Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (2024)

I love simple recipes that make me feel like a rockstar…

And homemade ricotta cheese definitely fits the bill.

Ricotta is one of the easiest cheeses to make, but it can transform a ho-hum recipe into something special–plus I always feel a extra fancy when I use it.

Oh, and making lasagna with homemade mozzarella AND homemade ricotta cheese? It takes the dish to a whole new level folks… If you are serving it to dinner guests–they’ll go away impressed–promise. (Especially if you pair with it a hot loaf of homemade French bread. On second thought, scratch that. You don’t want to overwhelm them with awesomeness…)

**I love New England Cheese making Supply Co. for all of my cheese making needs. They’re truly just a great company with great products, and I love supporting their small business whenever I can. They’ve also offered my readers 10% off and order with the code HOMESTEAD for a limited time.**

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (2)

True-blue, authentic ricotta cheese simply comes from heating up whey–the word ricotta actually means “recooked.” If you’ve read my blog for a while, you are probably already intimately familiar with whey and how to use it. However, if you’re new, but sure to check out my list of 16 Things to do With Wheyand my knock-your-socks-off Vintage Lemon Whey Pie recipe.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (3)

Ricotta made just from whey tends to have a low yield… So if you prefer a recipe with a slightly larger end result, try a ricotta cheese recipe that starts off with whole milk. (I’ve included that below as well!)

There seems to be approximately a million-and-one different ways to make ricotta, so if you’ve made it before, it’s likely that your method is different than mine. But I’m going to venture to say, that as long as you end up with those amazing little fluffy white clouds of ricotta goodness, there really is no “wrong” way to make ricotta.

So on to the recipes!

(this post contains affiliate links)

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (4)

Ricotta Cheese Recipe #1 (using whey)

You will need:

*This can be done with any amount of whey, but keep in mind the yield is quite small, so I don’t recommend doing it unless you have around 1-2 gallons of fresh whey at your disposal.

Instructions:

Place the whey in a large stockpot, and place it the stove over medium-high heat.

Bring it to around 190-195 degrees–or until you see fluffy looking “clouds” separating from the yellow whey when you stir the mixture. (I use a regular old ladle, but I gotta get one of these niceslotted ones for scooping curds. And this is a great thermometer if you’re in need of one.)

Avoid boiling if you can–it tends to give it a bit of a funny taste–plus it boils over easy, and cleaning sticky, cooked-on whey off your stovetop is a nightmare.

Once you see that the fluffy white ricotta cheese clouds have separated from the yellowish whey, remove it from the heat and pour it through your fabric or strainer to drain.

Allow the teeny ricotta curds to drain until all the whey has dripped out (I usually leave it for about an hour–you can go longer if you wish)

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (9)

Sometimes I tie my cheesecloth/fabric into a “bag” and let it hang from a cabinet knob–other times I just line a colander with the cheesecloth and allow it to drip in the sink.

Store your fresh ricotta in the fridge or freeze it for later.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (10)

Ricotta Cheese Recipe #2 (using whole milk)

You Will Need:

Instructions:

Place the gallon of milk in a large stockpot and heat it over medium heat.

Once it has reached190-195 degrees, remove it from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Allow the milk to sit for 5-10 minutes and wait for the curds to form.

Once you see those lovely, fluffy curds, drain the whey as directed in the whey ricotta instructions above.

Store in the fridge, or freeze for later.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (11)

Kitchen Notes

  • Lemon juice isn’t your only option for creating curds. Some people prefer 1/4 cup of vinegar, while others add 1 teaspoon of citric acid. Feel free to play around a bit–as long as you end up with curds, you are on the right track.
  • Keep in mind that heating the whey for these recipes kills most of the good bacteria, so it will only keep for about a week–unless you freeze it.
  • If you don’t see curds right away, try adding a bit more lemon juice, or heating a bit more on the stove. It’s really hard to mess this up–so even if the recipe doesn’t go exactly as described, it’s likely you can still salvage it and end up with some sort of ricotta-like curds.
  • The whole milk ricotta cheese recipe will yield more than the whey ricotta cheese recipe.
  • You’ll end up with a bunch of leftover whey after you drain it from the curds. Here’s a whole list of how to use that whey.
  • **I love New England Cheese making Supply Co. for all of my cheese making needs. They’re truly just a great company with great products, and I love supporting their small business whenever I can. They’ve also offered my readers 10% off and order with the code HOMESTEAD for a limited time.**

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (12)

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (13)

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade ricotta not curdling? ›

Homemade ricotta that does not curdle can be the result of either using ultra-pasteurized milk or not adding enough acidity. Ultra-pasteurized (UP) milk and ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk (including all organic milk) has been heated to a temperature that destabilizes the proteins and prevents curds from bonding.

