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I am so excited to share this tutorial with you on how to make homemade ricotta cheese. I love finding ways to create things from home that cut the cost in the grocery store.

This is SO simple and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Seriously -- just 3 simple ingredients are all it takes to create this amazing pantry staple.

The thing that I love about homemade ricotta cheese is that you can do so much with it. For instance -

I use it in my crockpot lasagna recipe. I have also used it in my baked spaghetti recipe.

You can also use ricotta as a topper for crackers, or like we did for this herbed ricotta toast. I recently saw where someone had wheat crackers, then topped them with ricotta, lemon zest, blueberries, and a drizzle of honey.

It is the perfect pairing for any dish -- whether you go savory or sweet.

So here is how you can make your own ricotta right in the comfort of your own home.

How to Make Your Own Ricotta Cheese

First -- start with ½ gallon of whole milk. Put it in a pot on the stove and pour in ⅓ cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons). Sprinkle in about a teaspoon of salt.

Then, turn the heat on medium-high and let it do the rest. You don't have to really do anything but watch it.

You want to bring it up to a slow heat -- you don't want it to boil. You want to get it right to about 200 degrees. Then, once this happens, check your curds by swishing a spoon back and forth in the mixture.

If it seems like there are not enough curds, simply add just a bit more lemon juice until it starts curdling -- but I had plenty of curds after ⅓ cup.

Then, with a slotted spoon, you are going to transfer your curds to a strainer set over a bowl and let them strain. I use a strainer, but you can also use cheesecloth if you want; it is not needed.

Once I got all of my ricotta cheese in my strainer, I moved it around a little bit to release any liquids that had pooled while I transferred it.

Then I took my spoon and pushed some more of the liquid out.

Then I placed the ricotta cheese in the refrigerator for an hour to let it finish draining.

When I came back and poured it on a plate, this is what I had --

I was so excited because I love ricotta cheese, but have you seen how much it costs at the store? Holy moly!

It can get expensive. But now, for the price of half a gallon of milk and 2 lemons, I can make my own!

Here is the printable recipe for you! Let me know if you decide to make this. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Looking for other homemade goodies? Check these out

• How to Make Homemade Butter
• How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
• How to Make Your Own Homemade Mayo
• How to Make Your Own Cream of Chicken Soup
• How to Make Your Own Mexican Restaurant Style Cheese Dip

What is your favorite homemade convenience food?