Easy homemade ricotta recipe

The word “ricotta” means heating for the second time. Ricotta is very rich with proteins. It’s made from whey that is the by-product when making the cheese.

Fermented secondary whey:

To help extract the proteins we add a fermented secondary whey which (more than primary whey) supports immune system and has a cleansing effect. To get fermented secondary whey, you have to add lactic acid to primary whey (the sweet whey that is a byproduct of making cheese). The fermented secondary whey can be stored longer than primary whey and contains almost no proteins. It stimulates liver function and detoxifies and stimulates digestion. In addition, it’s an exceptional antibacterial and antifungal acting probiotic.

When we want to make ricotta from goat or sheep milk there is no need for secondary whey since the proteins extract easily by heating the primary whey over 90 °C (195 °F). With cow milk this does not happen as easily. Therefore we need the fermented secondary whey to help extract proteins and make ricotta cheese. If we don’t have secondary fermented whey we can use citric acid or lemon juice.

Homemade ricotta

Ricotta is considered one of the best quality cheeses. It contains beneficial proteins and almost no casein that many have sensitivity to. But note, if you add milk in the process of making this cheese from whey, it will contain casein.

Add milk to primary whey and heat to 92 °C (200 °F). Just before boiling add the fermented secondary whey. The ricotta should start thickening at the top. Pour into the Kefirko Cheese Maker to strain it. Though most of the whey should strain quickly, leave to strain for 24 hrs.

If you don’t want to add milk to whey you will get less ricotta, but it’s worth it to get best quality ricotta.

You can serve homemade ricotta as a salty or sweet dish. If you want to store it in the fridge longer, add some salt.