How to make Ricotta from milk and yogurt whey

Step 1

Pour the milk into a large saucepan and place on the stove over medium heat.

Step 2

Stir the milk as it warms to prevent it from scorching on the bottom of the pot.

Step 3

As soon as foamy bubbles appear around the edges of the milk, (about 190 F), reduce the heat to low.

Step 4

Pour in the yogurt whey and briefly stir to incorporate.

Step 5

Continue to gently heat but do not boil. Within the next 2 minutes, small cheese curd will form and rise to the surface.

Step 6

Turn the heat off, put the lid on the pot and let the milk sit for 15 minutes.

Step 7

Meanwhile, lay a piece of cheesecloth or muslin in a wide sieve or strainer, and place it over a large bowl.

Step 8

After 15 minutes, remove the lid from the pot and allow the steam to escape.

Step 9

Run the spoon across the bottom of the pot to lift curds that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Step 10

Use a slotted spoon to carefully ladle the curds into the sieve.

Step 11

Allow the curds to sit in the strainer for 15-30 minutes or until it reaches the thickness you like — whether that's soft and spreadable or firm and dry.

Step 12

To push the process along, lift the edges of the cheesecloth up and around the curds and squeeze gently to remove more liquid.

Step 13

The last step is to salt your cheese. The amount of salt depends on your taste, I used about half a teaspoon for this amount of cheese. Fold the curds in on themselves to mix the salt in.

Step 14

Open your cheesecloth and use a spoon to scrape the ricotta into a bowl.

Step 15

Or to shape the cheese, keep it wrapped in the cloth, press the curds into a flat disc and refrigerate for an hour or so before removing the cheesecloth. Turn the cheese out onto a plate or cheeseboard.

Step 16

Store the fresh homemade ricotta in an air-tight container in the fridge and use within 3 days.