In this post I show you how to strain ricotta cheese for recipes. I also explain the many uses of cheesecloth. #SpringEats (2024)

Learn how to strain ricotta cheese for recipes. Straining ricotta is necessary for creamy Italian desserts because it keeps the recipe from becoming watery.

Ricotta is my favorite Italian cheese, it’s creamy, delicious, and versatile. It’s one of my favorite ingredients in Baked Ziti, Sausage Lasagna, pizza, Three Cheese Calzones, and desserts like Cannoli!

Today I’m showing you how to strain ricotta cheese the right way!

Ricotta is an Italian cheese that’s used in a variety of recipes. A lot of ricotta cheese recipes ask for strained ricotta cheese, but they don’t tell you how to do it. Let me show you!

Kitchen Equipment Needed:

Small Bowl – The small bowl from this set is perfect for straining ricotta cheese, the lip of the bowl is just the right size to rest the strainer on. Plus the other bowls are great for other recipes, I use these bowls daily!

Fine Mesh Strainer – The medium strainer from this set fits perfectly over a small bowl for this recipe. I love this set because the large size is great for sifting large amounts of flour or powdered sugar, the medium size is great for straining, and the small one is awesome for sifting small amounts of powdered sugar to garnish desserts.

Cheesecloth – Cheesecloth is necessary for this recipe. It keeps any cheese particles from slipping through the strainer.

Rubber Scraper – This set is my absolute favorite. It comes in various sizes and shapes.

You can use cheesecloth in other ways:

You can use cheesecloth to make a small herb or spice satchel for soups, that way you get all the flavor from the herbs and spices but no debris ends up in your soup.
I also like using cheesecloth when I make homemade stock, it’s great for removing the accumulated fat that forms on the surface. Place some cheesecloth just below the surface of the stock, and then I chill it in the refrigerator for an hour. Then I simply lift the cheesecloth to remove the fat from the surface of the stock.

How to Strain Ricotta Cheese

Step 1:

Place the strainer over a small prep bowl, and line it with cheesecloth.

Step 2:

Add the ricotta, and using a rubber spatula, gently push and spread the ricotta into an even layer. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. Let the ricotta cheese strain overnight, or at least for 8 hours. Discard the accumulated liquid in the bowl, and use the ricotta as directed in your recipe.

That’s it, folks. That’s how to strain ricotta cheese. Later this week I’ll show you how to take this strained ricotta cheese and make Cannoli Cream with it, yum!

4.78 from 9 votes

How to Strain Ricotta Cheese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Equipment

small mixing bowl
fine mesh strainer
cheesecloth
rubber scraper

Ingredients

▢ 15 ounces ricotta cheese

Instructions

Place the strainer over a small prep bowl, and line it with cheesecloth.
Add the ricotta, and using a rubber spatula, gently push and spread the ricotta into an even layer. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. Let the ricotta cheese strain overnight, or at least for 8 hours. Discard the accumulated liquid in the bowl, and use the ricotta as directed in your recipe.

Nutrition

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Jillian

I’m Jillian, the creator behind Food Folks and Fun. I have over 30 years of experience cooking for others. There’s nothing I love more than cooking for my family. Food is love, and cooking isn’t just putting a meal on a plate: It’s putting a little part of myself into that meal.

