Homemade Ricotta Cheese
This homemade ricotta cheese is rich, creamy, and incredibly easy to make. With just milk, salt, and acid, you'll have fresh ricotta ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Equipment:
- Cheesecloth
- Thermometer
Ingredients:
- 8 cups whole milk (not UHT pasteurized)
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (1 ½ to 2 lemons) (or ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar), plus more as needed
- 2 tsp kosher salt (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 200°F: Heat the milk slowly in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 200°F. The milk will become foamy and begin to steam; if it starts to boil, remove it from the heat. Turn off the heat.
- Add the lemon juice: Gently stir in the lemon juice and kosher salt, if using, until combined. You should already start to see some curds forming.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes: Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. The milk should separate into clumps of milky-white curds and thin, watery, yellow whey. If you still see a lot of unseparated milk, stir in 1 additional tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for a few more minutes.
- Strain the curds: Fit a strainer over a large bowl and line it with a double layer of cheesecloth. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the larger curds out of the pot and transfer them to the strainer. Pour the remaining curds and whey through the strainer.
- Drain the curds for 10 to 30 minutes: Let the ricotta drain at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer it. If the ricotta becomes too dry, stir some of the reserved whey back in before using or storing.