June 4th is National Cheese Day, and on National Cheese Day, everyone can be a cheesemaker! We teamed up with our friend Ron Henningfeld, owner and cheesemaker at Hill Valley Dairy, to show you how you can make a delicious fresh Ricotta cheese at home. Watch the video for our step by step demonstration (along with tips on how to enjoy the cheese once you’ve made it) or read the instructions below.

How to Make Ricotta Cheese

1. Add 1 gallon of whole milk to a clean stainless steel kettle. Heat the milk to 180ºF, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
2. Once the milk reaches 180ºF, stop stirring the milk, and add 7 tablespoons of white vinegar to the milk.
3. Use a brief and gentle top-to-bottom stir to mix the vinegar and milk, then stop the stirring of the milk to prevent breaking up the curd.
4. The curds should now be forming. Gently move them towards the middle of the kettle to help them form and consolidate.
5. Let the curds rest for 10-15 minutes, then spoon the curds gently into cheese cloth or a colander to drain.
6. Let drain until they reach your desired moisture (drier for lasagna, wetter for snacking), 15 minutes at most, then refrigerate.

8 Tasty Ways to Eat Ricotta Cheese

1. Enjoy it warm with fresh fruit on top of a vanilla wafer or graham cracker!
2. Put it on top of toast and top with strawberries and honey for a crunchy, sweet treat!
3. Make a ricotta – tomato – pesto – bacon sandwich!
4. Put your ricotta in a lasagana!
5. Top a grilled chicken with fresh ricotta – made by you!
6. Use instead of tomato sauce on your next grilled flatbread!
7. Grill peaches or your other favorite fruit and then add ricotta cheese and sea salt on top.
8. Make a tasty cannoli…or two or three…

Happy National Cheese Day, we hope you enjoy this video and lots of delicious Wisconsin cheese today and every day of the year!