Three Ways to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese (+ Video)

If you are interested in trying your hand at making cheese, ricotta is a great one to try first.

The deliciously sweet, creamy ricotta curds are slightly off white in color with a taste and texture a bit reminiscent of cottage cheese though considerably lighter.

The great news is that messing up ricotta is just about impossible!  It is one of the easiest and perhaps the best cheese you will ever attempt. The results are so delectable you will no doubt be making it over and over again.

I first learned to make ricotta along with a number of other cheeses 6 years ago when an expert cheesemaker from Wisconsin (where else?) who was planning a vacation in my area emailed me and asked if I would host a cheesemaking class in my home.

The class turned out to be extremely fun and informative and the techniques I learned I have continued to use to this day.

Homemade Ricotta – 3 Different Ways!

There are 3 different ways to make ricotta that I have discovered over the years in addition to the one approach I learned in that beginner cheesemaking class. All three approaches are overviewed in the video lesson below.  In addition, the simplest method of the three is included as a written recipe.

Choose whichever method suits you best with whatever type of milk or whey you have on hand.

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Homemade Ricotta Recipe

Recipe for the easiest of the three different methods for making homemade ricotta.

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Sarah

Ingredients

• 1 gallon raw milk slightly soured
• 1 stockpot
• 1 stainless steel colander
• 1 cheesecloth fine mesh
• 1 large rubber band

Instructions

1. Pour slightly sour raw milk into a large stockpot. If the raw milk is very sour or slightly clabbered, do not use as the ricotta will not turn out sweet.

2. Put stockpot on large burner and turn on to medium-high heat. Keep a close eye on the pot. Within 5-10 minutes, the milk will start to separate as shown in the photo. Remove pot from heat immediately. Overcooking will destroy the delicate texture of the ricotta.

   

3. Line a stainless steel colander with a fine mesh cheesecloth folded in half. Place the lined colander into another large pot and carefully pour in the warm, separated raw milk.

   

4. Let the whey drain from the ricotta cheese for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The longer you let the ricotta drain, the firmer it will be. Keep this in mind so that you achieve the desired consistency for whatever dish you plan to make with the ricotta.

   

5. Scrape out ricotta from the cheesecloth and use in a dish immediately such as lasagna or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last about a week refrigerated.

Recipe Notes

Cow or goat milk may be used to make this homemade ricotta recipe.

Homemade Ricotta Video Demonstration

More Homemade Cheese Recipes to Try

If learning to make cheese is exciting to you, check out my other cheesemaking posts here:

• Drowning in Whey?  Make Gjetost Cheese.  This post is a good one to read after learning to make ricotta as the leftover whey can be used to make gjetost if you chose to make ricotta from fresh milk.
• Cream Cheese and Liquid Whey.  This video is incidentally one of the very first videos I ever filmed for this blog 2 years ago!
• Cheese Making: Common Problems and Solutions.
• Perfect Probiotic Cottage Cheese
• How to Make Yogurt Cheese.

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

Sarah

The Healthy Home Economist holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Mother to 3 healthy children, blogger, and best-selling author, she writes about the practical application of Traditional Diet and evidence-based wellness within the modern household. Her work has been featured by USA Today, The New York Times, ABC, NBC, and many others.