Description
Ingredients to make homemade ricotta cheese:
- 4 cups of whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons of salt (according to taste)
- Additional salt for salting the exterior
Equipment you need:
- Large stainless-steel pot
- Thermometer
- Cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or a muslin cloth
- Cheese press or a homemade pressing setup
- Cheese aging fridge (optional but recommended for best results)
Alternative Ingredients
Don’t have everything on hand? No worries! Here are some suggestions to substitute!
- Milk – goat milk, non-dairy milk (almond milk or soy milk)
- Heavy cream – half and half or use extra milk (it just will be less creamy)
- Lemon juice or white vinegar – citric acid or other vinegars, such as apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (the taste may be slightly different though)
- Salt – sea salt, herbed, or flavored salt
Alternative tools:
- Cheesecloth – clean kitchen towel, fine mesh sieve, or a nut milk bag to strain the curds
- Cheese mold – small colander or perforated container lined with cheesecloth
Ingredients
- In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream. Heat slowly, stirring occasionally until it reaches 185°F (85°C).
- Once the milk mixture has reached the desired temperature, add lemon juice or vinegar and allow the mixture to curdle for 5-10 minutes without stirring.
- Place a cheesecloth over a strainer and pour the curdled milk mixture to separate the curds from the whey.
- Gently squeeze out extra whey from the curds, being cautious not to compress them too much. Then sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of salt into the curds, mixing lightly.
- To prepare for the pressing, transfer the curds to a cheese mold or a makeshift mold using a perforated container.
- Place a weight on top of the curds to press them (about 4-5 pounds should suffice) and allow the curds to press for at least 8 hours, or overnight for best results.
- Gently unmold the pressed ricotta.
- Lightly salt the entire exterior of the cheese and place it in a cheese cave or an aging box in the fridge – allowing it to age for at least 3 weeks, turning and lightly re-salting the exterior every few days.