Homemade Ricotta Cheese (Raw or Pasteurized Milk) (Edit recipe)

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Making homemade ricotta cheese is simple and budget-friendly! With just three ingredients—whole milk (I prefer raw milk), lemon juice (or vinegar), and salt—you can create fresh, creamy ricotta in under an hour. This easy recipe is perfect for frugal cooks, homesteaders, or anyone looking to make cheese from scratch. Homemade ricotta is ideal for pasta dishes, lasagna, and more. Skip store-bought versions and enjoy a fresher, more affordable alternative with this beginner-friendly ricotta recipe.

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PREP TIME

2 minutes

COOK TIME

40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3

Serves: 4

Ingredients

0.5 gallon Whole Milk, raw milk is best, but you cannot use ultra pasteurized
2 whole Lemon, juiced ~1/3 cup, 5 Tbs of white vinegar may also be used
1.5 tsp Sea Salt

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Process

Cook Mode

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Begin heating your milk in a small pot on low to medium heat. Using a thermometer, you want the milk to get to 185F. If you don't have a thermometer, you will want to monitor the milk and look for the first small bubbles indicating it's getting close to boiling. You do not want the milk to boil. Whisk occasionally to avoid sticking.
Promptly remove the milk from the heat once it has reached 185F or is about boil. Add the lemon/salt and whisk it through quickly, removing the whisk.
Allow to sit for 20 minutes.
Strain or skim the curds from your pot into strainer. I use a mesh strainer as I don't particularly enjoy working with cheese cloth. Allow the curds to sit in the strainer or cheese cloth over a bowl for 15-30 minutes. How long you allow them to sit will decide how spreadable your ricotta is. I only leave mine for 15 minutes as I like a loose, spreadable ricotta I can easily whisk into eggs.
If your ricotta is too dense/thick you can add the whey back in, one tablespoon at a time until you've reached your desired consistency.
Ricotta will last in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. I've found mine can last quite a while (even longer) if I'm using raw milk.

Notes

Using lemon juice does yield a slight lemon flavor, this is a preference thing. I personally like that. If you don't think you will, just utilize a mild white vinegar.

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About This Recipe

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	296
Fat:	16 g
Carbohydrates:	24 g
Protein:	16 g
Cholesterol:	47 g
Sodium:	1070 mg
Fiber:	0 g
Sugars:	24 g
Sugar Alcohol:	0 g
Calculated per serving.