Ricotta isn't considered a cheese in the conversational sense as it's made from whey, a byproduct of cheese production. Meaning "double cooked" in Italian, ricotta lives up to its name. Follow the steps below to give it a try at home. It's rather simple and not as laborious as you might think.
To prepare 9 ounces of ricotta at home you’ll need:
1 q. fresh milk
1 level tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the salt and lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon. After some minutes the milk will begin to form curds. Turn off the heat and continue stirring. Pour the contents through a strainer and then place the contents remaining in the strainer into a special ricotta container. Place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
You can flavor your homemade ricotta with grated orange or lemon rind or herbs like basil and parsley. You can also add paprika or chili pepper to make it spice, serve it inside arugula leaves, or pair it with cherry tomatoes and fresh spring and summer salads.
A few ricotta recipes from our archives are below, while the above photo gallery contains some ricotta-making tips.