Home Made Ricotta Cheese

There’s something so rewarding about making the foods you use most often at home, especially when they’re usually expensive at the supermarket yet are surprisingly simple to create.

If you’ve ever looked at the price of good-quality ricotta and thought surely this can’t be that hard to make, you’d be absolutely right. With just a few basic ingredients and a bit of patience, you can create a yummy ricotta that tastes just as good, if not better than store bought versions.

The key is starting with the best quality milk you can find - full fat and non-homogenised is the best. Take your time with the process, let the curds do their thing, and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful, homemade ricotta that can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Ingredients

650 ml full-fat, non-homogenised milk

⅓ cup cream

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Method

Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based saucepan.

Gently heat over low to medium heat until it reaches scalding point. Take your time with this step — do not rush it.

Once hot, add the lemon juice and salt and give it a gentle stir.

Keep the heat low and allow the mixture to simmer gently. Within a few minutes, you should see the curds and whey begin to separate.

Remove from the heat and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Line a sieve with clean cloth (muslin, tea towel, old sheet, cotton serviette all work well) and place it over a bowl to catch the whey.

Carefully pour the mixture into the lined sieve.

After about 15 minutes, gather the corners of the cloth, tie them together, and suspend the bundle from a tap or hook so it can continue to drip.

Leave to drain for around 2 hours, or until the ricotta reaches your desired consistency.

When it’s nicely drained, you’ll have the most delicious fresh ricotta. Store in the fridge and use within a few days.

Don’t Waste the Whey

The leftover whey is nutrient-rich and can be:

Added to smoothies

Used in baking or soups

Poured onto the garden

Fed to chickens