Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Course: SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes25
minutesDuring 2020, I too was swept up many at home cooking projects. Unfortunately, having a toddler and a nit-picky partner made the notion of nurturing my own sourdough starter impractical because who has the energy to clean flour out of every nook and cranny of the kitchen after a day of toddler home destruction?
Homemade ricotta was just the project I needed. It scratched the DIY itch, but was so easy to make with little clean up. It’s one of those low effort, high pay-off recipes that I adore.
The only specialty item you need to make it is cheesecloth, which many grocery stores carry, or can be procured cheaply online. The end result is so much better than store bought ricotta, and you get bragging rights to boot!
Ingredients
1 quart Whole Milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
cheesecloth (about 2 feet)
Directions
- Fold cheesecloth in half, then rinse it, and wring as much moisture out as possible. Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth, and place over a medium bowl. Combine milk and salt in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally so milk doesn’t scorch. Heat until milk is between 180 and 190 degrees (milk will be foamy at sides and small bubbles will be present. Don’t boil!) Remove pot from heat and add lemon juice. Stir a few times then stop. Let mixture stand for 5 min. Carefully pour mixture into strainer, disturbing curds as little as possible. Drain for 5 min for moist and creamy Ricotta, and longer if you prefer it a little drier. Allow to cool to room temp, then refrigerate. It will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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