Ricotta

[Stardust]

I'm interested in making ricotta. Has anyone here made it before? Is it worth making? Any tips?

[dragnlaw]

I have made my own once or twice. I think it is worth it. It is actually very quick. Simple ingredients and instructions. I\ll look up mine later but just 'google' it. There are many many recipes out there.

And Welcome to DC

[Stardust]

Very interested in the recipe. Thank you!

[bethzaring]

There are two completely different ways to make ricotta cheese. The traditional way was to start with the leftover whey from making another cheese, which yields a small amount of ricotta cheese. You probably want to start with whole milk, which will yield a much larger amount of ricotta cheese.

Ricotta

[dragnlaw]

Well, I don't know what I've done with my recipe but this one from "thekitchn" is almost identical to mine...

How to make homemade ricotta

I use whole milk, it won't be the same with less milk fats but it is possible.
You will also need a thermometer, strainer and cheese cloth aside from your pots and bowls.

Try it - it is very easy and very yummy.
Let us know how it works out for you!

[Stardust]

Thank you. I will definitely be trying it out.

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Mascaarpone and ricotta are two rtotally differrent styles of cheese. Mascarpone would be a good substitute for cream cheese, while ricotta is more like cottage cheese.

[blissful]

Make some mozzarella, and have it fail to knit together for stretching, then you have ricotta, well, I do. I find that salt really helps the flavor of ricotta. When you compare a store bought mealy textured unsalted ricotta to homemade salted ricotta, you'll probably never go back to store bought again.

[bethzaring]

Originally Posted by blissful

Make some mozzarella, and have it fail to knit together for stretching, then you have ricotta, well, I do. I find that salt really helps the flavor of ricotta. When you compare a store bought mealy textured unsalted ricotta to homemade salted ricotta, you'll probably never go back to store bought again.

I found it wise to never name a cheese until you ate it. It doesn't matter what recipe you were following when you made the cheese...they take on a life of their own.

[Addie]

Pirate's MIL comes from Italy. She has always made her own ricotta. She invited me to dinner one Sunday. Now I have never like ricotta. Not in ravioli or lasagna. Or any other dish.

I took a small piece of lasagna to be polite. I then went back for a large piece. She sent me home with a container of her home made ricotta and some of her lasagna. I couldn't wait to make my own ravioli with her ricotta.

You will never go back to purchasing the store tub. Just make sure you use whole milk and that it not Ultra Pasturized. And some salt can only enhance it.

[medtran49]

We've made ricotta several times with grocery milk. Have to say though when we got the raw milk and made mascarpone, moz and ricotta that the ricotta was better than that made with the grocery milk.

[HeidiCooksSupper]

Originally Posted by blissful

Make some mozzarella, and have it fail to knit together for stretching, then you have ricotta, well, I do. I find that salt really helps the flavor of ricotta. When you compare a store bought mealy textured unsalted ricotta to homemade salted ricotta, you'll probably never go back to store bought again.

Been there, done that. LOL. I only rarely attempt mozzarella but have done the ricotta quite a few times. I really like to make it with lemon juice instead of vinegar but it's hard to get the level of acid right. I also like to make it with balsamic vinegar on occasion. It comes out an odd beige color but it really tastes good.