a delicious, simple to make, creamy cheese! Even my sister, who at first refused to eat the cheese, eventually became a fan! In our home, this recipe never fails; I’ve cooked it countless times. It’s never a question of “to cheese or not to cheese”!
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 5 mins |
| Additional Time: | 25 mins |
| Total Time: | 40 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 2 cups |
Ingredients
- 8 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt (Optional)
Instructions
- Pour milk into a saucepan set over medium heat. Heat milk until it registers 194 degrees F (90 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir lemon juice and salt slowly into warmed milk. Let stand until milk curdles, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Pour milk mixture carefully into the lined strainer. Let stand until most of the liquid has drained off the ricotta, about 15 minutes. Discard drained liquid.
Reviews
If I had known 50 years ago how easy this was I never would have purchased Ricotta cheese for recipes! Best part, you control how moist you want the cheese! The longer you strain the dryer it is. I like it so I can crumble like Feta. Delicious!!!
It was very easy. I did learn putting cold milk in a pot will take more than 5 minutes to bring up to 190 degrees. Put a bit in pasta with chicken, scallions and arugula. Will do it again for sure!
Delicious, you must follow directions exactly. I only used lemon so far, next time I’ll try the vinegar method.
I’ve heard that this is how ricotta is made, but never tried it. I needed some today and gave it a try. perfect! crazy it’s so easy! thanks for the recipe.
Added extra white vinegar as slow to curdle with lemon juice. Turned out great.
Such a simple, basic recipe. No need for the added fat of heavy cream some recipes call for. Resist the urge to turn the heat up. And when you are done, don’t throw the whey away. There are lots of uses for whey. Just google.
This recipe renders a soft and supple fresh cheese- unlike the low moisture version found in American grocery stores. It is like the ricotta I used to buy directly from the local farmer in Sicily. It has a slight hint of lemon and soft yet grainy texture. This recipe works wonderfully with goat’s milk or even sheep’s milk. I was taught to only use a wooden spoon with ricotta or even better, a twig from a lemon tree. Thank you for the recipe.