Fresh Ricotta
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Whole milk is heated just past 85°C, set with a splash of distilled vinegar, then held warm until soft curds form and separate cleanly from the whey. Draining them briefly in cheesecloth gives a light, moist curd far fresher-tasting than anything from a tub.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Heat the milk. Pour the milk into a large pot and stir in the salt, if using. Set over medium heat and bring it to 85 °C, stirring occasionally and checking with an instant-read thermometer.
- 2
Curdle it. Add the vinegar and stir briefly to mix it through. Curds should start forming almost immediately; as soon as they've set throughout the pot, stop stirring.
- 3
Hold at temperature. Without stirring, keep the curdled milk at 85°C for 20 minutes, nudging the heat up or down as needed; drifting as low as 79°C or as high as 88°C during that time is fine.
- 4
Strain and drain. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth or paper towels and set it over a bowl. Lift the curds out with a slotted spoon into the strainer rather than pouring the whole pot through, which would clog the cloth, and let drain until the ricotta reaches the moistness you want.
Storage
Best eaten freshly made. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.
Why this label?
6.1 g protein for 122 kcal = 5 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 20% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Sugar-free: 0.1 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 0.5 g)
- Low salt: 0.26 g salt per 100 g (limit ≤ 0.3 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 183 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large pot
- instant-read thermometer
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- fine-mesh strainer
- cheesecloth or paper towels
- bowl
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 122 kcal |
| Protein | 6.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.9 g |
| of which sugars | 0.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 8.3 g |
| of which saturates | 5.2 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Salt | 0.47 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
