Whole milk ricotta cheese is so creamy and so flavorful! It’s much easier than you might expect to make this fresh cheese at home and much tastier than the store-bought version.
Have you ever tried homemade ricotta? It's so light and creamy. It's perfect for whipped ricotta on toast with a little bit of honey and salt! And my favorite way? Creamy, light and fluffy ricotta gnocchi. Literally the most luxurious and comforting bite. So. Good.
Why You'll Love This Dish
I know it seems intimidating to make fresh ricotta cheese from-scratch, but trust me, it’s very doable to make your own ricotta in your own kitchen! It requires just four ingredients, and less than an hour of your time.
- Homemade ricotta is so much creamier and flavorful than the store-bought version.
- Having control over this process means that you can prepare ricotta for a number of applications requiring different consistencies, such as ravioli fillings, lasagna, or cheesecake.
- Because the homemade version is so special, it’s also a great gift. Drop off a container of this stuff with a jar of jam or garlic confit, and your friends and family will be rewarded for the week.
A Quick History
The word ricotta literally translates to “re-cooked”, referring to the fact that the cheese is made from recooking the leftover whey of other cheeses. So, technically "authentic" ricotta cheese is made from whey.
For obvious reasons, leftover whey can be hard to come by, so the method I use only requires milk, cream, salt, and acid. It's a bit of a cheat, but regardless, it’s very delicious!
Interestingly enough, I did some research into the history of cheesemaking, and it turns out that Italians have been making ricotta-like cheese since the bronze age!
Back then, they cooked the milk in specialized milk boilers designed to prevent milk from spilling over at high temperatures. Surprisingly, the use of whey to make ricotta likely came much later (as opposed to milk-based cheeses), as a way to use up the leftovers from making other cheeses.
Whey-Based vs. Milk-Based Ricotta
Let's dive a bit further into the details between whey-based and milk-based ricotta products.
Whey-based: Leftover whey often sits out for several hours up to a day and naturally ferments. When the fermented whey is heated, the combination of acidified whey plus heat naturally curdles the liquid.
The whey then separates into liquid and solid curds, and the curds are strained to yield ricotta. In Italy, ricotta is made from lots of different animal milks, from sheep’s and cow’s milk to goat’s milk to water buffalo’s milk.
Fresh ricotta has a short shelf-life; other forms of the cheese, such as ricotta salata, is pressed and salted and has a firm, gratable consistency.
Milk-based: The most common method for making milk-based ricotta (and the one I’m using here today) is somewhat similar to the whey-based method.
You’ll heat milk and a bit of salt in a pot until it just begins to hit a bare simmer. Since a regular old store-bought milk itself is not acidic enough on its own to curdle, you need to add lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid to do the job.
As the milk begins to curdle, you’ll turn off the heat to let it form curds. Strain the solids, and you’re done! The leftover liquid, or the whey, can be discarded or saved for other uses.
Key Ingredients
Ricotta uses just a few simple ingredients, including milk, cream, salt, and vinegar (or lemon juice).
Milk
The milk you use here is super important! Here’s what you need to know:
- Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk. Ultra-pasteurized milk has been heated to a high enough temperature to denature some of the milk proteins, meaning the milk will not coagulate properly. Regular pasteurized milk is totally fine, as is homogenized or non-homogenized milk.
- Whole milk is recommended. You can make ricotta with 2% milk (for a slightly less creamy texture), but anything lower and you will have a poor yield.
- “Older” milk will curdle more easily. Milk that is closer to its expiration date is more likely to curdle.
- Raw milk is great too!
I’ve gotten wonderful yields from using Whole Foods Organic Whole Milk (not an ad, just wanted to share what’s worked for me!) and milk from local farms (I like High Lawn Farms).
Heavy Cream
In addition to milk, I also like to add a bit of heavy cream (you’ll want to avoid ultra-pasteurized here, too) for richness and moisture. Other than that, a little bit of salt is all you need.
