Making Your Own Ricotta Cheese

In reorganizing my recipe files recently, I came across several articles on making homemade ricotta cheese. It seemed simple enough, so I did it to make this wonderful appetizer last week. It's worth a try. Even though it uses an entire half gallon of milk to make 1 1/2 cups of fresh ricotta, the freshness and creaminess are worth it. I have a couple more recipes I'm going to repeat the process for soon. If blog worthy, I'll share them.


Fresh Ricotta Cheese
Makes 1 1/2 cups


8 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


Line colander with four layers of cheesecloth. (I had to use paper towels in a pinch.) Set colander in sink.


Bring milk and salt to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in lemon juice. Let simmer until curds form, 1 to 2 minutes.


Using finely slotted spoon, scoop curds form pan and transfer to cheesecloth-lined colander. Let drain one minute (curds will still be a little wet). Transfer cheese to a bowl and cover. Chill until cold, about 3 hours.