After making cheese, you can make ricotta with the leftover whey. During cheesemaking, a solid part, the curd, is obtained, which gives rise to the cheese, and a liquid part, the whey, which is low in fat and rich in valuable whey proteins and amino acids.
To obtain ricotta, the whey is re-cooked (hence the name ricotta) at a temperature between 190/194°F and kept in slight agitation to promote coagulation in the form of small flakes. For a higher yield of whey, a certain amount of fresh whole milk is added and acidified with citric acid or simply with lemon juice.
I read, in some dairy guides, that to make a softer and creamier ricotta, you can replace 5% of the whole milk with cream. It’s worth trying!!
Keep in mind the proportions of the doses if you have more or less whey: 1 ¾ cups of fresh whole milk (not partially skimmed) for every quart of whey, 1 tsp of salt per quart of liquid, 1 ⅓ tbsps of lemon juice per quart of liquid or ¼ tsp of citric acid dissolved in 2 tsps of water for every quart of whey.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 9 oz
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 qt whey
- 1 qt whole milk (fresh)
- 2 ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 ⅔ tbsp lemon juice (or ¼ tsp citric acid dissolved in 4 tsps of water)
Steps
Filter the whey obtained immediately after cheesemaking and put it in a stainless steel pot along with the whole milk and the salt.
Bring it to the stove and reach a maximum temperature of 190/194 degrees, then turn off the heat.
Add the filtered lemon juice or the citric acid dissolved in water and stir a little with a wooden spoon to promote the coagulation of the small flakes.
Let it rest for 15 minutes with a lid on.
With a spoon or a skimmer, collect the ricotta flakes on the surface and transfer them carefully into a small basket, 4 inches in diameter by 3 inches in height, to drain the excess whey.
You can also do this operation inside the kitchen sink. After the whey has drained, store the ricotta in the refrigerator and consume it within 3/4 days.
