese a try...except for the dairy. So, here's our first attempt. It was delicious! I don't think I'll ever buy mascarpone again. It's so easy!

  • 1 quart heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
  • 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel (salt flakes)

Bring the quart of cream to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, using a digital thermometer for the most accurate readings. (Thanks, Jenn! The candy thermometer you gave me for Christmas a few years ago is one of my most prized kitchen possessions.)

Remove from heat and stir in the citric acid. The instruction said to "stir in an up and down motion." I don't really understand that. So, I did a sort of plunging motion with a spatula.

You will immediately see it begin to thicken. Stir in the fleur de sel...with the same up and down motion.

Place a cheese cloth - or pillowcase with a 150 thread-count of less - in a colander over a pot. Let it drain for about an hour at room temperature. Then, gently twist the cloth, squeezing out as much whey as you can.


Leave the cheese to drain in the fridge for at least 12 hours. I did it for more like 24 hours and it was still creamy and soft. Wow.

We smeared our homemade mascarpone on fresh baguette for a post-hike snack. I spooned the rest into sterilized jars for breakfast tomorrow.


We're going to try homemade ricotta next!
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  1. Debra EliotseatsJanuary 2, 2014 at 7:32 AM

    Thank you for posting this. I haven't made any kind of cheese in ages. If I can find my citric acid, I will try this today! Pinning it!

    ReplyDelete

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