Five Minutes of Effort For Fresh AF Ricotta!

Sweet, fluffy ricotta—is there any cheese more fit for the heat of summer? It’s refreshing and makes the perfect bed for summer produce, like plump raspberries, sweet peas, or sautéed greens. It’s also delicious in dumplings, pancakes, and cheesecake too.

Homemade ricotta is tastier, fresher, and healthier than store-bought versions, which usually have preservatives. This isn’t the kind of cheese you want to preserve. It’s always best when you eat it fresh. It’ll last a couple days, but you should really enjoy it in a couple minutes.

Making cheese at home seems like a daunting and tedious task, but ricotta is extremely easy.
It only takes about five minutes of actual effort for fluffy, spreadable ricotta cheese. 
If you’re extra lazy, you can even make it with a microwave.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Yields 1 cup ricotta

Equipment:

• Saucepan

• Cheesecloth

• Large mesh sieve

• Large bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 quart good whole milk

• pinch salt

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1. Line a large sieve with two layers of cheesecloth. Place it over a large bowl.

2. Pour milk into the saucepan, add salt, and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Stir often to keep it from scorching.

3. Add lemon juice and reduce heat. Stir gently and simmer until the milk separates into white curds and translucent liquid whey, about 2 minutes.

4. Pour into the lined sieve and let it drain 20 minutes to an hour. The more you drain it, the more crumbly it gets.

5. It’ll keep in the fridge for 2 – 3 days, but I recommend eating it right away.