homemade ricotta – Italian Family Recipes Share

I”m back again with a really quick, easy and fun recipe for making your own organic Ricotta cheese. This simple and easy recipe will be a hit with all your recipes calling for Ricotta. As soon as you prepare this you will never used store-bought ricotta again.

homemade ricotta finished product

Rich and creamy, this cheese can be made in about 30 minutes and the recipe can be altered to provide for preparing either savory or sweet ricotta. If you plan to use your ricotta for a cannoli recipe be sure to leave out the salt. Also, you can experiment with salt amounts depending on your taste. The trick is to add or not add some salt during either the cooking process or the drying process. I never add salt when I am making Ricotta cheese. The salt can always be added later but I know that there are many people who like to add salt before boiling so do what makes you happy! If you are making a harder cheese like paneer and want salt integrated within the liquid do add some when boiling.

Depending on how creamy you like your ricotta you can also alter this recipe by substituting a cup or two of milk with a few cups of heavy cream. The recipe below is made with whole organic milk and organic Meyer lemons yielding a wonderful organic cheese for half the price!

Note: You can also wrap the drained curds, flatten a bit and place a weight like a pot or pan over it for an extra 30 to 45 minutes to squeeze out excess moisture which will yield a harder cheese. The result will be paneer/farmer’s cheese/curd cheese. Note that if you decide to make a harder cheese you can also add the salt after your cheese is fully drained and before it is weighted by kneading it into the cheese.

If you are using raw milk be sure to use a thermometer and bring milk up to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit. When preparing Ricotta, the lower the temperature the better. The curds will remain softer and yield a creamier cheese.

When using pasteurized milk be sure it is not UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized as UHT milk will not separate into curds and whey after adding acid.

simple ingredients

Ingredients

8 cups of whole organic milk (NOT UHT))

1/4 to 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice*

2 to 3 Tbsp salt (optional)

*(You can substitute lemon juice with vinegar if you prefer a more tangy cheese. The amount of vinegar needed will be approximately 1/3 less than the amount of lemon juice. Also note that depending on the ripeness and acidity of the lemons you use the amount of lemon juice will vary. The key is to use a smaller amount of acid at first and add more as you are stirring until you obtain a separation of curds and whey.)

Directions

Bring milk to a simmer, stirring often to avoid a milk film. Once your milk is simmering or at about 165 degrees F, start slowly pouring in 1/4 cup lemon juice while stirring the milk. If you don’t see the milk start to curd add your reserve lemon juice a little at a time until the curds start to separate from the whey.

measure out your lemon juice and keep some on reserve in case you need to add more

separated curds and whey

Once separated, remove from heat.

Drain cheese in a colander lined with at least 3 or 4 layers of cheesecloth for 15 to 20 minutes. Alternately you can use a cotton handkerchief or thin cotton kitchen towel. If you want your Ricotta to be on the creamy side, drain for less time. Ricotta cheese should have whey left within the cheese. The longer you let it drain the thicker it will become. Transfer ricotta to a bowl or plastic container and use immediately or store in refrigerator. This cheese will keep for approximately 5 days refrigerated. If you decide to use less draining time and store your cheese for a few days you will most likely see whey settling on the top when you are ready to use your cheese. Simply mix the whey back into the cheese before using.

pour the separated curds and whey into a colander lined with cheesecloth and drain whey

To make farmer’s cheese, continue to drain for 5 to 10 more minutes and tie up the corners of the cheesecloth. Slip a wooden spoon through two of the tied ends and hang to dry for another 30 minutes over a tall container. I use a flower vase and have also hung on a kitchen cabinet knob over a bowl. Remember, the more whey that drains off the harder the cheese will become. Feel free to occasionally gently squeeze out more whey from your cheese during the hanging process. Once the cheese is fully drained to your desired consistency (about 20 to 30 minutes later) remove it from the draining receptacle and place on a flat surface. Untie the corners. If you would like to add salt or minced herbs to your cheese now would be the time to knead them in. Next, wrap the cheesecloth around the cheese. Flatten a bit with your hand and place a weight over the cheese for another 30 to 45 minutes or up to 1 hour. The result will be a delicious farmer’s cheese or a tasty paneer for your Indian dishes. You can use immediately or refrigerate for at least an hour for a firmer consistency. I happen to love Indian food so I often make paneer and mix it with a homemade makhani sauce. Alternately you can make sweet treats like baking it with toasted walnuts, raisins, cinnamon & sugar, etc. This cheese won’t melt at higher temperatures and will have a consistency similar to firm tofu.

For a harder cheese – step 1 – hang to drain for approximately 30 minutes

For a harder cheese – step 2 – flatten cheese with your hand

For a harder cheese – step 3 – weigh down (I used a flat pan with the bowl of whey) for approximately 30 to 45 minutes

Finally, you will be left with a good amount of acid whey. I use it to water my plants and lace my dog’s food but there are many culinary uses for whey. If you feel ambitiously inspired by all this leftover whey in your bowl do a web search and you will find many creative ways to utilize whey! Here is a website with some great ideas for utilizing leftover whey 16 Ways to Use Whey .