How To Make Your Own Mascarpone Cheese

the finished mascarpone

"My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate. That's my philosophy."

 ~Thornton Wilder

This post is to accompany my talk on BTO for Tuesday March 15, 2011.

So I've been making lots of cheese as of late. First it was ricotta, then cottage cheese, now mascarpone. I'm a huge lover of mascarpone cheese, so I was excited to make my own. It's super easy, like the others. Here you just need cream and lemon juice.

I practically broke my toe yesterday, so I set myself up with a chair to stir and monitor it. Boo hoo!

Most recipes online suggest you heat the cream in a double boiler or a bowl set in boiling water. I did it that way first. It takes forever. No, I take that back, it takes forever and a day. Too long I think not just because of the time involved, but because much of the moisture evaporates.Then I made it again over a medium heat gently heating it to the required 190, stirring often. Much easier, with one difference. The end result was creamier since less moisture was lost. So I'm going rouge and suggesting you do it over a flame without a double boiler as well. Just promise me you won't turn up the heat too much, you'll burn it if you do. The proteins in milk just want to stick to the bottom of your pot. If you don't turn up the heat too much, it won't.

after adding the lemon juice it starts to thicken

The taste is different from store bought mascarpone. This tastes like a cross between mascarpone and butter. Mine got thick like butter, I added a little more cream before using to get it to the consistency of store bought mascarpone. Once I added the extra cream, it tasted much more like the store bought variety. I do like it, still rich and creamy like the other, but it is a little different.

Straining whey from mascarpone. Both times I made this, I didn't get any whey, so I'm not sure this step is needed. Update- if you use regular store bought cream it may not give you whey. If you use raw or non pasturized, non homogenized cream, you will get whey.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

this makes 8 oz. (230 g.) cheese

Ingredients

2 cups, 16 oz. (1 pint) or (500 ml.) heavy cream

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat the cream on medium heat (no higher) stirring often till it reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit, (88 degrees Celsius). I have an electric stove, I had my burner set at 5, then when my cream got to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) I felt as though it was never going to reach the required  190 F. (88 C.) so I did increase the temp to 6.5 instead of 5 on my stove top. Make sure you stir it very often.

When it gets to the required temperature, stir in the lemon juice and continue stirring. Keeping it over the heat. Keep it at 190 F. (88 C.) for 5 minutes or so. The mixture will get thick.

Remove it from the heat and let it sit for 20 minutes.

After the time has passed, pour it into a cheesecloth lined (or thin tea towel lined) fine sieve to drain if you feel you need to. Like I mentioned above, mine never had any whey. If yours is like mine was, pretty thick already, then don't strain it, just refrigerate it. Then when it's cold check back with it. Mine got even thicker as it got cold.

Note* Next time I make this I am going to add a little more cream to it before I refrigerate it. Maybe 1/3 cup (100 ml) at most. So when the cheese is at room temperature add some cream back into it, a little at a time, if 1/3 cup (100 ml) seems like too much, if it's getting too loose, then don't add it. Mine hardened to a very thick cream cheese texture almost the texture of butter. The next day after being in the refrigerator, with a whisk attachment on a stand mixer I added cream gradually and whipped it till it was like the texture of whipped cream cheese. Then it tasted like mascarpone I'm used to eating.  So if you're not sure if you should add more cream, go ahead and whip it back in later like I did.

If you do strain it, let it come to room temperature sitting there draining, then put it in the fridge. *see above note.

This will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.