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Homemade ricotta

Name: Homemade ricotta
Yield: Makes about 700g
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 3 litres Jersey or whole milk; 350ml double cream; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 6 tbsp lemon juice; You’ll also need…; Digital probe thermometer

Published: 4 Apr 17
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Homemade ricotta has a fresh, clean, milky flavour and a light texture. It’s extremely versatile too – wonderful fresh, as it is, or used as an ingredient in baked pasta dishes. It also adds a subtle cheesiness to savoury fritters, sweet desserts, tarts and cakes.

Easy
March 2017

Test kitchen approved

Makes about 700g
Hands-on time 15 min

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 114kcals
Fat: 33.3g (12.3g saturated)
Protein: 25.7g
Carbohydrates: 27.2g (12g sugars)
Fibre: 6.3g
Salt: 1.9g

Per 100g

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Ingredients

3 litres Jersey or whole milk
350ml double cream
1 tsp fine sea salt
6 tbsp lemon juice

You’ll also need…

Digital probe thermometer

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Method

Heat the milk and double cream in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the salt and stir every now and then until the liquid reaches 93°C on your thermometer. Meanwhile, rest a large sieve over a large mixing bowl and line it with a square of damp muslin or a new J-Cloth.
When the milk is 93°C it will be gently steaming and small bubbles will have appeared on the surface. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and stir for a few seconds until curds begin to form.
Leave the pan undisturbed for 2 minutes then, using a slotted spoon, gently ladle the curds into the sieve, taking care not to break them up too much. Discard the liquid from the pan. Leave the ricotta to drain for between 10 and 60 minutes, depending on the consistency you require, then tip out of the muslin into a bowl (discard the liquid). If not using straightaway, cover and chill – bear in mind, however, that the ricotta will firm up in the fridge and the texture won’t be as light.

Recipe from March 2017 Issue

Nutrition

Per 100g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 114kcals
Fat: 33.3g (12.3g saturated)
Protein: 25.7g
Carbohydrates: 27.2g (12g sugars)
Fibre: 6.3g
Salt: 1.9g

delicious. tips

The longer you leave the ricotta to drain, the firmer it will become. After 8-10 minutes the curds are soft and can be eaten as they are. After an hour they will have lost most of their liquid and will be firm enough to cook with.
You need to use homemade ricotta within 24 hours.