Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Yield 6 hearty tasting portions

Pillar of Nutrition Lean on protein

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Homemade Ricotta Cheese

A quick and easy recipe that produces creamy ricotta with only three ingredients.

Ingredients

• 8 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar

Directions

1. Line a colander with a triple thickness of cheesecloth and place the colander over a bowl. Be sure to use non-reactive materials.
2. Heat the milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir in the salt.
4. Heat the milk until bubbles form around the edge, a light film forms on the surface and there is a lot of steam coming from the pan. This could take up to 20 minutes and register 185 F on a cooking thermometer.
5. Turn the heat to low and add the lemon juice or vinegar.
6. Slowly agitate the mixture until curds separate (the ricotta) from whey (yellowish liquid).
7. Cover the pot and let stand 20 minutes.
8. Carefully ladle the ricotta into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Allow to drain for 3-5 minutes for a creamy cheese or up to 20 minutes for a dryer ricotta.
9. Use right away and refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

Subsitutions and variations

• Use a recycled ricotta basket inside a bowl instead of the cheesecloth-lined colander