Homemade ricotta: simple and delicate

How to prepare homemade ricotta with and without rennet, to have fresh cheese always at hand for aperitifs, sweet and savory dishes.

We effortlessly prepare homemade ricotta: the procedure is very simple and the result is truly amazing. Below you will find the recipe for ricotta without rennet, simple and quick to make. But if you want you can also make ricotta with rennet, obtaining the necessary from the pharmacy.

This very fresh cheese is loved by both adults and children . It is a light and tasty food that is very versatile in cooking, in fact it can be used for savory or sweet preparations. In Italian cuisine it is the queen of stuffed pasta, vegetable pies, flans, and is also used in cakes and desserts. But once you try your hand at the homemade ricotta recipe, you can also enjoy it in total simplicity, with a round of extra virgin olive oil on a crouton, or with a sprinkling of cocoa or honey, to satisfy even the palates. more gluttonous.

Arm yourself with a thermometer and a whisk to make the job easier. Some strips will also be useful to drain the ricotta, alternatively you can recycle those that contained the ricotta bought in the store.

Preparation of homemade ricotta

1. Squeeze a whole lemon, taking care to filter it, separating any seeds and fibers.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan, and let it reach 90 ° C. If you don’t have a thermometer, simply turn it off before the milk comes to a boil.
3. When it reaches temperature, remove the milk from the heat, and add the lemon juice.
4. Stir for a few seconds, using a whisk. Make sure the milk and lemon are well blended and cover the pot with a lid.
5. Wait 10 minutes , which is the time it takes for the milk curd to form. Break it with a whisk, or a wooden spoon.
6. Wait another 10 minutes , and with the help of a ladle pour the curd little by little, through a colander placed on a bowl.
7. Collect the whey in the bowl until the curd stops dripping.
8. Collect the drained curd in a bundle.
9. Place the bundle to drain a little longer, placing it on the colander, until there is no more serum.
10. Cover the curd with a clean cloth and let it rest in the fridge for 4 hours .
11. The ricotta will be ready after resting, or when you notice the perfect solidification.
12. For a variant with a less citrusy taste, you can replace the juice of one lemon with 40 g of apple or rice vinegar.

The variant of ricotta with rennet

For this recipe we will need 2 l of whey, 250 ml of fresh milk, 1 ml of rennet (or the measure shown on your package in relation to each liter of milk).

1. Put two liters of whey on the heat, adding the fresh milk. Wait for the temperature to reach 90 ° C , that is, almost to a boil.
2. Add the rennet in the quantity indicated on your package. A few drops will suffice.
3. Mix well until some ricotta flakes emerge .
4. With a slotted spoon, recover the flakes and drain them in a perforated mold.
5. When the whey has fallen off the ricotta, you can cover them and let them rest for 3 or 4 hours, so that they can solidify. By doing so they will be ready to be eaten.

With these two easy versions of the same preparation you can, as already mentioned, prepare many dishes such as a quick and easy ricotta and spinach savory pie , all (or almost) homemade.

storage

Homemade ricotta gives its best if eaten very fresh, but it can be kept for 2 or 3 days in the fridge , in the department dedicated to cheeses and cured meats, closed in an airtight container or in a clean bag.