Homemade ricotta is something else.
Assuming you’re not vegan or (hardcore) Paleo, are you a die-hard ricotta fan? Like, where you choose fresh warm ricotta with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of fleur de sel over the most delectable crème brûlée imaginable? If not, the only conclusion I can draw is that you’ve never had great homemade ricotta.
Yes, you can seriously make ricotta at home! And, I promise you that my recipe is fool-proof.
You probably already have the ingredients you’ll need in your fridge. It will take about a half hour – possibly less – of time that is mostly spent flipping through Pinterest with the occasional stir tossed in (which will prevent a scorched milk mess with which to contend). Read through the following recipe twice, and you will undoubtedly have it memorized. Seriously!
Here’s the recipe.
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 gallon pasteurized whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
- 2 c. heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized, if possible)
- 1/2 c. lemon juice or distilled vinegar (I use lemon juice)
- 2 t. sea salt
Instructions
Line a colander with cheesecloth. If the cheesecloth isn't fairly tightly woven, use three layers. Set the colander in the sink.
Bring the milk, cream, and salt slowly to a boil in a dutch oven or stockpot. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching.
Once the concoction boils, add in the lemon juice and cook for two minutes. If curds have formed and the liquid is translucent, awesome! Proceed to the next step. If not, add 2-4 T. more lemon juice or distilled vinegar and repeat.
Carefully pour the curds and liquid into the colander and let set for up to 10 minutes. If you know you'd prefer wetter or drier ricotta, please adjust this time accordingly, keeping in mind that more liquid will get absorbed over subsequent hours.. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge. The ricotta will keep for around five days.
Notes
Homemade ricotta is so delicious that I can't believe anyone actually buys it! Ok, I get convenience, but seriously - just make this recipe one time. Use it in the recipes I'll be posting later this week, in any recipe that calls for ricotta, or straight up while it's warm. It's magical with a few drops of honey...Salut! Oh, and if possible, use an enameled dutch oven in order to minimize the elbow grease required during clean up.
Have you ever made ricotta? Do you have a favorite recipe? Please do share your experiences below!
12 Comments
Darryl
March 14, 2016 at 2:37 pmI have been looking forward to this post since the creme fraiche post. It does look super simple. I’m interested in your upcoming recipes that use the ricotta. The only thing I can really think of to put it in is lasagna.
Will this recipe work as written if I half the ingredients?
Kristi Smith
March 14, 2016 at 2:45 pmAwesome! I hope you dig it 🙂
I’m planning on making a rotolo and a savory tart with the ricotta. That is, if I stop dipping into it! Lol, it’s seriously amazing!
Absolutely – I haven’t halved it, but I am confident that it would work out perfectly!
Darryl
March 15, 2016 at 11:20 amI bought the ingredients last night so I’m hoping to give it try this evening.
Kristi
March 15, 2016 at 8:14 pmI can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Darryl
March 18, 2016 at 8:44 pmFinally had the opportunity to make this tonight. Super simple and totally worth the time and effort it took to make. The taste and texture are so much better than the store bought version. Can you see where I sampled my finished product? ?
I have one of those flat top electric stoves (not by choice…came with the house). It scorches milk horribly any time I try to bring it to a boil, so I constructed a large double boiler using a stock pot within a canning pot with the canning rack inverted so the stock pot can sit on top of it. The milk wouldn’t boil in the double boiler, but it got to about 205. I removed and dried the stock pot and placed it directly on the burner it boiled in less than minute with no scorching!!!
Kristi Smith
March 19, 2016 at 12:00 amI love your kitchen hack! That’s awesome, and I’m glad it worked out. Scorched milk is a bitch! Thanks for sharing your experience and pics – I love that you and others do that! Is there any ricotta left, or did you eat it all when it was still warm? Lol.
Darryl
March 19, 2016 at 7:28 am🙂 It is a bitch!
I did manage to save enough for some fried ricotta with tomato salad from Jamie Oliver’s book that I have been dreaming about.
Kristi Smith
March 19, 2016 at 10:58 amSweet! You’ll have to let me know if it’s good 🙂 Love that book of his!
Darryl
March 14, 2016 at 2:40 pmWhere did you get the little shot glass looking liquid measuring cup that you used for the lemon juice?
Kristi Smith
March 14, 2016 at 2:49 pmI can’t remember, unfortunately. Maybe at a kitchen store in Montana that I used to frequent? Sorry 🙁
Betty
March 22, 2016 at 10:56 pmNice post! I saw your post on Blog and BIZ BFFs, and I just wanted to say hi! Splendid job on your food blog, and I hope that you find joy in cooking and continue to share your fabulous recipes with us.
Kristi
March 23, 2016 at 12:30 amThanks for stopping by and taking the time to say hi, Betty! I hope you keep coming back to see what’s cooking – a mango galette is in the works as we speak 🙂 And, thanks for your well-wishes – they are sincerely appreciated!