This super simple stovetop ricotta is rich, creamy, and totally satisfying. Once you try it, there’s no going back.
Homemade ricotta cheese is seriously satisfying. Fresh ricotta is miles better than the stuff at the store, and all it takes is two ingredients and a few minutes on the stovetop. In fact ricotta is the perfect home cheesemaking project for a beginner. How can you not make it??
What you’ll need to make homemade ricotta
- some good whole milk
- fresh squeezed lemon juice
equipment
- a heavy bottomed pot
- cheesecloth to strain the whey from your cheese curds…
- you can also use a fine mesh nylon bag such as a nut milk bag. I prefer these because they’re easy to clean and re-use.
making ricotta cheese step by step
Here’s the easy no stress method. Don’t let the fancy complicated tutorials put you off. I think those people secretly want to keep cheesemaking all to themselves.
- Just heat your milk just until it’s just about to boil
- Then stir in fresh lemon juice.
- The curds will appear almost instantly, like magic.
- Strain the whole thing through cheesecloth or a mesh nylon nut milk bag and you’l be left with soft fresh ricotta cheese. Use it immediately or within a few days. It’s fabulous in so many dishes.
homemade ricotta faqs
Yes, you can make ricotta with half-and-half or cream, though the texture and yield will be a little different. Half-and-half works well and gives you a richer, softer ricotta ~ though you might get a slightly smaller yield since it has less protein than whole milk. Cream on its own doesn’t curdle as reliably and can result in a greasy texture, so it’s best used in combination with whole milk. A common approach is to use mostly whole milk with a splash of half-and-half or cream for added richness.
It could be the milk ~ ultra-pasteurized milk sometimes doesn’t work. Or the mixture might not be hot enough. Try adding a bit more acid and gently reheating.
Homemade ricotta will keep in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. Store it in an airtight container.
Whey is full of nutrients ~ you can use it in smoothies, soups, bread dough, or even to water your plants.
Yes, you can absolutely make ricotta cake with homemade ricotta. If your homemade ricotta is especially soft or wet, you may want to drain it a little longer before baking to avoid excess moisture in the cake.
how to use your homemade ricotta
- in pasta recipes, either mixed into a sauce, or spooned on to the plated pasta.
- on pizza
- in lasagna
- in stuffed shells
- as a base for fresh, stewed, or roasted fruits
- on ricotta toast
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How to Make Ricotta Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Open out your cheesecloth and line the colander with a double layer of the cloth, covering all sides of the colander. Set that over a deep bowl for draining and set aside.
- Pour your milk into a heavy bottomed pot and set on medium heat. Let it heat slowly, until it’s just about to boil.
- Add in your 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and almost immediately you will see the curds form.
- Keeping it on the heat, let the curds fully form. Don’t stir it much, just check to see if the curds have fully separated from the whey. The liquid should be translucent. This won’t take long, just a minute or so.
- Take it off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon or skimmer, skim the curds out and into your cheesecloth lined strainer. You can gently pour the liquid from the pan straight into the lined colander if you like.
- After a few minutes, pull up the cheesecloth and gently press to release more whey. The more you drain the cheese the firmer it will become. I like it soft so I just let the moisture drip for a few minutes and then put my fresh cheese in an airtight container until I’m ready to use it. The cheese will keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you have suggestions for how to use the left-over liquid? Is this left-over product whey? Since this is my first attempt to making any kind of cheese do not want to waste anything that is nutritional or good for fermenting. Thank you – always enjoy your posts.
Hey Sherry, yes, it is whey, and you can use it in soups or stews, or smoothies. I would not use it as a substitute for milk in baking as it’s not rich enough.
This is one of the easiest things I’ve ever made, and I’m so proud of my homemad cheese!!
Can I use any plant base milk?
You can’t make it in this same way, but I’ve seen vegan ricotta made by blending blanched almonds and water in a blender until it becomes the texture of ricotta cheese.
Here’s a link to a recipe:https://heatherchristo.com/2018/03/19/how-to-make-almond-ricotta/
This process works for making cream cheese also. Use 4 cups whole milk and 3 tablespoons lemon juice, one spoon at a time. When process is complete, as in ricotta cheese, place kurds in blender until smooth. If too thick, just add a little of the whey. Form and refrigerate. Will kept several days. Hope this is an appropriate post for here.
Oh thanks Claudia ~ I am planning to make my way through all these fun projects, I’ll try the cream cheese next!
Good to know thx.
Will this work with Lactaid whole milk?
Yes, you absolutely can make it with Lactaid 🙂
This looks really great and, as you say, easy. I’m Keto so I will be using whipping cream. Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Catherine, I’ll be interested to hear how that goes, I’m under the impression that using cream won’t curdle very well. I sometimes add a little cream to enrich my ricotta, but I thought heavy cream was more difficult to use. I might have to try again, it does sound luxe!
This is wonderful and so easy. I didn’t get 3 – 4 cups though. Probably, pushing it, maybe 2. I left mine a little loose too. I had to use lactose free milk. I wonder if that affected the amount? There might be a scientific explanation. Lol! Thank you! Making your honey plums for dessert tonight. Can’t wait!
That’s interesting that it works with lactose free milk, Alene, and that could have affected the amount you got, not sure.
Made it with the roasted plums. Very very good! Had the leftovers for breakfast. I’m going to experiment with other fruits too. Buying another half gallon of lactose free milk again. I wonder if it would work with 2% or 0 fat?? Maybe I’ll make half to test it. It’s already missing lactose and to cut the fat might be a little too many changes.
Hi! I know this is an old post, but I just found it and tried it, and I’m hoping you can help me troubleshoot what I might have done wrong. I didn’t get the yield that was listed on the recipe. I used almost 3 quarts of wonderful, fresh whole raw milk (I didn’t read any stipulations on the milk). I also used bottled lemon juice. ( I used the recipe before reading “fresh squeezed” in the body of the blog.) Anyway, I only got 1 c of ricotta from 3 QUARTS of milk!!! Any tips/ideas/help would be greatly appreciated!
Hey Heidi ~ the yield will vary from batch to batch, but make sure you heat the milk to an actual simmer first, and be sure to let the curds rest off the heat before scooping. And don’t forget you can definitely use the leftover whey in cooking and baking, so I won’t go to waste.
Can you use a nut milk bag in place of cheese cloth?
You can, and you can also use nylon mesh bags, I like those the best because they’re so easy to rinse out and clean.
Hi Sue,
Is there anything you can make with the liquid that is left over from the ricotta making process? Thanks, Antonia
The whey is pretty thin, Antonia, but you can use it. You can use it for stock, or as a cooking liquid for rices and grains, for instance. You can freeze it for later, too.
Pancakes
This was great and so easy! I added salt and pepper. It really kicked up my frozen pizza. Thanks
I have not yet made this recipe but I am hoping to use the left over whey to marinade chicken breasts. I had a really juicy chicken breast dish at a local restaurant that was brined/ marinaded in ricotta whey. I looked on line for recipes for cooking the chicken and found several. The dish at the restaurant was “pollo arrostito”.
While I had not made this recipe, I have tried several of your other recipes and have enjoyed them all. Thank you for sharing with us!
That’s fascinating Janet, I’ve never heard of that, please let us know how it goes.