Ricotta Cheese Making Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is ricotta cheese made? ›

To make ricotta cheese, milk is heated until the curds and whey separate. The curds become the basis for varieties such as mozzarella, while reheating the whey produces the moist, fine grains that traditionally create ricotta (hence the name, meaning “twice cooked”).

Ricotta cheese prepared at 90 °C, pH 7 and CaCl2 6 mm exhibited the highest cheese yield, proteins and total solids, while high fat content was recorded for cheese processed at 100 °C, pH 5 and 4 mm CaCl2 concentration.

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.

Milk, cream, salt, and an acid. If I have fresh lemons, I'll use lemon juice. But if all I have is white vinegar (which I always have on hand), that's what I'll use. Some recipes for ricotta cheese don't call for heavy cream, but I like the way it makes a more creamy cheese.

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

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.

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.

Ricotta is usually made by mixing whey, milk, and acid together. This mixture is then heated to very high temperatures (~175°F). This combination of heat and acid cause the proteins in the whey mixture to coagulate.

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.

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 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.

Ricotta Substitutes

In fact, some people prefer to use cottage cheese because it has a similar flavor and fewer calories. However, it's important to remember that they're not quite the same: Cottage cheese is runnier and less creamy than ricotta.

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.

The liquid whey left over from making ricotta is really healthy. Cover and refrigerate it to use in breads, soups, and smoothies instead of milk or water. You can also use it instead of water when cooking pasta or rice. Or, if you're really adventurous, try drinking it plain (you'll make your great-grandma proud).

Compared to most cheeses, ricotta is a healthier choice because it contains less salt and fat - 10 per cent fat, of which 6 per cent is saturated. It's light and creamy with a slightly grainy texture and delicate flavour that can be used on its own or in sweet and savoury dishes.

The key distinction between the two really comes down to moisture content and texture: ricotta is smooth and spreadable with extremely fine (almost imperceptible) curds, whereas the preparation of cottage cheese results in a soupy and lumpy finished product with a higher moisture content.

It depends on how hard core they are and what the quality of the ricotta is. Traditional ricotta is made with rennet, which is an animal product, so kinda a no-no for vegetarians. It can be made with vinegar instead, but that creates a different flavor.

Because ricotta is made of whey, as opposed to cheeses made of curds, Italian legislation classifies it as an edible by-product of other cheeses rather than a cheese in its own right. Special 67% offer for students!