Homemade Coconut Vinegar Ricotta

photo by recipe author

Much simpler than most imagine, homemade ricotta just can’t be beat for flavor – especially when made with coconut vinegar which adds a most delicious depth of flavor. You may never use that bland, store-bought stuff again! Spread on bruschetta, add it to your eggs, use in your favorite lasagna recipe or just sneak it plain – very hard to stop once you start, especially with the WONDERFUL fragrance that will fill your kitchen when you make this!

Servings: Makes approx. 2 cups
Preparation Time: 20 min

4 cups organic raw or gently pasteurized whole milk
2 cups organic raw or gently pasteurized heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons raw coconut water vinegar

In a large heavy pot (such as a heavy stainless steel stockpot or enamel coated cast iron pot) add the milk, cream and salt.

Over medium heat bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Place several layers of damp cheesecloth in a pasta strainer and place over a large bowl.

When mixture reaches a boil, turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow to sit for one minute as the mixture separates into curds and whey.

Carefully pour into the cheesecloth covered strainer and allow to drain for 10-25 minutes, depending on desired moisture content. Reserve the liquid whey as a delicious addition to baked goods.

Enjoy! It will keep for a few days tightly covered in the fridge, but I can’t say it’s ever lasted that long around here!

Recipe submitted by Lydia, Salem, VA

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Published on July 6, 2011

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

6 Comments

Jacqi February 3, 2014 at 7:34 am - Reply
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Would this work with coconut milk?
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drizzly April 11, 2012 at 11:59 am - Reply

Will this work with pasteurized milk? I am in Canada and the sale of raw milk is illegal

Sandra August 6, 2011 at 9:43 am - Reply

Awesome, awesome recipe!! I have never really liked Ricotta & skipped using it in recipes without knowing I was missing out on a delicious version.  I will never buy it in the store again, so easy, so flavorful and this recipe will need to be doubled next time for sure!  Yum! Thanks FCR & Lydia!

Lydia July 9, 2011 at 8:21 am - Reply

Yes, if you are using raw milk it is perfectly acceptable to only bring it to about 180ish before adding the vinegar, you will just need to have a candy thermometer to measure.  As for less than that, I have not tried it, but would love to experiment with leaving the cheese as “raw” as possible, so if you try it that way, please let me know how it turns out! :)

Kay July 7, 2011 at 11:11 am - Reply

I would think bringing it to a boil would defeat the purpose of using raw milk and cream.  But my son said just bringing it to a full boil and taking it off the heat would still be considered partly raw.   Is this right?

JJ July 7, 2011 at 8:58 am - Reply

I’ve been making ricotta and other fresh cheeses for over a year now.  I would love to try using the coconut vinegar for a change. I use homemade buttermilk as the acidifying agent.  I mix the fresh milk and buttermilk together and heat to about 170-175.  The curds form by then, and then I let it sit for 15 minutes and scoop it out to drain. I’m wondering if you really need to bring the milk to a boil?  Can you mix the vinegar with the milk and then heat to less than a boil?  I will try this unless you say “STOP”!!

Homemade Coconut Vinegar Ricotta