Westcombe Ricotta is produced from the whey left over from Tom Calver's make of Westcombe Cheddar. The removal of whey – the liquid component of milk – is a fundamental part of coagulating milk. It is commonly discarded by the cheesemaker as a waste product, due in large part to its acid properties and its sheer volume. But while the majority of whey is water, held in solution are a great diversity of bacteria, enzymes and proteins, packed with potential. Tom will heat a batch of whey for a prolonged period until its proteins denature and begin to coagulate into fragile white clumps. Once solid enough to be moulded, the coagulated proteins are salted and then ladled into colander-like moulds and the liquid allowed to drain off. Moisture will slowly continue to drain out as the ricotta sits in its mould.