I love your “new look.” Even at my age, I am still learning tricks to be a better cook. Thanks!
Reply
1. Thanks, Karen! I love how the new design came out, I’m glad you like it! 🙂
  Reply
Hi Jillian, I’ve been looking for a cannoli recipe, thanks for sharing with us and I’m looking forward to your next post
Reply
1. Jennifer, I just got done writing the post and its scheduled to go live on Thursday!
  Reply
I’m curious how long I can leave the ricotta in the fridge? I’m about to begin the straining now (7:00pm) and I plan to make the cannoli filling with it around 4:30 pm tomorrow… that’s almost 21.5 hours.. is that too long?
Reply
1. Amanda, 21.5 hours should be fine. I wouldn’t do any longer than that though!
  Reply
Can I freeze the cannoli filling if I have extra? If so for how long do you think it will stay good in the freezer?
Reply
1. Sadly, you cannot freeze cannoli filling. I’ve tried it and when it thaws it looks sort of curdled. It’s the same as when you freeze and thaw sour cream.
  Reply
  1. Thank you the advise on not freezing cannoli cream, my local baking supply has some in the freezer section,I’m glad I know, before I being disapointed..
    Reply
    1. True I bought a case of cannoli cream at a restaurant depot store it was frozen I thawed it out and it was wonderful nice and stiff and I piped them into large cannolis it was wonderful so if make my own your saying it wouldn’t be right if I thawed it out and used it please tell me what and why is that need to know if doing something wrong making it I don’t understand the difference what are they useing in there recipie that were not I’m curious because I was going to make it
      Reply
Hi ! Can you freeze the Cannoli’s and stuffing ?
Reply
1. Paul, you can freeze the cannoli shells but not the filling. The filling will be soupy upon defrosting.
  Reply
I do not have any cheese cloth. Would a linen dish towel work?
Reply
1. I’m afraid a dish towel will be too thick. Perhaps if you use a thin dish towel and ring out the excess moisture in the ricotta while it’s in the dish towel, it will work.
  Reply
2. I used a knee high nylon, stuck it in an upside down cheese grater and put in a bowl to drain. The handle kept it elevated in the bowl. I did not have cheesecloth or a small strainer.
  Reply
I do not have a cheesecloth. Would paper towel work?
Reply
1. You can use a cloth kitchen towel, a coffee filter, or 2-3 layers of paper towel.
  Reply
I used coffee filters to strain out the whey it worked great. I had no cheese clth.
Reply
1. Glad coffee filters worked, clever!
  Reply
My husband making cannoli filling. Not following directions. Filling to runny. Trying to strain now. Anything else I can do
Reply
1. No, sorry. It needed to be strained beforehand. 🙁
  Reply

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In this post I show you how to strain ricotta cheese for recipes. I also explain the many uses of cheesecloth. #SpringEats (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of cheesecloth to strain ricotta? ›

Paper towels are probably the easiest cheesecloth substitute as it's a staple of nearly every kitchen. Place a dampened paper towel inside a strainer to get a finer strain. Keep in mind that paper towels, especially when wet, aren't as durable as cheesecloth and may break. Coffee filters are another excellent choice.

Discover More ›

What does it mean to strain ricotta cheese? ›

Draining the excess moisture from ricotta is an important step, especially before using it in baked goods. Soggy cheese makes for heavy pie crusts and cakes. To drain properly, place a cheesecloth-lined, fine-mesh strainer over a bowl.

Learn More ›

What grade cheesecloth for straining ricotta? ›

Grade:90 threads per inch (2.54cm).

Use this cheesecloth for draining soft cheeses like ricotta and other fresh cheeses.

Show Me More ›

How many layers of cheesecloth do I need for straining? ›

Like our chicken broth, this bone broth will be clearer if you line your strainer with three layers of cheesecloth when straining it into small containers.

Read On ›

Does all ricotta need to be strained? ›

Traditionally, ricotta is made from whey, rather than milk. The whey is heated until the proteins form curds. But commercial U.S. ricotta is made from milk and is coagulated with additives, creating a more watery cheese. While some higher-end ricottas are strained, most supermarket versions aren't.

Tell Me More ›

Can I use a coffee filter instead of cheesecloth? ›

Here's an affordable alternative using something you probably already have at home. Instead of cheesecloth, just line a mesh strainer/sieve with a coffee filter. All the solids are strained out, leaving behind clear liquid. Cleanup is easy—throw the filter away.