Acid
Both lemon juice and white distilled vinegar are very commonly used in cheesemaking. You can use whatever you prefer (or whatever you have at home), but keep in mind the following differences:
- Usually, though not always, white distilled vinegar is slightly more acidic than lemon juice. This means that you might not need to use as much vinegar as lemon juice to curdle the milk. I don't recommend using strong-flavored vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, as it will impart those flavors on the ricotta.
- Lemon juice has a stronger, well, lemony flavor. Vinegar is more neutral. Depending on the use case, it might be nice to have additional notes of citrus. But if you prefer, just use vinegar.
No matter what acid you seek to use, you’re really looking for the optimal texture and flavor. Ideally, you use the least amount of acid to produce curds and limit any impact on flavor. But there’s a balance here — too little acid, and you may not produce enough curds. The good news is that you can always add more if it’s not enough!
Recommended Equipment
While this recipe can be made with any special equipment, certain tools can make the process a whole lot easier.
Cooking Thermometer
A cooking thermometer, such as a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer, is infinitely helpful here. If you've never made ricotta before, it's a bit trickier to successfully keep the right temperature without a thermometer. Once you've made it once or twice, it gets easier to know what to look for.
My favorite cooking thermometer is a thermapen, but I also used this thermometer for many years with success. If you're not using a thermometer, make sure to follow the images and descriptive cues on heating the milk!
We’re looking to heat the milk to a temperature roughly around 185°F (85°C). At that temperature, the proteins in the milk re-structure in a way that results in curds with a more viscous, thickened texture.
I’ve found that 185°F (85°C) to 190°F (88°C) is a good sweet spot, where you’ll have a good yield of creamy, fluffy ricotta. If you end up a little above or below (195F or 180F), that’s okay too. Where you start to affect things is when you’re significant above or below that 185°F (85°C) mark. For example, 165F will lead to less yield and a much milkier result. The higher the temperature, the drier and grainier the curds.
Cheesecloth
Once the acid has curdled the milk, you’re ready to collect the ricotta and drain it. Here, I layer a cheese cloth on a strainer laid over a pot to separate curds from the whey. You can easily purchase one from the grocery store, but if you don't have a cheesecloth handy, you can use a very thin (see-through) t-shirt. I like to use a slotted spoon to scoop out the curds and spoon them into the cheesecloth.
How to Make Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
Okay, now that we've got all those details out of the way, I think you're ready to make ricotta! Here's what the process looks like:
Heat the milk and cream over medium-high heat in a large stainless steel pot. Insert a thermometer into the pot, and stir the milk, occasionally, to prevent any scorching on the sides.
Once the milk reaches 185°F (85°C) to 190°F (88°C), continue heating the milk, keeping it around that temperature for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
The continued heating ensures that the whole mixture is definitively at the right temperature for optimal curdling. You can reduce the heat slightly, as needed, to keep it at that temperature.
If you don't have a thermometer, what you're looking for is a very bare simmer, or small bubbles on top with foam on the sides and a good amount of steam.
Add the acid to curdle the milk. While stirring, slowly pour in the vinegar or lemon juice until milk begins to curdle and separate. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the curds to fully separate. You should see a yellow-ish whey and small curds that appear soft and cloudy.
Scoop the curds. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the curds into a cheesecloth - try to drain as much liquid as possible before scooping.
TIP: If you don't see curd separation (or it still looks quite milky), you can add a bit more acid, and set the milk over medium heat just until you see more curd separation.
Drain the ricotta. Drain the ricotta to your desired consistency, then transfer to a container. Let cool completely before using.
Storage Instructions
Store ricotta in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Recipe FAQ
Technically, yes. You can store it in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. However, I don't recommend it because the thawing process can significantly impact the texture of the cheese.
I have a great recipe for whipped ricotta; it's super easy and comes together in just a few minutes.
