Like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese is a high moisture cheese. Ricotta is not a pressed curd type of cheese. Its composition varies depending on whether it is made exclusively from whey or from a blend of whey and milk.
Originated in Italy, ricotta cheese has a slightly grainy consistency and a mildly sweet dairy flavor. It has a bland to slightly cooked but pleasing flavor.
Originally thrifty Italian housewife made ricotta cheese by adding acid to liquid whey that was left over from cheese making. Ricotta is now prepared from whole milk with or without addition of whey.
Whole milk is added to make fresh ricotta, while skim milk is used to produce dry ricotta, which is usually used for grating.
This soft, moist cheese is used in cannoli, ricotta cheesecake, and other Italian specialties. It also used in as base for whipped dairy desserts, cream cheese and pasteurized processed cheese products.
Ricotta has a relatively short shelf life – about 3 weeks of properly packaged and stored at 4°C or lower, although there was a report that shelf life can be extended to 70 days for whole milk.
Ricotta cheese
