Recipe: Fresh Ricotta in Five Minutes
Fri, Feb 19, 2010
Author: Kenji Lopez-Alt (41 Articles)
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a contributing editor for Cooks Illustrated Magazine, runs a private chef business, KA Cuisine, and writes a weekly column on burgers and food science for SeriousEats.com. He is also an occasional co-host of America's Test Kitchen . Kenji holds a BS from MIT and lives with his wife in Harlem.
Note: Want to know all about homemade ricotta?: Check it out here.
- Makes approximately 1/2 cup ricotta cheese -
Note: Ultra-Pasteurized milk may produce a lower yield with a slightly different texture than regular milk. Due to differences in microwaves, cooking times may vary. For best results, use a thermometer and check milk frequently. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled by using a larger liquid measuring cup and adding approximately 2 minutes of cooking time for each additional 2 cups of milk. For ideal resting times, please refer to the main article. Ricotta can also be made on the stovetop by heating milk in non-reactive pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and scraping bottom to prevent scorching until lightly bubbling before adding lemon juice and proceeding with recipe as instructed.
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
Procedure
1. Line colander with four layers of cheesecloth or 2 layers of food-safe paper towels and set over large bowl. Combine milk, salt, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in microwave-safe glass 1-quart liquid measure. Microwave on high heat until lightly bubbling around edges, 2 to 4 minutes (milk should register about 165°F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from microwave, and stir gently for 5 seconds. Milk should separate into solid white curds and translucent liquid whey. If not, microwave for 30 seconds longer. Repeat until fully separated.
2. Using slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer curds to prepared colander, cover exposed top with plastic wrap, and allow to drain until desired texture is reached. Store in covered container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tags: Kenji Lopez-Alt
Hi, thanks for the recipe for homemade ricotta, I’d love to try it out. It’s a staple in most of our Italian dishes. However, it will be in an oven rather than a microwave – microwaves harm food and people… I just finished a post on research on them. Throw yours out and thank the researchers later. Looks like you have some interesting posts here, I’ll check ‘em out.
Hi, This looks like a great recipe. But your ingredient list calls for 2 tbsp of acid but the instructions only say to add 1. Did I miss a step and/or can’t read?
Kenji,
Previously, you had a recipe for ricotta that was very precise in ratio of acid to milk. It specified exactly one part of 5% vinegar to 16 parts whole milk.
This recipe uses lemon juice. I assume the acidity of lemon juice can vary based on freshness and ripeness. My guess is that the answer to Nadine’s question is that TWO TABLESPOONS of lemon juice should be added.
Please let us know.
Tim
ps: Have you experimented with mascarpone? We make it with similar procedures using 1 pt heavy cream and 1/2 tsp tartaric acid. Heat to 180 degrees, cool and strain. For thicker texture, strain through a coffee filter.
@Tim
Lemon juice is actually fairly consistent in terms of acidity. Sugar levels can vary, but acid not so much. It does tend to be slightly more acid that 5% acetic acid vinegar.
What I MEANT to write in the recipe is to add the 1 tablespoon to start, and if the milk does not curdle, then add more until it does.
I should make that clearer in the recipe.
Thanks.
Kenji
Great post!
My only suggestion is not to trust the microwave to keep your milk from boiling over. It almost certainly does if you’re not careful, and it’s just a big of a pain to clean!
Quick and awesome.
Whole milk from farmers market and a pinch of salt in the end added to an overinflated feeling of accomplishment made this taste great!
Thanks for the post.
But lemon juice is supposed to make the milk sour. Anyways you have shared a wonderful recipe. I am gonna try this right now at home.
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