What Can You Make With Ricotta Cheese for Breakfast

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What is pillowy, day-dream creamy, and white all over? Clouds you say? If clouds were cheese you would be right: We are talking about homemade ricotta cheese.

We have all been there, an excess of milk sits in the fridge until it is time to do the sniff test. But wait! Before it goes bad (or use the freshest you can find), you have to make homemade ricotta cheese! It will change your life, especially if all you know is the gritty red and green plastic container in the dairy isle. Ricotta gets a bad rap for being tasteless and flavorless. But homemade ricotta is soft and pillowy, so fresh and creamy that can be flavored in every combination possible until the cows come home. I love it! And usually have a jar in the fridge at all times to smear, dollar, and whip as the days need it.

What is ricotta cheese?

If you aren't privy to ricotta yet, here is a quick low down. Ricotta cheese is a fresh milk cheese or just fresh cheese. If you have milk and an acid, like vinegar or lemon juice, you have the power to make homemade cheese. Pretty crazy right? Only have goats milk on hand? Awesome. Use this recipe and you will make fresh goat cheese!

Why should you make homemade ricotta cheese?

I've been obsessed with making cheese for years. You might say I go a little overboard (as I do with most of my ideas) with buying a "cheese cave" aka a low-dollar wine cooler that couldn't keep any humidity in to save its life (Keeping the humidity high and constant is pretty important when aging cheese) and jumping straight into the most advanced cheese-making techniques of aging cheddars and reblochons. Needless to say, b-lining it to the advance cheeses might not have been the smartest move. I still to this day do not know why many of my aged cheese attempts were consumed by an overpowering ammonia smell. They were not edible. So I think it hits home on why starting with the basics is so important!

Why should you make homemade ricotta cheese? Because it is insanely better compared to the store bought. It is light and creamy with pillows of velvety pockets. It tastes fresh and clean, slightly salty and bright. Every store bought ricotta I try has a funky grittiness to it with a lacking flavor. Just not up to my standards, and I don't think you should let them be at yours. Trust me, try it once! And you will be a believer.

What ingredients are in ricotta?

It's a pretty short list.  Milk, acid, and salt. A list so short, has to be simple to make. When I say acid I am referring to something that will coagulate the milk. You have two options: vinegar or lemon juice. My go-to is always fresh lemon juice. I just really enjoy the clean flavor of the ricotta made with it. I do add a bit of heavy cream to my ricotta to enhance the richness and creaminess, but if you don't have it just replace the amount with more milk.

What milk is used to make ricotta?

Good quality cows milk is a must here. Please don't attempt with a nut milk! There are some great vegan options like almond ricotta, but they go through a totally different process than the traditionalricottarecipe. As I said earlier, if you have any extra milk that needs to be used up, use it hear! Even if you have a couple of cups, a small batch of ricotta will gladly top your morning toast.

How do you make homemade ricotta?

Ricotta cheese is made by heating up milk to about 180F (not boiling or scalding) in a stock pot, stirring in your prefered acid of choice, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the magic of coagulation to work. The milk will look a bit odd and separated looking, don't fret! This is a good sign. What you are seeing is the milk separating into curds and whey. All that is left is to strain through a tea towel or cheese cloth to the degree of dryness that you prefer, and viola! you just made ricotta cheese.

Curds and Whey..

When making ricotta, a plentiful amount of whey is produced. It is a creamy liquid filled with probiotics and nutritious nutrients that can be used in countless ways. Substituting whey in baked goods, adding to smoothies or protein shakes are all easy ways to incorporate another food scrap that might normally go down the drain.

Flavor your ricotta!

Homemade ricotta cheese is your blank canvas for flavor. The possibilities are endless. Want a garlic jalapeño ricotta to smear on some homemade bagels? Or how about a vanilla cinnamon for whipped ricotta pancakes? Whatever the flavor combination, it is possible! All you have to do is infuse the milk before adding the acid with the flavorings and your ricotta will follow suit.

A great simple flavoring suggestion is to zest the lemons before using the juice and infusing the milk with it. The ricotta becomes so delicately flavored and delicious.

Can you freeze ricotta?

You can, but I might not suggest it.  As with all fresh cheeses, they have a high moisture content, so when it freezes the water in the cheese will crystallize and cause the cheese to become gritty once thawed.

A great option to combat this is to use the homemade ricotta in a dish/casserole and freeze from there. This protects the cheese and because it is part of another component, no one will be the wiser if it isn't as creamy as the fresh.

How do you use ricotta?

Ricotta knows no bounds. The obvious answer is always a crostini.  A warm buttery toasted piece of bread slathered with fresh creamy ricotta is pretty legit. Want a few more ideas:

Breakfast: fold into soft scrambled eggs for the most luxurious fluffy scramble.

Lunch: Whip the ricotta and place on a toasty seed-rich bread and top with fresh veg from the garden for a light open face delight

App: Keep the ricotta whipped and drizzle an obnoxious amount of raw honey on top with a slew of fresh tender herbs and cracked pepper. Serve with torn bread or some hearty crackers

Dinner: over stuff homemade manicotti with garlic infused ricotta and top with creamy caramelized shiitakes and toasted hazelnuts.

Dessert: Smear fresh homemade ricotta on a plate. Top with a couple plump brandy-preserved apricots (or any jam you have in the fridge) and a healthy shake of cinnamon, dash of cardamon, and a few toasted pecans.

Late Night Snack: by the spoonful, I have no shame.

Need a recipe fast to use your fresh ricotta? Try ours! Made with Roasted Carrots + Chimichurri

Yield: 2 cups

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream or half & half, see notes*
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lemon zest (if lemon flavored ricotta is desired, it's good!)
• 1 tsp salt, kosher

Instructions

1. Place dairy, salt, and lemon zest (if using) into heavy bottom sauce pot and slow heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan.
2. Once the milk reaches at least 185 degrees (small bubbles will start to appear with steam--do not let boil!), add lemon juice and stir to combine.
3. Keep over the heat for 2-3 minutes until liquid starts to seperate into the curds and whey. Remove from heat.
4. Place lid on mixture and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Do not agitate the liquid to keep the curds as large as possible.
5. Meanwhile, double line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a fresh tea towel and set inside a large bowl.
6. Carefully pour in the curdled milk into the strainer and allow to drain for 5 minutes to maintain a creamy texture. If a drier, more crumbly texture is desired, allow to drain for up to 2 hours.
7. Transfer to an airtight container, label and place in refrigerator until ready to use. Will last up to 4 days.

Notes

*If you do not have heavy cream or just a little of it, don't fret. This recipe is very forgiving. Use 8 cups of a combination of what you already have on hand be it milk, heavy cream, or half & half.

And don't forget to save your whey!

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What Can You Make With Ricotta Cheese for Breakfast

Source: https://www.otisoat.com/homemade-ricotta-cheese/

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