Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe
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Why do we assume certain foods are a challenge to make, when really they’re no more difficult to prepare than a pot of coffee? In the time it takes to create a pint of ricotta, you could have gone to and from the grocery store. Ricotta is typically made from whey, the watery byproduct of cheesemaking. But since whey can be difficult to find, we use a combination of whole milk and cream instead. This ricotta is similar to a queso fresco or paneer. It’s delicious baked into a cheesy spread, swirled into pancakes, stuffed into pasta, or just spread on bread with a little salt and olive oil or honey.
Special equipment: You will need a large nonreactive bowl, a fine-mesh strainer, butcher’s twine (optional), ultrafine woven cheesecloth, an instant-read thermometer, and a ladle.
Game plan: For drier ricotta, gather the corners of the cheesecloth and tie it into a sack with butcher’s twine. Tie the free end of the twine to a spatula or spoon handle and suspend it over a tall container with at least 1 inch of clearance from the bottom. Then refrigerate overnight.
- 8 cups (half gallon) pasteurized whole milk (not ultrapasteurized)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- Line a large fine-mesh strainer with a double layer of ultrafine woven cheesecloth and place over a large nonreactive bowl; set aside.
- Place milk, cream, and salt in a large saucepan, set over medium heat, and heat until mixture reaches between 175°F and 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and drizzle in vinegar while slowly and gently stirring.
Stop stirring as soon as all of the vinegar has been added. Let mixture sit undisturbed while the milk solids coagulate and float to the surface, leaving the whey underneath, about 20 minutes. - Gently ladle the solids into the strainer, leaving as much whey in the saucepan as possible; discard the whey.
Let the ricotta drain, without pressing down on the curds, until most of the liquid has drained, about 1 hour. - Remove the ricotta from the cheesecloth and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
I followed this recipe to a T, and it was great. Frankly, I don't care what it's called, as long as it's delicious.
I have made this many times in the past,but the best and simplest is One Gallon of whole milk,and one quart of buttermilk<it has acid> Mix the two in a large pot that has been sterilized with boiling water,and also a non-reactive spoon.Place on burner,on high heat and bring to a temperature of 180 degrees.takes about 10 -15 minutes.When it reaches 180 degrees remove from heat ,and allow to cool for about 25 minutes.You should have approximately 3-4 lbs. of fresh Ricotta. For creamier Ricotta you can add a pint of heavy cream,or half=half.Enjoy. Phil Pinto
I only use raw, unpasturized milk from organically fed cows. Can I use this
for the ricotta - you specified pasturized. Also, the milk has a very high cream/
fat content. Would this alter the amount of cream?
CAN SOMETHING BE DONE ABOUT THE ADVERTS ON RECIPE PAGES COVERING OVER THE RECIPE! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO READ - AND THE PRINT LINK IS COVERED OVER ALSO.
@wmqpmw Give some of us credit for being able to find "real" ricotta; not all grocery stores are equal (especially in NYC). We're not all rubes, you know.
@mdzehnder Unless you're involved in a commercial cheese-making venture, the "real" recipe isn't going to do you any good. As wmqpmw pointed out, you need leftover whey (preferably sheep or buffalo but I see goat ricotta occasionally) from cheese that was made with rennet. Without it, about the only thing you can do with that recipe is read it.
Regardless, the ricotta crostini recipe that directed me here looks delicious but I think I'll just use "real" ricotta. Attempting to make anything from scratch involving lots of milk and cream in a small kitchen with four cats in residence is a little too ambitious for me.
This is how I make my cheese I like the
Added cream you added Next time I
make my cheese I will add the heavy
cream thanks
Everyone's a critic here
I was tempted until I saw the "not ultra-pasteurized" business, then thought about the tiresome search for same, then realized I don't really want ricotta in the first place. But thanks.
Thew, when I make pressed yogurt, I save the whey and use it in bread-baking instead of/in addition to water.
As a biologist, former cheese monger, and frequent maker of of my own paneer, yogurt, etc., I have to say that the criticism of this article for lacking "authenticity" is simply unnecessary. An authentic recipe for ricotta requires the whey left over from cheesemaking. Certainly the article could have started with "using leftover whey from your last batch of cheesemaking...", but this would have only garnered ridicule as well. Furthermore, although I've tried to make ricotta from byproducts of both yogurt and paneer, the fact is that the acids added to or produced by these processes often precipitates all the proteins that would be later used for ricotta (Ricotta is best made from the whey resulting from rennet curd cheese making).
Lastly, both yogurt and paneer are generally made from regular milk. The addition of cream in this case yields a much more luxurious (and tasty) ricotta with a fat content that would be strange in either yogurt or paneer.
And from an industry standpoint, I'm betting that a lot (if not most) of the ricotta you're buying from the grocery store is made with whole milk and perhaps cream and that very little is made according to the strict definition and recipe, although whey disposal is a big issue in the cheese industry (it usually ends up in feed, fertilizer, and supplements).
Cheers
Anyone care to elaborate on how to make "real" ricotta? Now I'm curious...
Yes, Chow has a really annoying habit of doing this. They take a recipe for something (ricotta, homemade tonic water) and then they in effect say, "this isn't the real way but the real way is too hard for XY or Z reason, so we'll dumb it down for people." If you want to make and post an easier version of it that's fine, but at least give us the real recipe too, for those of us who would like to give it a shot.
Yeah, I have no doubt that this will yield tasty cheese, but why call it "ricotta" when it is not?
By its very name (ricotta literally means "twice cooked" or "re cooked" in Italian), so a once-cooked ricotta is not ricotta at all!
Why not rename the article so that it says "Homemade Ricotta-style Cheese Recipe" or, even better, "Homemade Paneer Recipe", since that's what it is.
Mr Taster
Technically, isn't this paneer?
Bushwick girl,you are absolutely correct,but try my recipe,you will love it. Phil
One thing I forgot to say about making Ricotta with vinegar,which I have made in the past it has a vinegar taste,sort of like cottage cheese,and I have made it with lemon juice.
Why isn't it ricotta? The addition of the heavy cream certainly makes for a richer cheese, good for desserts, cannolis, etc. Nice instant read thermo, btw.
I definitely think using fattier milks will make it creamier. I too had rubbery results with 2%, but I was just too excited to wait until the next day to go to the store and I had a big gallon of milk that had just expired so... :)
I have a easier way to make really good ricotta. One gallon of whole milk,and one quart of fresh buttermilk<needed for the acid>.Place both milk and buttermilk into a sterilized pot heat on high and stir .Cook until milk reaches 180 degrees.and remove immediately.Allow to cool 30 minutes.Yield approximately 3-4 lbs. of fresh ricotta.< Cream can also be added,or half and half before cooking for a richer ricotta.> You will love this easy way to make this wonderful cheese,and it makes up so fast. Enjoy , Phil Pinto
Whoever said this was ricotta?
When I've made Paneer(1/2 Gal milk + 3 T white vinegar and salt) it's sometimes a bit rubbery- not at all what I think the texture of Ricotta should be like..? any hints on making it softer or creamier? less vinegar?lemon instead of vinegar?I usually use what ever kind of milk i have- often low fat. this recipe with the whole milk and cream might be better...
It's paneer all right but totally different from ricotta which is 'by definition' reheated (ricotta: "cooked again"). Real ricotta has NO fat.
Check out this comment section: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/353018
seems a waste to discard the whey. there must be uses for it
I have made cheese at home, much like this and it is great! You can add herbs and garlic or you can make it sweet and serve with fresh fruit. Really easy...I used goat's milk too.