Homemade Ricotta Cheese

If you love Ricotta cheese you must try to make it for an amazing taste and texture. It requires a few ingredients and the result is a super smooth, velvety cheese that is perfect as a spread or added in your favourite recipe. Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese and literally translates to the word "recooked".

You will need:

• 2 litres of whole milk (it must be full fat milk) = 8 cups
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• cheesecloth & a strainer

once cooked it will make approximately 1-1/2 cups of ricotta cheese.

Step 1: squeeze fresh lemon juice and measure salt and sugar. I have used a course ground gray salt but you can use any salt.

Step 2: add milk, cream, salt and sugar to a large pot. Heat and stir occasionally until just on the verge of boiling then remove from heat.

Step 3: pour in the lemon juice and stir a few times. The milk will immediately start to curdle and separate. Leave the mixture for 20 minutes.

Step 4: line a strainer with a layer or cheesecloth (not too thick just a single layer) Gently pour the contents of the pot through the strainer. Leave the ricotta in the strainer for at least 1 hour. This is a much wetter ricotta than most of the store bought.

Step 5: once strained carefully remove from strainer and place in a bowl or container to store in the fridge. It will firm up as it cools.

You can spread it on toast and have with a drizzle of honey. This was my breakfast! 

OR

Use it in your favourite recipe like my  Orange Olive Oil Ricotta Cake.