Homemade Ricotta- UPDATE
homemade ricotta shown with my homemade olive bread
Making “ricotta” type cheese at home is so easy I am ashamed for ever buying it- I certainly won’t buy it again. Think about it, if I am at the store and I need ricotta I’ll just buy some cream and make it myself. Yeah, yeah, I hear you. “Darla’s turning into some whacky -hippie-amish-earth-mother-dairy elitist.”
Yes I am, yes, I certainly am. (why not black IS so slimming and tie-dye is so fun!)
Anyway it’s exactly three ingredients (plus salt) and easy as… pie. (I hope!) I have made it twice. Once with champagne vinegar, and once with Meyer lemon juice and white wine vinegar combination. The acid is what makes the milk curdle into … curds. I found the all vinegar version to be firmer and more curdy- the lemon juice version less curdy but a nice subtle lemony flavor. Meyer lemons have less acid that vinegar or even regular lemons for that matter- but I am obsessed with them. This is just another sneaky way for me try them out.
Home Made Ricotta ( Inspired by Ina Garten’s Recipe)
4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tea-spoon kosher salt
2 table spoons of white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of Meyer lemon juice
Mix the cream and milk with the salt, bring to a real boil. Turn off the heat. Add vinegar/lemon juice. stir. Wait one minute and then spoon into a cheese cloth lined sieve sitting over a bowl. Drain the cheese for as long as you wish up to a couple of hours, or over night in the fridge. Viola! Ricotta/ farmer’s cheese. (you can drink the whey left in the bowl or give it to your dogs as a treat poured over their kibble)
I LOVE to eat this on bread, fruit and I will use it to make pasta dishes if there is any left. I tend to revisit it many times in the day. It’s deelish warm when you first make it- it’s deelish cold too. A spoonful here, a spoonful there…. you get the idea I am sure. 😉
Try this easy peasy recipe. You will be very very happy you did and be well on your way to being a dairy snob.
** UPDATE **
If you use the vinegar only use 3TBS total vinegar. (this is the original recipe from Barefoot Contessa) I cut the vinegar and doubled the remaining acid amount since I was using Meyer Lemon juice.
darla cooks 
Is the olive bread a no-knead variety? I’ve made a rosemary olive no-knead bread before, pretty good combination of flavours 🙂
yes yes! good eye! rosemary sounds lovely in there. how much did you use? fresh or dry? (I am using the ATK no knead recipe as my default- then do the add-ins adjusting salt as needed)
I used fresh rosemary, 2 tablespoons… http://midnitechef.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/breads-olive-rosemary-bread/
that looks great! i will definitely try that next time! thanks!
by the way please take another lookie before making the ricotta. i updated the recipe. 😉
Got it, thanks!
Darla, thank you so much for this! Just last night we saw someone making ricotta on a TV show and Hubby wanted to find a recipe to try it himself, and here it is! I owe ya one 😉 thank you!
Your bread looks SO good!
thanks! i am so happy this will be helpful for y’all. please do come back or blog your batch of ricotta. i am curious what you’ll think.
and that bread is so EASY. you gotta try that too if you aren’t already riding that “almost no knead bread” train.
hey- look again before you make it, if you plan on using all vinegar and no lemon. i updated and made a note. 😉
oh! Thank you!!!
Yummy! This looks Delicious! I will have to try it very soon. Thanks!
take another lookie at the recipe, i updated it and made a note on the lemon vs vinegar thing. 😉
Looks delicious. I love all cheese and if I can make it myself that’s even better. I’ll be making this recipe over the weekend! Thanks Darla.
cool grace. and take another look at the post before you make the cheese, i have updated it with a note. i can’t wait to hear how you like the taste! thanks for coming by!
ive been wanting to try this and im sold… i would love to join you in the hippy, amish, dairy snob movement. lol
welcome! you will receive your new member packet and member uniform in the mail!!
(let me know how you like it)
and look again at the recipe. i updated and made a note about the acids in the recipe…
Cant wait to try this it sounds so easy!!
it is easy. take another look at the recipe though, I updated the acid notes.
let me know how you like it!
ok i will thanks again…
it is! let me know how you like it!
yes will do!
I wonder if you could do it with coconut or nut milk, or if there is something in dairy that is essential. any thoughts?
fran, i know that it is recommended you use whole milk AND heavy cream. must be a “fat thing”.
I often sub the carton Coconut milk for milk and the canned for cream, which usually works, but I don’t know if there are other enzymes involved in this.
The homemade Ricotta looks much creamier! Where can I find the recipe for that yummy looking olive bread?
hi jane, the homemade is soooo creamy. like butta’!
that is the america’s test kitchen “almost no knead bread” modified and olives added. do you know the no knead?
I can’t wait to try this… I love ricotta on fresh baked bread… heavenly!
Would love to try your olive bread recipe. 🙂
well, look for the angels to come down from heaven strumming their harps- i have never liked ricotta much and would never think of eating it on bread. now, i can’t stop thinking about it.
i’ll post the olive bread recipe later this week. i want to make it again and photograph the process this time. thanks for coming by!
I was planning to do this on Saturday. Now I have some tips and a recipe to try. I’m excited! Thanks for sharing.
yay! i love it when that happens! have fun!!
Love this idea, its refreshing and I love an excuse to embark on such a project. Thank you for sharing I will be trying this soon!
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so very very sweet!! thanks!