Homemade ricotta is kind of a game changer. It is much better than anything you can get in the store and it is really easy to make...like addictively easy. There is no need for super fancy special equipment and ingredients - you probably have all of it in your kitchen already! If you've ever dreamed of making your very own homemade cheese, this is the perfect place to start!
What you need:
1/2 gallon of milk (I prefer organic. Pasteurized milk is fine, but be sure avoid UHT ultra-pasteurized because it will not allow the curds to set up)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar, OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (all of these will work just fine, so whatever you have on hand)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon salt
A large stockpot
candy thermometer
slotted spoon
cheese cloth
colander
colander
large mixing bowl
Here are the 5 simple steps to making perfect ricotta cheese:
- Warm the milk to 200°F : Try not to let it boil, but just get a foamy heat going.
- Add acid: Remove the milk from heat and add your acid of choice (lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid) + salt. Stir to combine.
- Sit for 10 minutes: After about 10 minutes of sitting undisturbed (no stirring!), the milk will start to separate into curds (the white chunks) and whey (thin, yellow, watery liquid). Use your slotted spoon to lift a bit of the curd and if you still see a lot of unseparated milk, you can add an a bit more acid (1 T lemon, 1 T vinegar, OR 1/4 t critic acid) and give it a few more minutes.
- Strain: Set up a strainer over a bowl and line it with cheese cloth. Carefully scoop the large curds out with the slotted spoon and into the strainer and then pour the rest of the contents of the pot through the strainer.
- Drain: Let the ricotta sit and drain out the whey for 10 minutes to an hour - depending on how dry you like your ricotta.
That's it! You've made beautiful homemade ricotta! Add to pasta, make a dip, or just serve it on toast with a bit of honey!
You can also very easily take one more step to make your ricotta into a more sturdy farmers cheese or paneer. All you need to do is twist up the cheese cloth and add weight and give it a few more hours to fully dry out and solidify a bit.
You can also very easily take one more step to make your ricotta into a more sturdy farmers cheese or paneer. All you need to do is twist up the cheese cloth and add weight and give it a few more hours to fully dry out and solidify a bit.