How To Make Homemade Ricotta (Fresh Italian Cheese)

What is Ricotta?

Ricotta is a fresh Italian cheese. Traditionally, ricotta (meaning "recooked") is made from recooking the whey leftover from other cheese production. For this homemade cheese recipe, ricotta is made from acidifying a cooked milk.

Adding acidity (in this case vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid) to the milk causes the dairy to curdle and separate into curds and whey. The liquid whey is strained off leaving delicate curds of fresh ricotta cheese.

Ricotta cheese has a creamy consistency and a lightly sweet mild flavor. It is commonly used in both sweet and savory recipes throughout Italy and worldwide.

Most commonly, ricotta is enjoyed fresh and used in recipes as a soft, mild, un-aged cheese. In some cases ricotta is aged for up to one year or preserved through pressing and salting (ricotta salata), smoking or oven baking (ricotta al forno).

Ingredients

All you need to make ricotta is milk, salt and some form of acid (usually lemon juice or vinegar).

When I make ricotta, I like to substitute a portion of the milk with heavy cream for an extra rich and decadent consistency.

• Milk - You can use almost any type of dairy milk, as long as it isn't ultra-pasteurized. I recommend using whole milk (3.25% fat content). More information on milk below.
  • Heavy Cream is optional for extra creamy richness.
• Acid - White vinegar and lemon juice are most common. I will use either depending on what I am making. (Usually vinegar for savory recipes like pasta and lemon for sweet recipe like cannolis and Easter pie.) You can also use a powdered citric acid, found in the canning section of most grocery stores.
• Salt - A touch of salt helps to bring out the flavors of fresh ricotta.

What Type of Milk Is Needed for Homemade Ricotta?

Homemade ricotta can be made with most types of dairy milk. The most important factor is that you do NOT use ultra-pasteurized, ultra-high temperature milk or organic milk. Ultra-pasteurized milk (often labeled UHT milk) will not work for this recipe. All organic milk is pasteurized at ultra-high temperatures and will not work for this recipe.

Since milk is the main ingredient for this recipe, I recommend using the highest quality milk you can find (that is NOT organic). Farm fresh milk is ideal for making this recipe.

Ricotta cheese can be made from most dairy milk including:

• cow's milk
• sheep's milk
• goat's milk
• buffalo's milk

What Fat Percentage Milk Should I Use for Ricotta?

For creamy and spreadable ricotta, I recommend making this recipe with whole milk (3.25% fat). The additional fat content produces a fresh cheese that is richly textured and irresistibly creamy.

For an even richer and creamier ricotta, I like to substitute a portion of the dairy for heavy cream.

If preferred, you are certainly welcome to make this recipe with a 1% or 2% milk but I will warn you that the lower the fat content, the drier and grainer the cheese. I do not recommend making this recipe with skim (.1 - .3%) milk.

Equipment

This recipe is easy to make and doesn't require much special equipment. Here's what you will need:

• large, non-reactive pot with a lid (We use stainless steel)
• instant read thermometer (I recommend this Thermoworks One thermometer for the quickest, most-accurate reading.)
• cheesecloth
• non-reactive strainer or colander
• slotted spoon

How To Make Ricotta at Home

1. In a large non-reactive pot, bring milk and salt (and cream, if using) to a temperature of 185° degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice and stir once until the dairy separates into curds and whey. (If using lemon juice, you may need to add additional juice, until coagulated.)

3. Cover the pot and remove from the heat. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, set up a straining station. Place a few layers of damp cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer. If you'd like, you can save the whey to use in other recipes (or even make more ricotta!)

5. Ladle the ricotta cheese curds into the cheesecloth and allow to drain for 5 - 20 minutes. Ricotta that is briefly drained will have a looser consistency (like cottage cheese). Longer draining will make a drier, firmer ricotta that is ideal for stuffed pastas and lasagnas. Be careful not to drain too much moisture, which will result in a chalky, unappetizing texture.

Saving & Storing

Fresh ricotta cheese can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 - 10 days.

I do not recommend freezing ricotta. Since ricotta has a high moisture content, freezing will cause a significant change to the texture. That being said, it is perfectly safe to freeze, if necessary.

What To Do With Whey

Whey is the liquid milk protein that is a byproduct from cheese making. This cloudy yellowish liquid has a tangy lactic flavor can be used in various other recipes. You can even make more ricotta from it, although you will need a lot of whey!

There are a couple types of whey. Leftover from this recipe you will have a lightly-salted acidic whey. This type of whey can be used interchangeably for water in soups, stews and most baked goods.

You can also use it so acidify the soil in your garden or (in small portions) this style of whey can also be added to animal diets. The Italian pigs love it, and your dog will, too (but ask your vet first)!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes using acid whey:

• Pantry Mama's Whey Sourdough Bread
• King Arthur's Whey Pancakes
• Searching for Spice's Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup

Pro Tip: Leftover Whey - In some cases, you may notice that your whey has a murky, creamy color from some of the unstrained lactose. Refrigerate the whey overnight and the white dairy will float. Skim it off to be left with a clarified acid whey. (It should have a clear but yellow-ish color.)