Real ricotta is made from the whey left over from other cheeses; this is the home cook’s version, milk set directly with acid. It’s quicker, it needs nothing you don’t have, and it tastes clean and milky-sweet in a way no tub from the shop manages. Whole milk and a little cream, heated to just below the boil, then a splash of lemon juice or vinegar to break it into soft curds, drained in a cloth until it’s as wet or as firm as you want. Made loose and creamy it spreads under the mushrooms in a galette; drained firmer it holds its shape on toast or through pasta. The whole thing takes about twenty minutes plus draining.
Yield and time
- Makes: about 400g
- Hands-on: 20 minutes
- Total: 20 minutes plus 20-60 minutes draining
Ingredients
- 2 litres whole milk (not UHT, and not skim, it needs the fat)
- 250ml double or thickened cream
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
You’ll need a large heavy pan, a thermometer is handy but not essential, a sieve, and a square of muslin, cheesecloth, or a clean (unfragranced) tea towel to line it.
A note on milk: avoid UHT/long-life, the high-heat treatment stops it curdling cleanly. Fresh whole milk is what you want. The cream isn’t strictly necessary but it makes the curd richer and softer.
Heat the milk
Pour the milk and cream into the pan, add the salt, and set it over a medium heat. Bring it up slowly, stirring now and then so the bottom doesn’t catch, until it’s steaming and just about to boil — around 90-95°C, when the surface is shivering and you can see the first wisps of steam-break but before it climbs into a rolling boil. If you don’t have a thermometer, take it off the moment you see it about to boil over.
Set the curd
Turn off the heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice or vinegar, stir once gently, just a slow figure-of-eight, and then leave it alone for 5-10 minutes. Don’t beat it; agitation gives you small tight curds. You should see it separate into soft white clouds of curd floating in a thin, greenish-yellow whey.
If after a few minutes it still looks milky rather than clearly split, add the last tablespoon of acid and wait another few minutes. Once the whey is thin and translucent, it’s done.
Drain
Line the sieve with the muslin and set it over a deep bowl. Ladle the curds gently into the cloth, then let it drain. Draining time controls the texture:
- 20 minutes — loose and creamy, spoonable, best for spreading (this is what the galette wants).
- 40 minutes — classic ricotta, scoopable and moist, good for pasta and baking.
- 1 hour or more, or weighted in the fridge — firm enough to slice.
For a smoother finish you can gather the cloth and give it a gentle squeeze, but don’t force it or you’ll push the curd through.
Season to taste once drained, it can take another small pinch of salt. Use straight away while still slightly warm for the best flavour, or chill.
Don’t bin the whey
The drained whey is good stuff, use it in place of water in bread dough, in smoothies, or to cook grains. It keeps a few days in the fridge.
Storage
In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It firms up as it chills; loosen it with a spoon, or a little cream, before using. It doesn’t freeze well, the texture goes grainy.
What goes wrong
It won’t curdle, stays milky — the milk wasn’t hot enough, or it’s UHT. Get it right up to just below boiling, add a little more acid, and use fresh (not long-life) milk.
Tight, rubbery little curds — overheated to a hard boil, or stirred too much after adding the acid. Pull it off just before boiling and stir only once, then leave it still.
Bland — under-seasoned, fresh cheese needs more salt than you’d think. Season after draining and taste.
Too wet / too dry — that’s just draining time. Drain less for creamy, more for firm; you can always drain a wet batch further, so start checking early. 😋