Ricotta cheese when you are first learning how to make cheese at home. It is one of the quickest and easiest cheeses to make.
Follow our step by step guide in the morning, then start enjoying your Ricotta cheese at lunch or in the evening.
Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese, made from the left over whey when making other cheeses. The name Ricotta literally means ‘cooked again’ which explains what happens when making Ricotta.
Which can be made from sheep, cows and goats milk whey. Ricotta can not be made from the whey of acid-set cheeses as the protein has already been used in the original cheese.
The name Ricotta literally means ‘cooked again’ which explains what happens when making Ricotta Cheese.
After making your cheese what do you do with the leftover whey? One thing that you can do is make traditional ricotta cheese.
Traditional ricotta may not be as sweet or creamy as ricotta that you would make using whole milk, but it is a great way to use up your leftover whey and it is still delicious.
Making ricotta cheese from whey at home is very easy.
Why make ricotta cheese from whey?
Traditional ricotta cheese is made the old-fashioned way. The origin of the cheese is impossible to place, but in Italian cuisine, nothing goes to waste. So, why should you make ricotta cheese from whey?
You’ve already spent the time, effort and money into making your cheese, so why not spend just a little more time and make some ricotta too?
There is no need to waste the whey when it can provide you with even more cheese, and you know you can never have too much cheese.
Ricotta Cheese Ingredients
- Whey from a non acid-set cheese such as Haloumi
- 40 mls Vinegar and 1 Tablespoon Salt
How To Make Ricotta Cheese From Whey
- Heat the whey to near boiling point – about 95 degrees celcius (need a digital thermometer)
- Turn off heat and add Vinegar and Salt
- Stir to combine with slotted ladle
- Let curds settle and cover with a clean tea towel for 1-2 hours
- After resting period carefully ladle curds out into a cheesecloth lined colander or Ricotta basket
- Set somewhere to drain for another 1-2 hours depending on required creaminess
- Tastes great with chives or cracked black pepper.
How To Store Ricotta Cheese
Will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
Another How to Make Ricotta Cheese from Whey Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 gallons whey (fresh)
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- Coarse sea salt
- 1 gallon milk (to increase your yield)
Directions on how to make ricotta cheese from whey
- Combine the milk with the fresh whey.
- Slowly heat the whey or milk/whey mixture until it reaches 195°F. To prevent burning you can use a double boiler. You will want to stir it constantly and keep a close eye on the temperature. Do not let it boil.
- Remove from heat and add the distilled white vinegar while stirring. This will cause the whey to begin to curdle.
- Pour the curds and whey into a colander that has been double lined with cheesecloth.
- Allow the ricotta to drain. About one hour will give you soft ricotta. If you are wanting a firmer cheese, leave it for six or more hours.
What are some uses for ricotta cheese?
There are countless ways to use this underrated spreadable cheese. You can eat it on its own as well as use it in sweet desserts and savoury dishes.
Let’s take a look at just a few ways that you can enjoy ricotta. By just reading through some of these tasty ideas you will want to learn how to make ricotta cheese from whey.
Make cannoli’s.
Who can pass up one of these freshly made Italian pastries? From their crunchy outer shell to the sweet creamy filling.
Liven up your fresh fruit.
Sprinkle some freshly made ricotta on your fresh fruit for a filling snack that is high in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Bake some manicotti.
Fresh ricotta mixed with mozzarella and parmesan makes a manicotti filling that is sure to please.
Spread it on toast.
Ricotta cheese is the perfect spread for toast. Top it off with a little honey or a drizzle of olive oil and you will have a quick delicious breakfast.
Use it in pancakes.
Pancakes are a favourite breakfast food for many people. Kick them up a notch by adding some traditional ricotta. Once you taste ricotta pancakes, you will want to learn how to make ricotta from whey so you can make them all the time.
- Add it
to your pizza
Pizza doesn’t always have to be made with mozzarella. Add some ricotta cheese to the mix or replace the mozzarella completely.
Other Ways To Make Ricotta Cheese At Home
There is more than one way to make ricotta cheese. You have just learned how to make ricotta cheese from whey, but you can also make it from other sources.
Kefir Ricotta
For a tangy ricotta cheese use kefir to curdle your milk.
Halloumi Ricotta
If you have made halloumi ricotta, you probably already know that you get a very small amount of ricotta when you poach the cheese. It doesn’t make much, and it isn’t an efficient way of making it.
Acid Ricotta
This is the most common recipe that people use when they are learning how to make ricotta cheese. This type of ricotta is made by curdling milk with either lemon juice or citric acid. This type of ricotta is usually used in recipes.
Do you have any questions or comments about Ricotta? Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum. We would love to hear from you! We hope you enjoyed our ricotta cheese recipe.