Homemade Ricotta Cheese (Only 2 Ingredients!)

Milk, lemon juice, and about a half-hour of your time — that’s all you need to make a batch of fresh, creamy homemade ricotta. You’re not going to believe how easy and foolproof this is! And trust me — once you make your own ricotta cheese, it’s hard to go back to the stuff from the tub.

When I say this only takes a half hour, I should clarify that most of that time is actually hands-off. You bring the milk almost to a simmer, add lemon juice or vinegar, and then let it sit while you work on the rest of dinner. Another 10 minutes or so goes into straining the curds, and then the ricotta is ready for your weeknight lasagna, white pizza, or whatever delicious plans you have in store.

If you wrap the drained ricotta in cheese cloth and press it beneath a weighted plate in the refrigerator overnight, you can also make a simple ricotta salata, paneer cheese, queso fresco, or other fresh farmers cheese.

Making ricotta yourself also gives you a bonus: the leftover whey. This whey is fantastic in baked goods — try using whey instead of water in your next batch of bread or pizza dough. So good. You can also use a few spoonfuls of whey to jump-start the lacto-fermentation process when making things like sauerkraut and kvass. Here’s how to make it.

• It’s so much better than store-bought. Homemade ricotta really does have better texture and flavor than anything I’ve ever bought at the grocery store. I suspect that this is due in large part to the fact that it’s freshly made.
• You can control the texture of it. I like that I can control just how wet or dry the ricotta is simply by how long I let it drain — I like wetter, looser ricotta for things like pizzas, and drier, firmer ricotta for cannoli and other desserts.

• Whole milk: This process for making ricotta works best if you’re using whole milk. Avoid using ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk, as this process changes the protein structure of the milk and prevents it from separating. Unfortunately, many organic milks are UHT pasteurized, so if organic ricotta is your aim, definitely check the carton before buying.
• Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can also use distilled white vinegar or citric acid (available from cheese-making suppliers), if you prefer.
• Kosher salt (optional): You can season your ricotta with kosher salt, but it’s optional.

1. Warm the milk to 200°F. Heat the whole milk in a large pot slowly over medium heat until 200°F. The milk will get foamy and start to steam; remove it from heat if it starts to boil.
2. Add the lemon juice and salt. Turn off the heat. Gently stir in the lemon juice and kosher salt until combined.
3. Let the milk sit for 10 minutes. Let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. After this time, the milk should have separated into clumps of milky white curds and thin, watery, yellow-colored whey — dip a slotted spoon into the mix to check. If you still see a lot of un-separated milk, stir in 1 tablespoon more lemon juice or vinegar and wait for a few minutes.
4. Strain the curds. Fit a strainer over a large bowl and line the strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth. Scoop the big curds out of the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the strainer. Pour the remaining curds and the whey through the strainer.
5. Drain the curds for 10 to 60 minutes. Let the ricotta drain at room temperature for 10 to 60 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer your ricotta. If the ricotta becomes too dry, you can also stir some of the whey that drips out back in before using or storing it.

• 2% milk: While whole milk is our favorite for making ricotta, 2% milk can also be used, though the ricotta is slightly less rich and creamy. Avoid using skim and nonfat milks; these don’t separate as easily into curds and whey.
• Pasteurized milk: Pasteurized milk is fine to use for making ricotta, but avoid UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk as this process changes the protein structure of the milk, preventing it from separating.

Fresh ricotta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

• Fresh ricotta salata: If you’d like to make a fresh farmer’s cheese (ricotta salata) from this ricotta, wrap the ricotta in the cheesecloth and press it beneath a weighted plate in the refrigerator overnight. More whey will be pressed out and the cheese will firm up.
• Using the leftover whey: The leftover whey can be used in place of water in any baking recipe, whizzed into smoothies, or drunk on its own over ice.

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