Homemade Fresh Ricotta Cheese

Submitted by Sharon123

"This is amazingly simple to make, using just 3 ingredients! And it only takes about 20 minutes to make!!! More delicate than storebought and only 1/2 the price. Use this fluffy cheese for lasagna, cannoli, or simple crostini(with a drizzle of eevo or topped with chopped fresh herbs). There's even a reduced fat version! I found this in the May issue of Good Housekeeping magazine."

 

• Ready In: 10mins
• Ingredients: 3
• Yields: 2 cups

ingredients

• 8 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or lemon, even vinegar works)

directions

1. Line a large strainer or colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth. Place lined strainer in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a heavy bottom 4 quart saucepan, heat milk and 1 teaspoons salt to boiling on medium high, stirring occasionally to prevent milk from scorching.
3. Stir in lemon juice; cover and remove from heat.
4. Let stand 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, gently transfer curds from the pan to the lined strainer. Drain 3 minutes. Discard whey in bowl.
5. If not using right away, transfer ricotta to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

6. Reduced Fat Ricotta:

7. Substitute 4 cups reduced fat milk(2%) for 4 cups of the whole milk, and follow recipe as above.
8. Makes about 2 cups.

Reviews

[djmastermum]

This is amazing, and way better than anything u can buy in the shops. It is so creamy. I wish it had of made more. I made the full cream version, just to be sure that I keep my womanly figure lol

 

[Peter J]

I'd never have guessed how quick and easy it is to make your own ricotta! It has a very silky texture that I much prefer to store-bought and the delicate flavor makes it ideal for use with fresh herbs and chopped vegetables. I made the full cream version with lemon juice, the taste of the lemon was very subtle so in the future I won't hesitate to use any of the options listed to suit what I've got on hand.

 

[Dreamer in Ontario]

Who would have thought this could be so easy and quick. I'll never buy ricotta again. I used half whole milk and half skim. I didn't have any cheese cloth so I strained in a mesh sieve. It worked beautifully.

 

[Mami J]

What a wonderful recipe. It comes out so creamy and I love how easy it is to make. I used lime juice. Thanks Sharon!

 

[2Bleu]

This works great, it's so quick and easy, and tastes much better than store bought! I made a half batch using whole milk and fresh lime juice. I don't know if it's cost efficient, but it turns out a wonderfully fresh and creamy ricotta cheese. And if your out of the store bought, this is terrific because all the ingredients are generally at hand. I can't wait to try it with 2% milk. Sharon, thank you so much for sharing the recipe! :)