Yield: Yields about 4-1/2 cups ricotta
Freshly made ricotta is so good, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful. With so few ingredients, the quality of each is very important. The better your milk and cream, the better your cheese will be. A high-quality sea salt will also make a difference. If you’d like to make a little less, the recipe is easily halved.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbs. flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- 1/2 cup fresh, strained lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
Nutritional Information
- Nutritional Sample Size per 2 Tbs.
- Calories (kcal) : 45
- Fat Calories (kcal): 30
- Fat (g): 3
- Saturated Fat (g): 2
- Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0
- Monounsaturated Fat (g): 1
- Cholesterol (mg): 10
- Sodium (mg): 130
- Carbohydrates (g): 3
- Fiber (g): 0
- Protein (g): 2
Preparation
- Line a colander with 3 to 4 layers of lightly dampened cheesecloth, and set it in a clean sink or large bowl.
- Clip an instant-read or candy thermometer to the side of a heavy-duty 7- to 8-quart pot. Put the milk and cream in the pot and slowly warm it over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, until it’s 185°F, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the salt, and then slowly pour the lemon juice over the surface of the milk. Once all of the lemon juice has been added, stir gently for 1 to 2 minutes to encourage curds to form.
- Gently ladle the curds into the prepared colander. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the curds to loosely cover. Drain until it reaches your desired consistency, 30 minutes for a soft ricotta and up to 24 hours for a very firm, dry, dense ricotta. Refrigerate if draining for more than a couple of hours. Transfer the drained ricotta to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Ingredient Spotlight
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IN THIS RECIPEWhole Milk
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IN THIS RECIPECream
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FEATUREDSquash Blossoms
Reviews
Rate or Review
Reviews (17 reviews)
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user-933861 | 03/12/2022I’ve been using this recipe for the last 6 years. Always comes out perfect. Suggest anyone making it for the first time watch the accompanying How-To video.
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stupidcheese | 04/11/2020
Nowhere in this recipe does it say that ultra pasteurized milk will NOT curdle. I wasted a gallon of milk and about 5 lemons (based on the comments about lemon acidity) on trying to make mess of a pot curdle. I wasted money on organic milk and the best cream I could find. I am so angry and disappointed. The stores are out of ricotta bc of the virus and Easter—thought I could save the day by making this for our annual ricotta pie.
If you’re reading this—do not use ultra pasteurized milk—go Google it. It won’t work.
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