Homemade Mascarpone

Ingredients

  1. 2 cups heavy cream
  2. 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Method

  1. Heat heavy cream over medium heat in a large saucepan until it reaches 88 deg C. 
  2. Stir cream and make sure it does not boil, as it will scorch the bottom. 
  3. Stir in the lemon juice 
  4. In a large saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium high heat until a candy thermometer reads 190 degrees F (88 degrees C). The cream should be at a simmer. Be careful not to scorch the bottom! Stir in the lemon juice and continue to heat at 190 degrees F (88 degrees C) for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The cream should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 to 45 minutes.

    Place a strainer lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth (or a few layers of coffee filters) over an empty bowl. Add the cream, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. Allow the cream to strain out for 8-12 hours, preferably overnight. Discard the whey; I only ended up with a couple tablespoons. When finished straining, transfer the cheese to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

    Use fresh mascarpone cheese within the week.