Don't feel like you need to discard the whey. You can use it in place of water in many cases! Add the whey to smoothies or use it in place of water for cooking rice, grains, or potatoes.
For a creamier, looser consistency, you may only need about 10-15 minutes of draining. For firmer curds, you may need to drain the ricotta for upwards of 30-45 minutes.
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Happy eating! Love, KarishmaThis recipe has been tested by an in-house recipe tester who used a thermometer.
Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
Equipment
- A large heavy-bottomed pot for making the ricotta, a dutch oven or stock pot is great
- A large pot for collecting the whey, such as a stock pot
- Cooking thermometer, highly recommended
- Cheesecloth, or an extra thin, slightly translucent t-shirt
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk, avoid ultra-pasteurized as it can prevent curds from forming
- 1 cup heavy cream, avoid ultra-pasteurized as it can prevent curds from forming
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if desired
- 3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar or lemon juice, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Set a large heavy-bottomed pot with the milk, cream, and salt to medium-high heat. Insert a cooking thermometer inside the pot to monitor the temperature.4 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Heat the milk until it begins to steam at a very low simmer, about 185 °F to 190 °F; stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent any scorching. At this temperature, you should see large amounts of small bubbles and foam over the surface of the milk. Depending on the type of burner you have, this could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.
- Maintain the heat between 185 °F to 190 °F for 3 to 5 minutes, and continue stirring. This helps ensure that the whole mixture is at the right temperature. If needed, lower the heat to maintain that temperature.Note: If desired, you can add more salt here to taste. Spoon a bit of the milk into a bowl, let it cool slightly, then taste to see if you want more salt.
- While stirring, slowly pour in the vinegar or lemon juice until the mixture begins to curdle. You should see white clumps begin to form, with some more translucent liquid, or the whey, in the background. Immediately stop stirring, and remove from the heat.Note: If the mixture doesn’t curdle at all, keep stirring over the heat, then add 1 teaspoon of the acid at a time until it begins to separate. Then, immediately stop stirring and remove from the heat.3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
- Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes; it will continue to separate over time.Note: If the mixture still looks very milky, you can add another teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the pot, and set it to medium heat. As the mixture heats, it should begin to curdle more. Remove from the heat once it curdles, then wait for another 10 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
- Meanwhile, set a fine mesh sieve over a large pot. Line the strainer with two layers of cheesecloth.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop the solid curds from the pot into the cheesecloth.
- Let the ricotta drain in the cheesecloth to your desired consistency (10 to 15 minutes for soft ricotta, 20 to 30 minutes for firmer ricotta), then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. The leftover liquid, or the whey, can be discarded or saved for future use.
Notes
- Salt: The recipe uses just enough salt to bring out the flavors of the ricotta without feeling "salty" so that you can use this in sweet and savory applications. If desired, add more salt to taste.
- Lemon juice vs. vinegar: White distilled vinegar is slightly more acidic than lemon juice. Lemon juice has a stronger, well, lemony flavor. Depending on the use case, it might be nice to have additional notes of citrus (though you will need more lemon juice to curdle the milk). To keep things simple, just use vinegar.
- Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk. Ultra-pasteurized milk has been heated to a high enough temperature to denature some of the milk proteins, meaning the milk will not coagulate properly. Regular pasteurized milk is totally fine, as is homogenized or non-homogenized milk.
- Whole milk is recommended. You can make ricotta with 2% milk (for a slightly less creamy texture), but anything lower and you will have a poor yield.
- A cooking thermometer is highly recommended to maintain an optimal temperature. I've found that 185°F (85°C) to 190°F (88°C) is a good sweet spot, where you'll have a good yield of creamy, fluffy ricotta. If you end up a little above or below (195F or 180F), that's okay too. Where you start to affect things is when you're significant above or below that 185°F (85°C) mark.
- Leftover whey can be used in smoothies. You can also use it in place of water in many cases, such as cooking rice or other grains and potatoes.
