Homemade Ricotta Cheese

I have always wanted to make my own ricotta cheese. Now that I have finally made it, I can strike it off my long-list of to do's! There are a few versions with slightly different method of making Ricotta Cheese when I googled from the internet. I've decided to follow the one from David Lebovitz, which can be found here.

Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese and has white, creamy and soft texture. Ricotta is actually not a cheese, but a cheese by-product. Traditional Italian cheese makers originally produced Ricotta from whey left behind from the making of Mozarella and Provolone.  Nowadays, homecooks use whole milk with the mixture of either lemon juice or vinegar to make Ricotta. It  is very easy to make and does not take much effort.  They are very expensive over here in Malaysia, well, almost all the cheeses are! Making your own is quite simple actually, you just need to be a little patient to wait for the curds to drain. What you need are just 5 ingredients, whole milk, whole-milk yoghurt, heavy cream (which is optional), white vinegar and salt. 

Let's get started on the making of Homemade Ricotta Cheese :

You need to have a cheesecloth to drain the curd. I do not have one YET, so I have used a muslin cloth, which I found out, is really not suitable for draining the curd (I've got to get one of those cheesecloth!). The muslin cloth does a slow job of draining the curds. Before you start to mix the ingredients for the cheese, prepare a big strainer (or a drainer pot), set over a bigger pot or deep bowl, with the cheesecloth over it. Make sure the strainer does not sit at the bottom of the pot, so that the cheese do not sit in its own whey when the whey is being collected in the pot.

This recipe has given the option of using heavy cream. I have read that heavy cream gives a creamier and smoother cheese, so I have used that since I have a balance of almost 3/4 cup and got to use that up as soon as possible before it goes to waste.

Mix all the ingredients together and let it come to slow boil over low heat. Let it boil for about 2 minutes. You can see curds beginning to form over the top of the mixture. Turn off heat, let mixture sit for about 10 minutes. You will be able to see more curds now. (refer photos above).

Scoop the curds gently with a big ladle and place on the cheesecloth over the drainer. Leave to drain. Mine took about 2-1/2 hours. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and squeeze gently to extract any excess liquid. If liquid is clear, continue to squeeze gently, stop when liquid has turned cloudy.

Scoop out the ricotta cheese and store in a container, you may serve immediately or keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Mine has a soft set, it will thicken further when refrigerated. For a firmer set, drain the curds longer or even overnight.

A scoop of Homemade Ricotta Cheese, it has thicken further after overnight in the refrigerator.

The whey that was collected in the pot, it can be used for bread making, in pancakes, waffles and other bakes. You may discard the whey, but why waste it? As from what I've read from the internet, the whey can be frozen, however it is not advisable to re-freeze any leftovers once defrosted. The whey can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week, and in the freezer for longer storage.

I've read that Ricotta can be frozen for up to 6 months, and defrost slowly in the refrigerator before using. Other sources that I've read from, states that it is not advisable to freeze Ricotta as the fats will separate when thawed. I have no way to find this out, as I have used up all of my Homemade Ricotta within three days. Maybe on my next batch, I'll try to freeze some and find out for myself!

I have used my Homemade Ricotta Cheese for some yummy recipes, posts coming up soon!



Homemade Ricotta Cheese
(source from Simply Recipes, recipe courtesy from David Lebovitz)
Makes : 2 cups
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup plain whole-milk yoghurt (I use homemade yoghurt)
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
2 teaspoons white vinegar (I use distilled vinegar)
1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large pot, bring the milk, yoghurt, heavy cream (if using), vinegar, and salt to a boil. Very gently boil for one to two minutes, until the milk is curdled.
2. Meanwhile, line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and squeeze gently to extract any excess liquid.  (Mine took about 2-1/2 hours to drain)

Storage : Homemade ricotta is best served slightly warm, although it can be refrigerated for up to three days, if desired.