Optimizing Grocery Store Ricotta — The Fond Life (2024)

FAQs

Optimizing Grocery Store Ricotta — The Fond Life? ›

Place ricotta in cheese cloth, cover with seran wrap, and place in fridge to drain overnight. The next morning your ricotta will have much less liquid, restoring it to the right consistency.

Draining the excess moisture from ricotta is an important step, especially before using it in baked goods. Soggy cheese makes for heavy pie crusts and cakes. To drain properly, place a cheesecloth-lined, fine-mesh strainer over a bowl.

Sealed, Unopened Ricotta Cheese: A brand new, unopened container of ricotta is good for about two weeks in the fridge. The best-by date on the package is a helpful clue, but remember, it's not an exact expiration date. Think of it more as a suggestion for peak quality.

Buying and storing

Ricotta is available fresh all year round from the supermarket deli section. Store in the fridge in an airtight container and use within two to five days. Packaged ricotta has a higher moisture content. When baking, use fresh ricotta to avoid soggy pastry.

It is lighter and fresher than mass-produced ricotta you can buy in a tub but sturdier than creamy, smooth ricottas (which are often made by pressing or smoothing the cheese with rollers). It has enough body to use in baked pastas but is delicate enough to eat on its own, the way you'd enjoy a thick yogurt.

Paper towels are probably the easiest cheesecloth substitute as it's a staple of nearly every kitchen. Place a dampened paper towel inside a strainer to get a finer strain. Keep in mind that paper towels, especially when wet, aren't as durable as cheesecloth and may break. Coffee filters are another excellent choice.

You can add flavor to plain ricotta cheese by mixing in ingredients like herbs (such as basil, thyme, or rosemary), garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, or a drizzle of honey for a sweet twist. Incorporating roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or chopped fresh fruits can also add both flavor and texture.

To start with, look out for any sort of odor. Ricotta doesn't have much of a smell to it, so if it smells foul or off in any way, then it's time to throw it out. Additionally, look for any change in the ricotta's appearance. If it's growing mold, you'll have to throw the whole thing out.

Fresh ricotta is creamier, lighter, and altogether more tasty and satisfying than the packaged version. If you've never had fresh ricotta, it will be a revelation, and you'll want to eat it by the spoonful before it even makes it into one of your favorite recipes.

If you have an unopened container of ricotta, you can stick the whole thing right in the freezer, but if the package has been opened, you have to transfer the cheese to a new container. Use a clean, airtight container or freezer bag to prevent freezer burn and bacterial contamination.

Is lemon juice or vinegar better for ricotta? ›

Here's how to make fresh ricotta:

You can subtly change the flavor by choosing different acids: Lemon juice will give it a hint of lemon, while plain white vinegar won't alter the flavor too much.

Ricotta lovers will be happy to know that ricotta cheese is a healthy food and belongs to the dairy food group. It can be enjoyed every day as part of a balanced diet.

Whereas ricotta is sweeter, cottage cheese has a notable tangy flavor from the slow acid fermentation. It has a heavier, thicker consistency than ricotta, and is generally studded with larger curds, though it comes in small and large curd varieties.

That's why it's important to give yourself as many advantages as you possibly can, especially when it comes to removing excess moisture before and during the cooking process. Epstein explains that if ricotta isn't drained as part of the prep, "the moisture in the ricotta causes the lasagna to fall apart."

Yes, ricotta cheese can be enjoyed on its own as a simple and delicious snack. You can drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, or add a touch of honey for a sweet and savory combination. It can also be served with fresh fruit or crusty bread.

While the flavor of ricotta is light, its texture is meant to be thick and creamy.

Today, ricotta is widely appreciated for its versatility: it can be sweet or savory, hot or cold, fresh or cooked. We eat it fresh straight out of its fuscella (the basket where ricotta is kept), but also atop pasta, fresh bread, crostini, or eggs.