If you love cheese, I recommend making some fresh ricotta. It’s so easy to make and the results are rich and delicious.
I’ve tried making ricotta with skim milk and whole milk. The skim milk ricotta was very dry. The whole milk ricotta was less dry, but not creamy. I’ve been trying to reproduce a very creamy version that I can buy in local specialty shops. I finally found a recipe that gives me that creaminess and it uses some heavy cream.
This recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen. Deb Perelman is a wonderful cook and the author of some great cookbooks.
This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of ricotta. The amount varies based on how much liquid you drain from the cheese.
Tip
To heat the ingredients, use a nonreactive pan (made of metal that won’t react to the acidity of lemon juice, such as stainless steel).
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make your fresh ricotta.
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Rest a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Line the strainer with a clean, tight-weave cotton or linen towel (or a couple of layers of cheesecloth).
Add the milk, cream and salt to a heavy saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. You’ll start to get a thin layer of light foam on the top, full of tiny bubbles. When the liquid starts to simmer, turn off the heat.
Add the lemon juice. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the liquid a couple of times, slowly pulling the spoon through it. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Pour the liquid into the lined strainer. Let it drain for a couple of hours. The longer you drain it, the thicker it gets. It will also firm as it cools.
Scoop the ricotta from the cheesecloth into a bowl. If you aren’t eating it right away, wrap it with plastic wrap or store it in a lidded glass or plastic container in the refrigerator.
Serve it any way that you want. Add fresh herbs and put it on crackers. Spread it on bread and drizzle honey over it. When good tomatoes are available, chop some and add them to a scoop of ricotta, sprinkle with salt and pepper and some torn basil leaves.
Here are some ways that I use ricotta:
Ricotta with Raspberries, Nectarines and Honey
Pasta with Citrus-Scented Ricotta, Charred Pearl Tomatoes, Wilted Baby Kale and Toasted Hazelnuts
