Cheese is a major part of baking and a good way to add flavor and texture to any meal. There are dozens of different types and styles of cheeses and many of them are easy to make. However, one of the simplest forms of cheese to make is ricotta. The most difficult part is actually using the sieve, which is the tool that separates out the ingredients at the end.
This recipe is pretty good for dairy lovers and includes lots of dairy ingredients to make a simple ricotta cheese. If you want, you can also make your ricotta cheese with a sweet or a savory flavor as well, for an added adventure.
Here are the ingredients that you need in order to make homemade ricotta cheese:
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Here are the directions you need in order to make homemade ricotta cheese:
First, you will need to line a large sieve with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.
Next, you will need to slowly bring all the milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a medium-sized heavy-bottom saucepan over moderate heat. You need to heat up the stove a bit before you actually place the saucepan on top with all of the ingredients. It’s important that you occasionally stir the mixture over the heat in order to prevent scorching.
Now, you need to add the lemon juice to the mixture, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer. Continue stirring the mixture often until the mixture curdles, which should take about 2-4 minutes total.
Next, pour the entire mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. Just let it naturally sieve and don’t try to force it or help it along. The draining will happen naturally. The mixture that remains is your ricotta cheese!
