Best Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe
Wondering how to make the best homemade ricotta cheese? Then look no further. Here is a detailed post on how to make your ricotta at home using just 4 simple ingredients. Once you make it home, you will never rebuy a tub. It is rich, creamy, made using real ingredients, and more economical than the store-bought one.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 34 ounces whole milk (full-fat milk) 1 liter
- ½ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of water to a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Adding a little water to the pan prevents the milk from scorching.
- Add milk, heavy cream, and salt to the pan and bring the milk to a boil. Stir occasionally while boiling to prevent the milk from scorching.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, remove the pan from heat and stir in lemon juice. The milk will curdle immediately and whey will separate from the curd. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Note – If your milk didn’t curdle immediately after adding the lemon juice, you can add some more.
- Line a large sieve with a layer of cheesecloth.
- Line a large sieve with a layer of cheesecloth. Transfer the curds into the sieve using a slotted spoon or gently pour it on the sieve and let it drain.
- Note – The time of draining will depend on the consistency you are looking at. If you are making the ricotta to use as a dip or a spread, then drain it for 10-12 minutes and if you are going to use it as a filling or for making desserts, then drain it for 20 minutes.
- You can also wrap the drained ricotta in the cheesecloth and press it with something heavy like a marble rolling board and refrigerate it overnight to get paneer, ricotta salata, queso fresco, or other fresh farmers cheese.
- Tip – If the ricotta becomes too dry, then stir some of the whey back in before using or storing it.
- Store the ricotta in a clean and dry airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Video
Notes
I used 1-liter milk and I got approximately a cup of ricotta cheese. You can easily scale the recipe up or down.
Avoid skim or low-fat milk, as there isn’t enough fat left in the milk to separate into curd and whey.
Also, avoid using high-temperature pasteurized milk to make this cheese. The high temperature alters the protein structure of milk and prevents it from coagulating.
Most organic milk are ultra-high temperature pasteurized, so make sure to read the label before buying.
If you don’t have a cheesecloth, you can use cotton, linen, or muslin handkerchief or cloth and use it for straining the cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 15mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 13mg
