Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is ricotta made from scratch? ›

To make ricotta cheese, milk is heated until the curds and whey separate. The curds become the basis for varieties such as mozzarella, while reheating the whey produces the moist, fine grains that traditionally create ricotta (hence the name, meaning “twice cooked”).

Things to know about making homemade ricotta cheese:

You cannot make ricotta cheese with ultra-pasteurized milk. Use one gallon of milk for this recipe. It will make about 2-3 cups of ricotta cheese. Use whole cow's milk and add cream if you want the ricotta cheese to be creamier.

Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

It is lighter and fresher than mass-produced ricotta you can buy in a tub but sturdier than creamy, smooth ricottas (which are often made by pressing or smoothing the cheese with rollers). It has enough body to use in baked pastas but is delicate enough to eat on its own, the way you'd enjoy a thick yogurt.

Ingredients: Whole Milk (not ultra pasteurized!): I recommend whole cow's milk for creamy flavor and texture. Alternatively, 2% or 1% milk can be used; but the final result will not be as creamy. Ultra pasteurized milk does not work for homemade ricotta.

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Cheesemakers make whatever cheese they want to make with the curds, and then repurpose the leftover whey to create ricotta (among other whey cheeses). To do this, the whey is heated—usually after a small addition of whole milk and some form of vinegar or citrus juice—and the remaining curds start to coagulate.

Whereas ricotta is sweeter, cottage cheese has a notable tangy flavor from the slow acid fermentation. It has a heavier, thicker consistency than ricotta, and is generally studded with larger curds, though it comes in small and large curd varieties.

What is the Mexican equivalent of ricotta? ›

Requesón is a soft cheese similar to ricotta or cottage cheese. This mild, non-salty cheese is often used as a filling for empanadas, enchiladas and gorditos, and can also be used as a spread.

In the United States, American ricotta is almost always made of cow's milk whey, as opposed to Italian ricotta which is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk.

I also want to emphasize the importance of timing: do not overheat the milk-cream mixture, and do not let it boil. Otherwise, you will end up with tough and rubbery curd. And, please, remember that the adjective “fresh” is applicable for a couple of days only; so consume the cheese rather soon.

White vinegar adds the most neutral acid flavor, while lemon juice infuses the ricotta with its own flavor. That can work well in some applications, if you want to dollop it on pancakes or stuff it into cannoli, but otherwise I'd stick with the vinegar.

The lemon juice, vinegar and citric acid can coagulate the milk without rennet but frequently work best with hot milk. The use of rennet allows to separate the milk before the acidification of the milk is too high and helps form hard curds and can be used at moderate milk temperature for an extended time.

Ricotta cheese was traditionally made in Italy from the whey from sheep milk cheese, which was heated to denature and coagulate the whey proteins; the coagulated protein was scooped from the whey.

Because ricotta is made of whey, as opposed to cheeses made of curds, Italian legislation classifies it as an edible by-product of other cheeses rather than a cheese in its own right.

Whereas ricotta is sweeter, cottage cheese has a notable tangy flavor from the slow acid fermentation. It has a heavier, thicker consistency than ricotta, and is generally studded with larger curds, though it comes in small and large curd varieties.