Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Making your own cheese might sound like a really difficult job, but creating your own homemade ricotta couldn't be simpler. It's a great way to use up extra milk (as a 2% milk drinker, I never know what to do with leftover whole milk I buy for certain recipes) and turns out so much lighter and creamier than the tubs of ricotta you find at the supermarket. Just dump some dairy and vinegar into a pot and strain the cheese until the whey separates from the curds. The cheese will keep, covered, for several days in the fridge and can be used in anything: as a spread on crostini, in pasta dishes, or on a white pizza (I used some on a variation of this recipe).


Homemade Ricotta Cheese:

• Combine 2 c. whole milk, 1 c. heavy cream, and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt in a pot.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Turn off the heat and stir in 1 1/2 tbsp. vinegar.*
• Let mixture sit for a few minutes, until it curdles and turns lumpy.**
• Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of damp cheesecloth, then pour the mixture through the strainer.
• Let sit for 30 minutes, or until all the whey has drained and just the cheese remains.
• Cover and refrigerate.

Makes ~1 cup of cheese

*Any white vinegar will work. I used rice wine vinegar because that was all I had.

**This looks kind of gross, but its just the curds separating from the whey.