Ricotta
Bellwether Farms won our ricotta taste tests with its superb flavor and texture.
Taste test
Traditional ricotta should contain only milk, salt and sometimes an acidifier to help create the curds. Lower-quality brands often add preservatives and stabilizers, such as guar gum, xanthan gum, carob gum and carrageenan. These stabilizers typically serve as thickeners, allowing producers to give the cheese its classic texture without requiring the same extensive draining traditional ricottas undergo.
When heated, stabilized ricottas tend to shed liquid and, even worse, some stabilizers break down at high temperatures, further interfering with the final texture of the dish. Kitchen testing found a solution: Place stabilized ricottas in a strainer over a bowl for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help release liquid. We’ve also found—as in our recipe for Baked Three-Cheese Dip with Toasted Walnuts—that combining the ricotta with other cheeses minimizes the effects of the stabilizers.
In addition, many stabilized ricottas have unpleasant and acidic off-flavors imparted by the additives.
A Milk Street taste test chose Bellwether Farms Basket Ricotta for its superb flavor and good performance. Made solely with milk and salt, it offers a rich, buttery flavor and tender curds.
