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    Easy Homemade Ricotta Cheese in less than an hour!

    September 1, 2020 by Kyle 2 Comments

    Have you ever considered making cheese at home? With 4 ingredients and 45 minutes you can have the most delicious, creamy homemade ricotta cheese!

    No need to buy store bought ricotta cheese! The ease of making it at home guarantees a creamy flavorful ricotta.

    A spoonful of homemade ricotta cheese over a bowl of the cheese.

    Why make homemade ricotta cheese?

    It's easy!

    Only 4 ingredients needed: milk, cream, salt, and an acid (white vinegar or lemon juice).

    From start to finish, it will take less than an hour of time and much of that time is not hands on but idle time while the cheese curds are straining.

    You can control the texture of your ricotta. Choosing the straining time gives you the consistency you desire. Twenty minutes gives you a creamier looser cheese; 40 minutes gives you a more sturdy texture; and 1 hour straining results in a firmer and a bit drier cheese.

    A black board with 3 dabs of ricotta cheese labeled with the amount of time the homemade cheese was strained. 20 minutes, 40 minutes and 1 hour.

    Most important of all, the taste is so delicious and so much better than store bought ricotta!

    What supplies and ingredients are needed

    • Heavy medium saucepan
    • Cheesecloth
    • Sieve for straining
    • Bowl
    • Milk
    • Cream
    • Salt
    • Acid - Vinegar or Lemon Juice
    Ingredients needed for homemade ricotta. Milk, cream, lemon, and salt. Also showing a cheesecloth and strainer.

    How to make homemade ricotta cheese

    Only a few steps!

    1. Heat the milk, cream, and salt.
    2. Turn the heat off and add the acid and let sit for 10 minutes.
    3. Strain the mixture into the cheesecloth.
    Homemade ricotta in a cheesecloth.

    The transformation of the heated milk combined with the acid (vinegar or lemon juice), happens quickly and right before your eyes. Honestly, it is that simple.

    Whey in a stainless bowl.

    What do you do with the leftover whey?

    After straining the curds, you are left with whey. Whey is the milky watery leftover after straining the curds.

    There are many benefits to using the whey in other recipes! You can keep it in the refrigerator and use it for several months. Add it to your soup recipe with or in place of a stock or even as a liquid addition in a glutenous bread! Who knew?!

    Ricotta cheese being strained in a cheesecloth.

    Serving the ricotta

    There are too many ways to list, so here are a few

    I love to just grill some crusty bread slices and spread the ricotta on top and add any other ingredients like a dab of honey or just a drop of good olive oil and some salt and pepper.

    This cheese is wonderful with a chopped tomato bruschetta! Or on a baked potato!

    Great 8 Friends has some delicious ricotta recipes!

    • Adding ricotta to a cake recipe adds moistness! Or add to a pound cake!
    • Ricotta is a smooth base for our Asparagus Tart
    • Cannoli of course!
    • Perfect for ravioli
    • Our favorite Dutch Baby
    Glass bowl of homemade ricotta.
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    Easy Homemade Ricotta Cheese

    With only four ingredients and less than an hour, you can easily make the most delicious creamy homemade ricotta cheese!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Straining time40 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Cheese
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: homemade ricotta cheese
    Servings: 2 cups
    Author: Kyle

    Special Equipment

    • cheesecloth

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups whole milk, See Gr8 note below (do not use ultra-pasteurized milk)
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 4 Tablespoons white vinegar, or lemon juice
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Pour the milk, cream, and salt into a medium heavy pan and heat over medium heat until you see small bubbles around the edge of the pan. If you have a thermometer, heat to 195 ℉. Stir occassionaly while the milk mixture is heating. This should take about 15 minutes.
      Pan of heating milk with thermometer on side of pan.
    • Turn the heat off and add the vinegar or lemon juice into the milk mixture and stir gently once to combine. Let the pot sit uncovered for 10 minutes.
    • While the mixture is sitting, set a sieve in a deep bowl and cover the sieve with two layers of cheesecloth.
    • Gently pour the mixture into the cheesecloth covered sieve. Pour out the water (whey) from the bowl as it fills or pour it into another container if you want to use the whey for another purpose.
    • Continue to drain for as long as you want.
    • Once you have the consistency you desire, store the ricotta covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Notes

    Gr8 Notes:
    • I have not tried it, but I have read that organic milk does not give good results. Also, do not use ultra-pasteurized milk.
    • Leftover ricotta can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Kyle

      August 05, 2021 at 11:04 am

      This recipe for ricotta is better than the containers of ricotta that are available for purchase in the supermarket and much easier for an everyday cook to make than the process that you described. Thank you for your input!

    2. Tim

      July 19, 2021 at 9:24 pm

      I hate to upset anyone, but this is cottage Cheese, definitely not Ricotta! Ricotta is an Italian cheese and the word means re-cooked. The whey from cheese such as Provolone, Mozzarella, Parmesan is the starting point for Ricotta.

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