How is ricotta made from scratch? ›

Homemade ricotta recipe
  1. Combine 2 litres of milk, 1/2 cup of pouring cream, and 1 tsp of salt in a pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  2. Add 1/3 cup of lemon juice and gently stir. Simmer until it curdles.
  3. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
  4. Cover a mesh strainer with muslin cloth and place over a glass bowl.
May 3, 2018

Why is my homemade ricotta rubbery? ›

It really matters what kind of dairy you use: organic whole milk and not ultra-pasteurized cream are preferred. I also want to emphasize the importance of timing: do not overheat the milk-cream mixture, and do not let it boil. Otherwise, you will end up with tough and rubbery curd.

Why do you add an egg to ricotta cheese? ›

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.

How do you increase the yield of ricotta cheese? ›

When making whey Ricotta, use leftover whey from a batch of cultured cheese. The fresher the whey the better. Heat the whey, without agitating. Once it reaches 160°F, if desired, you can add 5-12% of fresh milk can be added to improve the richness and yield.

Which milk is best for ricotta? ›

Whole Milk (not ultra pasteurized!): I recommend whole cow's milk for creamy flavor and texture. Alternatively, 2% or 1% milk can be used; but the final result will not be as creamy. Ultra pasteurized milk does not work for homemade ricotta. It won't curdle properly.

Is homemade ricotta worth it? ›

Why make homemade ricotta? Because you can. And because the results are so much better than most of the packaged stuff you can buy, especially at the supermarket. Making it yourself is also less expensive than buying fresh ricotta at a fancy gourmet market.

Is it cheaper to buy or make ricotta? ›

Ricotta cheese is especially reasonably priced, so it is a toss-up if you want to make ricotta to save money. It is cheaper to make your own, if you are going strictly on the price of ingredients, but you do have to factor in your time.

How is ricotta made in Sicily? ›

The word ricotta comes from the Latin word which means cooked twice. It is made from the whey, the watery liquid left over after another cheese has been made. The whey is heated again with rennet and the curds that have risen to the surface are scooped into a container, drained and prepared for aging.

What is the difference between homemade ricotta and cottage cheese? ›

Whereas ricotta is sweeter, cottage cheese has a notable tangy flavor from the slow acid fermentation. It has a heavier, thicker consistency than ricotta, and is generally studded with larger curds, though it comes in small and large curd varieties.

Why is it important to let ricotta cheese drain after you make it? ›

That's why it's important to give yourself as many advantages as you possibly can, especially when it comes to removing excess moisture before and during the cooking process. Epstein explains that if ricotta isn't drained as part of the prep, "the moisture in the ricotta causes the lasagna to fall apart."

Why is my ricotta turning pink? ›

In cheeses without added colorant, pink discoloration has been associated with: certain strains of thermophilic lactobacilli and propionic acid bacteria, Maillard reactions, and microbial pigments (e.g., carotenoids and phenolic compounds), which may be responsible for development of pink-brown or dark brown ...

Why does my ricotta taste grainy? ›

As for texture, chalky, grainy ricottas are a sign that the milk was heated too hot or agitated too much during production, causing the proteins to tighten up into rubbery bundles. There should be a slight graininess to the texture, but the grains should be composed of soft, creamy curds, not little rubber balls.

How long will homemade ricotta keep? ›

Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Why is my milk not curdling in my cheese making? ›

If the milk does not coagulate, it may be because the rennet you are using is old or unviable. Another reason is the milk is pasteurized to the point that it kills almost everything needed for coagulation to occur. Absence of protein and insufficient soluble calcium in the milk will lead to a soft, weak curd.

What to do if curds and whey don't separate? ›

You can try cutting the curds into smaller pieces next time, or stirring them a bit more to help them release more whey. The curds may have been heated too rapidly, and this problem can be corrected by never raising the temperature of the curds and whey by more than 2°F every 5 minutes during cheese making.

How do you fix runny whipped ricotta? ›

If this is the case, I recommend straining the cheese over a cheesecloth before whipping it up. 2) You added too much liquid (either from the olive oil or heavy cream). If this happens, you can add more ricotta to thicken it up.

Why wont my ricotta melt? ›

When cheese is formed using acid, the proteins become heat resistant. In other words, the cheese doesn't melt. So ricotta falls in the same category as paneer, halloumi, queso blanco and other cheeses that can be heated without melting.

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