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Homemade Ricotta + Whey Recipe

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  • Author: Kara Taylor - Home Cooks Guide
  • Prep Time: 1
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 21 minutes
  • Yield: 4 cups 1x
  • Category: Cheese
  • Method: Boil and Strain
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This recipe makes 4 cups of delicious fresh ricotta and 12 cups of whey.


Ingredients

Scale

14 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup lemon juice or white vinegar

2 t salt


Instructions

Add the milk and cream to a pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently all the way down to the bottom with a heatproof spatula so the milk doesn’t burn to the bottom.

Once the milk reaches a low simmer, turn off the heat, add the lemon juice or vinegar and stir for about 1 minute.  The milk will separate into curds and whey.

Strain the curds through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to catch the whey.

The longer the curds sit in the strainer the drier and more crumbly your ricotta will be.  10-20 minutes makes creamy ricotta similar in texture to store-bought. Several hours of straining will make drier ricotta that will hold its shape.

Homemade ricotta is best used within 5 days.


Notes

Ricotta can be made with lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid, or buttermilk.  Essentially, any culinary acid will get the job done.  Citric acid is the most acidic, and it’s in powder form.  I almost never use citric acid.  Lemon juice has the second-highest acidity. If you are using vinegar or buttermilk you will need to increase the amount.