How to Make Ricotta Cheese
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 7:04PM 
I absolutely love making cheese. I've been making my own ricotta cheese for several years now, and trying different methods (they all use either vinegar, lemon juice or buttermilk as the active ingredient), but I think I’ve finally found the one that I think produces a really lovely, soft curd.
It comes to me via The Home Creamery, a wonderful collection of cheese recipes for the home kitchen. The difference with this recipe is that it recommends letting the whole thing sit for 2 hours, (which I've never done before) to let the curds separate from the whey which I think makes a big difference in the quality of the curd (creamy and luscious).
So here are the ingredients you’ll need… Just 3 things...Good milk (whole preferably), white vinegar and salt! Sounds pretty easy to me!
Now just pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and over medium heat, bring it up to 185 degrees.
When the milk reaches 185 degrees, remove from the heat and add 1/3 cup vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Gently stir to incorporate the vinegar (you'll see the curds already starting to form) and then put the lid on the pan and just let it sit for 2 hours.
Set a colander in the sink and line it with some cheesecloth. Pour or ladle the curds into the cheesecloth.
Either tie the ends of the cheesecloth together or use some twine to hang the cheese to drain for another 2 to 3 hours. I sometimes give the bag a little squeeze from the top to hurry this process along. Drain time all depends on how fine your cheesecloth is.
Place the ricotta in a bowl or tupperware. It will keep for a week in the fridge, but believe me, you'll want to use it immediately. It's pretty darn scrumptious. Here are some ideas for ways to use your beautiful ricotta cheese.
Ricotta Cheese
Printable Recipe
Makes about 3 cups of cheese
1 gallon whole milk (organic)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt
Heat the milk in a large, heavy-bottomed pan until it reaches 185 degrees. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and salt and stir gently just to mix. Cover the pot and let sit for 2 hours to allow the curds to fully develop. Do not stir, or the ricotta will have a grainy texture.
Line a colander with cheesecloth. Pour or ladle the mixture into the colander carefully and let the cheese drain for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how dry you want your ricotta.
When the ricotta has drained, transfer it to a bowl, break it up and stir. Store the ricotta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Reader Comments (6)
I've always wanted to make cheese and love ricotta, so this seems like a perfect match! Have a question though: can you make it with lactose free milk?
I don't see why you couldn't use lactose-free milk, Monika. Just be sure to use whole milk, and I it would turn out great. Let us know if you try it, OK?
How much does make? Can't wait to try it!
It makes about 3 cups of ricotta cheese, Paige. Sorry that wasn't clear. Thanks for asking, it's so good.
I don't have any cheesecloth. Do you think using a chinois strainer would give the same results? I use it for making my Greek yogurt. Hmmmm, milk is cheap enough to just give a try. I'll let you know the results *Ü*
I think you could use a chinois if it's pretty tightly woven. I often use plastic ricotta strainers and they would probably be similar to a chinois. Funny you would comment on this.. I just made some ricotta today. Good stuff. Good to hear from you!