Ricotta is literally the easiest cheese you can make, especially in a country like Canada where our milk is pasteurized before we can buy it and not great for cheesemaking.
Traditionally, ricotta is made from the whey remaining after making other cheeses from raw milk. Ricotta means “recooked”. The proteins remaining in the whey by-product from cheesemaking can be made into ricotta by denaturing the protein after a fermentation period and rapid heating, forming a curd that we know as ricotta.
Why Make Ricotta?
Well yes, you can buy it, but here where I live, a 1 kg tub is typically $11-18 and a small 1 lb tub is $7-9. When you can buy a 4L jug of whole milk for about $5 and make 2 lbs of cheese, it’s an easy choice for me.
Aside from the cost, the flavour is so much creamier and fresh compared to the store bought stuff, which I often find to be quite sour tasting in comparison.
Not only can you control the salt content, but no extra additives are required! Just milk, salt, and lemon juice or vinegar. Store-bought ricotta often contains additives to preserve flavour and prolong shelf life.
Non-Reactive Cookware
Use cookware that is non-reactive will not react with acid – i.e. aluminum, copper, tin, or cast iron.
The most common and best material to use is stainless steel, however enameled surfaces can be used as well.
Some people use non-stick cookware, but I am weary of using it in any recipes that call for non-reactive, such as canning recipes and cheesemaking.
Fine Sea Salt
Choose a salt with no additives (aside from iodine, often listed as potassium iodide).
Some table salt I have purchased in the past contains sugar and cornstarch, which can alter the end product of your cheese, especially if you get into more intense cheesemaking in the future.
If you can’t find a fine sea salt without additives, use either kosher salt (add about 1/2 tsp more salt) or pickling salt (very expensive).
Milk Matters
Raw milk, though best for cheesemaking, may not be the best choice here since ricotta is often a secondary cheese product made from raw milk. Feel free to use it here, you will end up with a lot more cheese!
With pasteurized milk, it’s more difficult to extract cheese once, especially twice from the milk. With using pasteurized, (most commonly found milk in grocery stores) it has been heated to 72°C (161°F) for 15 seconds, then rapidly cooled to 4°C (39°F)1.
I do not recommend using ultra-high temperature pasteurized milk, which has been heated to 140°C (284°F) for 2-4 seconds before being rapidly cooled to 4°C (39°F)
2. Once the milk has been heated to this temperature, the proteins will react differently when heated again, making it difficult to make ricotta.
This milk is often shelf stable, but in Canada it is often with the cold milk and is more common in “special” enhanced milks (think fancy high protein milk) and lactose free milk. UHT pasteurization is often done to greatly prolong shelf life in the milk.
Whole milk is the best choice here, as the higher fat content means you will yield a rich, flavourful cheese and it yields more than a lower fat milk will.
To Make Fresh Ricotta
Making the Ricotta
In the large non-reactive pot, add the milk and whisk in the salt. Turn the heat to medium and heat the milk, stirring occasionally, to 200°F.
If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, heat the milk until you just begin to see light bubbling cauldron movement in the milk when it’s stirred. Typically this occurs after it has reached 200°F so keep your eyes on the milk. It will begin to smell sweet and begin to steam as it warms up. Do not let it boil. This takes me 12-13 minutes on a 17,000 BTU gas stove.
Once the milk reaches 200°F, remove from the heat. Quickly stir in the white vinegar or lemon juice – it should almost instantly begin to curdle. Stop stirring and let it sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
Straining and Storage
Once the 30 minutes has elapsed, set up a cheesecloth over a strainer. If you want to keep the whey to use in other recipes (e.g. baking), place the strainer over a very large bowl. Otherwise, drain over the sink.
Scoop the curds slowly into the cheesecloth so it doesn’t fold over itself or overflow, and eventually pour the remainder through the cheesecloth. Go slowly so you don’t spill.
Let the cheese continue to strain and drip for 15-30 minutes depending on how firm you’d like the cheese. When using it for lasagna I like to keep a bit more of the whey. You can even let it continue to strain in the fridge for an hour or two if you’d like firm ricotta.
Once done straining, remove the ricotta to a storage container. Turn the cheesecloth inside out and shake gently to remove the remaining curds. If you have a reusable cheesecloth, quickly rinse it in the sink to remove the remaining curds before setting it to dry over the spout.
Enjoy!
Fresh Ricotta
Equipment
- Large non-reactive pot stainless steel is best
- Instant read thermometer
- Cheesecloth and strainer
Ingredients
- 2 L whole milk* not UHT pasturized
- 2 tsp fine sea salt**
- ¼ cup (59 ml) white vinegar or bottled lemon juice
Directions
Making the Ricotta
- In the large non-reactive pot, add the milk and whisk in the salt. Turn the heat to medium and heat the milk, stirring occasionally, to 200°F.
- If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, heat the milk until you just begin to see light bubbling cauldron movement in the milk when it’s stirred. Typically this occurs after it has reached 200°F so keep your eyes on the milk. It will begin to smell sweet and begin to steam as it warms up. Do not let it boil. This takes me 12-13 minutes on a 17,000 BTU gas stove.
- Once the milk reaches 200°F, remove from the heat. Quickly stir in the white vinegar or lemon juice – it should almost instantly begin to curdle. Stop stirring and let it sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
Straining and Storage
- Once the 30 minutes has elapsed, set up a cheesecloth over a strainer. If you want to keep the whey to use in other recipes (e.g. baking), place the strainer over a very large bowl. Otherwise, drain over the sink.
- Scoop the curds slowly into the cheesecloth so it doesn’t fold over itself or overflow, and eventually pour the remainder through the cheesecloth. Go slowly so you don’t spill.
- Let the cheese continue to strain and drip for 15-30 minutes depending on how firm you’d like the cheese. When using it for lasagna I like to keep a bit more of the whey. You can even let it continue to strain in the fridge for an hour or two if you’d like firm ricotta.
- Once done straining, remove the ricotta to a storage container. Turn the cheesecloth inside out and shake gently to remove the remaining curds. If you have a reusable cheesecloth, quickly rinse it in the sink to remove the remaining curds before setting it to dry over the spout.
- Enjoy!
This looks good!