Recipes Appetizers Antipasto Cheese Homemade Fresh Ricotta 4.0 (2) 2 Reviews This easy homemade fresh ricotta cheese recipe only requires three ingredients—milk, buttermilk, and salt—and yields a light, fluffy ricotta that's a delicious blank canvas for sweet or savory recipes, or you can enjoy it as a decadent toast topper. Source high-quality local dairy if possible for the richest flavor and best results. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Instagram Website Title: Associate Food Editor, Food & WineLocation: Birmingham, AlabamaEducation: Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 Award in Spirits, International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Judge: Baking Category 2021Expertise: recipe development, food styling.Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms.Experience: Paige Grandjean has spent her entire career in food media. As a former recipe tester and developer in the Meredith Food Studios, she worked on recipes for numerous print and digital brands. Her extensive test kitchen experience landed her a spot as a panel speaker at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) annual conference in 2020. Paige's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Cooking Light, with her 2020 Food & Wine lamination cover story earning a spot as a Folio: Eddie and Ozzie Award finalist. As the current associate food editor for Food & Wine, Paige assists in overseeing all food content for the internationally acclaimed brand. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 10, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Yield: Makes about 2 1/4 lb. (About 5 cups) Ingredients 1 gallon organic and/or grass-fed pasteurized whole milk 1 quart organic and/or grass-fed buttermilk ½ teaspoon kosher salt Directions Stir together milk, buttermilk, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, uncovered, at room temperature, until curds have formed and floated to the surface and are surrounded by clear whey, 2 to 3 hours. Line a colander with a double layer of damp cheesecloth, leaving at least 6 inches of overhang on all sides. Set colander over a large bowl. Using a fine wire mesh strainer, gently scoop ricotta curds from stockpot, and place in colander. Keep curd pieces as large as possible to avoid overworking, which can toughen the ricotta. Let ricotta drain at room temperature 30 minutes for a creamy texture or up to 2 hours for a drier texture. Reserve whey in stockpot for another use. Bring corners of cheesecloth together, and lift ricotta. Gently twist over colander to squeeze out any remaining clear whey from ricotta. Continue twisting until whey draining out becomes opaque and milky. Reserve drained whey for another use. Use ricotta immediately, or store in an air-tight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. Make Ahead Ricotta can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator. Rate it Print