Make Your Own Raw Milk Ricotta – Clean, Simple, and Fresh
Make fresh raw milk ricotta at home—quick, easy, and no experience needed. A clean, simple recipe to add nutrition to every day meals.
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Why You’ll Love This
Ease – Homemade ricotta cheese is extremely easy to make and takes very little time. An easy dairy recipe to add to your collection without experience or expertise.
Frugal – Making ricotta at home is very resourceful. Use older milk (not expired) and repurpose this ingredient in your kitchen.
Ricotta Made From Whey Vs. Milk
The real deal ricotta is made from leftover whey in traditional cheese making. It is low yield unless you have gallons upon gallons of whey.
Homemade ricotta from milk is made by creating an acidic environment that allows curds to form. (You’re literally curdling your milk)
Do I Need To Use Raw Milk To Make Ricotta?
No – you can use pasteurized milk if you desire. In my home we consume only raw milk and that is the base for any dairy products.
Using older (not expired) milk whether that’s a gallon that’s been living in the fridge for too long or in my case a leftover half gallon jar that wasn’t used prior to the next milk pick up. Raw milk that becomes ricotta is typically 10 days old in my home.
How To Make Raw Milk Ricotta Cheese
Step 1
Pour a half gallon of milk into a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan and slowly cook over medium heat.
Step 2
Once your milk reaches 185° or begins to foam and bubble on the edges remove from the heat source.
Step 3
Pour in lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar to create an acidic environment. (I prefer white vinegar as it adds no flavor to the ricotta cheese)
Step 4
Gently stir the vinegar into your milk to fully incorporate.
Step 5
Rest your milk for 5 minutes and allow curds to form. You should see curds and whey separating
Step 6
Strain your curds through a cheese cloth lined colander or a small holed colander. You will be left with curds (ricotta) and whey.
After straining you can salt your ricotta, store it in the fridge up to one week for fresh eating or recipes.
Try making fresh ricotta next pizza night for a white sauce pizza (ricotta) with mushrooms, Italian sausage, lemon zest and rosemary.
What To Do With Leftover Whey
Save your whey! There are hundreds of ways to use whey. My top two methods are:
- A replacement for water in any bread recipe to add protein and probiotics.
- Fertilizing my garden.
Whey is full of nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium and plants love receiving them. When harvested that bountiful nutrition gets to be used by your body. It’s a waste not want not cycle.
Make Your Own Raw Milk Ricotta – Clean, Simple, and Fresh
Ingredients
- 1/2 Gallon Raw Milk
- 1/4 Cup White Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Pour a half gallon of milk into a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan and slowly cook over medium heat.
- Once your milk reaches 185° or begins to foam and bubble on the edges remove from the heat source.
- Pour in lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar to create an acidic environment. (I prefer white vinegar as it adds no flavor to the ricotta cheese)
- Gently stir the vinegar into your milk to fully incorporate.
- Rest your milk for 5 minutes and allow curds to form. You should see curds and whey separating.
- Strain your curds through a cheese cloth lined colander or a small holed colander. You will be left with curds (ricotta) and whey.
- Store ricotta in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Nutrition
