Had fun the other day making mascarpone in our “Piggy Room”. We converted a storeroom behind our house into a room dedicated to making preserves such as sausages, hams and cheeses. We have – over the years – done courses in all these and can now start making our own.

Here is the recipe:

HOW TO MAKE MASCARPONE

2 litres full cream milk

5 ml salt (optional)

45 ml fresh lemon juice

Steps

• Place the milk and salt in a large stainless steel pot and heat to a gentle simmer. While waiting, place a sieve over a large bowl and line it with clean cheesecloth/muslin (for draining the curds later).
• As soon as the milk starts to simmer, add the lemon juice and give it a good stir. Turn down the heat to very low, then wait until the mixture starts to curdle – it will only take a few seconds.
• Use a slotted spoon or metal mesh spoon (or small sieve) to remove the curds from the pot into the sieve lined with cheesecloth/muslin over a large bowl. Hang it up over the bowl to drain.
• Leave to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.