Homemade Mascarpone

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I was happy to learn how simple this is to make. And just two ingredients, heavy cream and lemon juice! I saw this recipe the other day on Food52 and thought I’d give it a go. The biggest challenge here was temperature. It needs to simmer at 180° for a few minutes, and while we have a kickass thermometer we have a not-so-kickass electric stove. As I was testing the cream over a very low heat, it actually dropped 10° in the process. I finally managed to get the 180° temp sustained by lifting the pot off the burner and back again. Ah life with an electric stove. I really thought over time I would get the hang of it but it’s just not happening. However I’m not in total despair because we’re getting a gas stove very soon! We decided to hold off on the whole kitchen renovation plans for a while, but the gas stove is a must. We’ve arranged for the gas line installation and picked out a stove, once we get it I’ll be sure to post about it. I’ve had gas stoves my whole life and I’ve been missing it so so much. The blue flame, from boil to simmer in an instant, good stuff. And speaking of good stuff, the mascarpone is wonderful, I’m working on some ideas for a dessert, hopefully it won’t get eaten before I snap a few photos. Below is the recipe, enjoy!

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Homemade Mascarpone

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place the cream in a saucepan, over a low heat slowly bring the heavy cream to a low simmer until it reaches 180°. Let it simmer at 180° F for about 3 minutes then stir in in the lemon juice. Simmer for another 3 minutes at 180°, then remove from heat. Set pan aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Fill a small strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and put a small bowl under the strainer to catch the whey. Pour the cooled mascarpone mixture into the cheesecloth, cover with cheesecloth and place the bowl and strainer in the fridge overnight (or at least 12 hours). The next day place the mascarpone in an airtight container for use. The remaining whey can be saved and put in scrambled eggs if you like.

Adapted from Food52