Homemade Ricotta with 5 Ingredients

Homemade ricotta is a simplified version of traditional Italian ricotta. With only 5 ingredients, this ricotta is creamy, delicious and is extremely versatile.

Traditional Ricotta

Ricotta is a creamy Italian cheese made from the leftover liquid when making cheese, known as whey. Cheese is made by heating milk and adding a form of acid (usually rennet). The curds are used to make cheese, while the remaining protein-rich milky yellow liquid is the whey.

Traditional ricotta is made by reheating the whey to create curds again. These final curds are what become the ricotta. Ricotta in Italian actually means ‘recooked’ or ‘refined’, and it is important to cheesemakers because they can reduce waste and recycle the whey.

My Homemade Version

How does my ricotta differ from traditional ricotta? I simplified the process and instead of using the whey to make ricotta, I make it directly from milk and heavy cream. I completely bypass the step of using leftover whey to make ricotta. I use this method because it often creates a larger yield of ricotta and is simple.

However, when you mix milk and heavy cream with acid, you actually create your own whey. You can definitely recycle the whey and make traditional Italian ricotta too. I prefer to bottle the whey and use it as a milk substitute for recipes. I also love to use it as a stock replacement, to help deglaze pans and add flavour when I’m cooking.

Tip: Pour your leftover whey into a bottle and store it in the fridge. Use as a milk substitute or as a stock replacement. It lasts in the fridge for several months!

The last key difference I do is in the combination of acid I use to curdle the ricotta. I use a mix of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar over traditional rennet or vinegar because I like the flavour this gives. Using just lemon tastes good, but that little bit of apple cider vinegar creates a wonderful flavour. You are welcome to substitute it for just lemon juice or plain vinegar.

Tips to Make the Perfect Ricotta

Making ricotta at home is easy but there are a few simple but crucial steps necessary to ensure delicious ricotta. I’ve practiced and tweaked this recipe multiple times to ensure you have an easy ricotta experience!

• Temperature: Cook the milk mixture to a temperature of 185° Fahrenheit. I’ve tried a multitude of temperatures from 175-190° Fahrenheit. I found that 185 was right before the milk came to a boil, and created instant curds. I use a digital thermometer as it is easy to visualize (I use this one).
• Mise en place: Mise en place is a French cooking term that means “putting things in place“. This means having your ingredients prepped, measured out, and ready to go. Juice your lemon in advance, and pre-measure the lemon and apple cider vinegar out. When the milk comes to temperature, you want to add the acid in right away!
• Scoop your curds: Most recipes will tell you to strain the entire ricotta mixture at once, but I found that this loosened up the curds too much and took too long as the cheesecloth would get clogged. Instead, scoop the big curds at the top and let that drain. After draining for 15 minutes, set it aside and then, proceed to pour the remaining mixture. The first batch will yield much more and be a bit thicker in consistency, while the second batch will be looser and less of a yield.

How to Enjoy Ricotta

I love that ricotta is so versatile and can be enjoyed in numerous ways. You can eat it simply on its own. It’s great in savoury and sweets recipes. For savoury, I like to use it as the cheese filling in lasagna, topped on toast, and used in spinach puff pastries. For sweet, I love to use it in pancakes. Try it in my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes – they’re fluffy, cream and delicious!

Resources on Traditional Ricotta

I loved researching traditional ricotta and how it’s made. The commercial ricotta in our grocery stores and ones online are often not made via the traditional method, but rather a similar method to what I use. It’s interesting to understand the origin of ricotta and the authentic way of making it. If you’re interested in learning more, here are some resources I accessed.

This YouTube video by Food Insider on “How Ricotta Cheese is Made in Italy”, was extremely insightful and informative.

For other valuable usages of whey, Farm Curious has a wonderful list of food and non-food related ideas.

I haven’t made ricotta with the whey, but here’s a recipe I found from blogger Cultures for Health on how to make Traditional Ricotta. I will definitely be trying this out and comparing the two!

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