Learn More ›

Should you strain ricotta for lasagna? ›

That's why it's important to give yourself as many advantages as you possibly can, especially when it comes to removing excess moisture before and during the cooking process. Epstein explains that if ricotta isn't drained as part of the prep, "the moisture in the ricotta causes the lasagna to fall apart."

Can I use gauze instead of cheesecloth? ›

Medical Gauze: Medical gauze is thinner and less sturdy than cheesecloth. Despite this, they are made from similar materials, making medical gauze a suitable substitute if you use multiple layers. Paper Towels: Similar to a coffee filter, paper towels are more prone to breakage than cheesecloth.

Tell Me More ›

Why is my homemade ricotta rubbery? ›

I also want to emphasize the importance of timing: do not overheat the milk-cream mixture, and do not let it boil. Otherwise, you will end up with tough and rubbery curd. And, please, remember that the adjective “fresh” is applicable for a couple of days only; so consume the cheese rather soon.

Explore More ›

How do you strain ricotta cheese? ›

Place something heavy on top of the cheesecloth covered ricotta (such as a heavy bowl, covered brick, etc.). Refrigerate cheese for at least 4 hours but better overnight if you can. Remove from refrigerator, squeeze the cheese gently to see if any more liquid will drain out, then drain off liquid in the bowl.

Get More Info ›

How long does it take to strain ricotta cheese? ›

Time the draining according to intended use.

If eating plain, drain for five minutes to get a moist, spreadable ricotta, or until you reach a consistency you enjoy more. If cooking in moist, savory dishes, approximately twenty minutes should achieve a cottage cheese consistency, with small, moist curds.

View Details ›

Which is better cheesecloth grade 90 or 100? ›

If you want more pulp then go with a lower grade cheesecloth because it is lightly weaved. If you want less pulp then go with a higher grade of cheesecloth. In most cases, I would suggest going with a grade 90 cheesecloth because you can double fold and use it as a grade 100 as well.

Can I strain ricotta with paper towel? ›

I've always used several layers of cheesecloth to strain my ricotta cheese, but Kenji suggested that you could also use paper towels so I gave that a try. No big deal, but I truly believe that using paper towels retains more of the milk solids, resulting in a creamier cheese.

See Details ›

What does grade 100 mean for cheesecloth? ›

Cheesecloth is graded from 10 to 100, depending on the number of threads woven per inch, and the smaller numbers being less closely woven, fewer threads that is. Low number stuff is for crafts, middle grade best for straining cheese curds, and the higher thread counts for straining liquids and even for clothes making.

Know More ›

What is the fastest way to drain ricotta cheese? ›

Learn More Now ›

How do you drain ricotta without a strainer? ›

Traditionally, ricotta is drained using heavy-duty, fine mesh cheesecloth. Fine-mesh nylon bags should also work, as will high quality men's handkerchiefs. If none of these are available, try a fine muslin or linen cloth or pillowcase, as long as it is freshly laundered. Spoon the ricotta onto the cloth.

Get More Info Here ›

Do you have to strain ricotta for lasagna? ›

Prep The Ricotta

For lasagna with ricotta, good pairings include parmesan and mozzarella. You'll have a few steps to take with ricotta beforehand: Thicken: Let the ricotta drain in a colander for a few hours. Thicker ricotta will keep the pasta in place and prevent especially soupy lasagna.

Find Out More ›

What grade cheesecloth for straining cheese? ›

Grade 90 Weave

Common uses are for making cheese, cleaning, straining, filtering, crafting projects, t-shirts, baby wipes, curtains, bandages, costumes and summer shirts.

Read On ›

In this post I show you how to strain ricotta cheese for recipes. I also explain the many uses of cheesecloth. #SpringEats (2024)

Kitchen Equipment Needed:

How to Strain Ricotta Cheese

How to Strain Ricotta Cheese

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

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FAQs

What can I use instead of cheesecloth to strain ricotta? ›

How long does it take to strain ricotta cheese? ›