Homemade Ricotta Cheese
A few simple ingredients and a little bit of time is all it takes to make delicious homemade ricotta cheese. Use it in your favorite lasagna recipe, or on toast. You won’t want to go back to store-bought again! Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available seasonally right here in North Iowa! Click on select ingredients to find them nearby or stop by your local farmer's market.
Equipment
- 4 quart pot
- Cheesecloth
- Strainer or colander
Ingredients
- 8 cups milk whole milk makes creamier cheese, but you can use anything above 2%
- ⅓ cup white vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat milk in 4 quart pot over medium heat until it reaches 200 degrees. The milk will get foamy and start to steam. Do not let it boil.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in vinegar and salt. Let mixture sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes stir gently with a slotted spoon. The milk should have separated into clumps of white curds and watery, yellow-colored whey. If the milk has not all separated stir in 1 tablespoon of additional vinegar and let stand a few minutes more.
- Place strainer over a large bowl and line with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Remove big curds from the pot and place in the strainer. Gently pour the remaining mixture into the strainer.
- Drain ricotta at room temperature for 10-60 minutes until you reach the desired texture. If you want it more dry, drain longer, for more moisture drain less. You can also add some whey back in to ricotta that has become too dry.
- Fresh ricotta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
Save the whey to use in smoothies or as the liquid in baking recipes.
Food Styling and Photography by Sierra Buchholz
Nutrition
Calories: 198kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 11gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 899mgPotassium: 488mgSugar: 16gVitamin A: 527IUCalcium: 401mgIron: 0.01mg
