Homemade Creamy Ricotta Cheese

Have you ever tried making ricotta cheese? Try this recipe for homemade creamy ricotta cheese and you will be amazed how simple and delicious it is!

Ricotta is very similar to farmers cheese that I’m used to from back home. Farmers cheese is the Eastern European ricotta except milk is left to ferment and curdle first before the heating. It’s really healthy and popular in Europe. My family makes farmers cheese all the time. We would mix it with honey and eat it for breakfast. Or stuff vareniki with it.

Ricotta is much easier and faster than farmers cheese. It takes only half an hour to make! And with a jug or two of milk, you can have a lovely mound of homemade creamy ricotta cheese with very little effort.

The ricotta curds are very fine, so the cheese must be strained through several layers of cheesecloth and your yield will depend on milk fat content. You may want to search out extra-rich milk.

The are numerous of ways to use up your homemade creamy ricotta cheese, like lasagna, cheesecakes, crepes, ravioli, salads and more! Or simply serve while still warm on bread – drizzle it with olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. You are seriously left with a new sense of clarity and life direction, my friend.

Ingredients:

4 L whole extra-rich milk

1 L buttermilk

1 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

Place all the milk, buttermilk, cream and a pinch of salt into a large soup pot over medium high heat. Stir the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Once the mixture is warm, stop stirring. As the milk heats, curds will begin to rise and clump on the surface. As the curds begin to form, gently scrape the bottom of the pot with the spatula to release any stuck curds.

Once the mixture is hot and starts to slowly come to a boil (do not boil), turn off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes on the stove covered. Whey and curds will complete the separation. The whey looks like cloudy water underneath a mass of thick white curds on the surface.

Select a sieve or colander with a wide surface area so the curds will cool quickly. Rinse a large piece of cheesecloth with cold water, then fold it so that it is 4-6 layers, and arrange it in the sieve or colander placed over another pot to catch all of the whey. Never waste that gold liquid whey! There are so many uses for it, like desserts, bread, soups, skincare and even in your garden!

Working from the side of the pot, gently ladle the whey into the prepared sieve. Go slowly so as not to break up the curds. Finally ladle the curds into the sieve.

Lift the sides of the cloth to help the liquid drain. You can squeeze a bit, but don’t press on the curds too much or it will turn out too dry. You want homemade creamy ricotta cheese!

Then leave the ricotta in the sieve for about 15 minutes or until the dripping stops.

Pack the homemade creamy ricotta cheese into airtight containers and refrigerate up to a week. Or make lasagna tomorrow!