Dairy & Eggs
Cow Ricotta in gelato
Cow ricotta is a soft, fresh whey cheese made from cow's milk, rich in milk protein and fat with low sugar. In gelato it supplies MSNF, fat, and a fresh-dairy tang while adding almost no sweetness or anti-freezing power.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 25% |
| Water | 75% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 11% |
| MSNF | 14% |
| Protein | 8% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0.7 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 4.5 |
Typical use: 10-25% of the total mix for a ricotta-forward gelato; 5-10% as a background body and flavour builder.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Ricotta is used to build creamy body and a fresh cheese flavour rather than to sweeten or soften the mix. Its lactose is the only sugar present, so it contributes very little POD (about 0.7 per 100g) and modest PAC (about 4.5 per 100g), meaning it barely lowers the freezing point; sugars and dextrose must still be balanced separately. Its milk protein and fat improve density and mouthfeel, but the granular curd should be blended or sieved smooth to avoid a sandy texture. Ideal for ricotta, cheesecake, cannoli, and fig-and-ricotta gelati.
Origin & background
Ricotta means "recooked" in Italian, from the Latin recocta, because it is produced by reheating the whey left over from making other cheeses until the residual proteins (albumin and globulin) coagulate. This whey-recovery technique is ancient and documented across Italy since Roman times, making ricotta a by-product cheese rather than a curd cheese.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Cheese%2C_whole_milk%2C_ricotta_nutritional_value.html (USDA FoodData Central, whole-milk ricotta: water 73.7g, fat 10.18g, protein 7.54g, carbohydrate 7.27g, ash 1.32g per 100g)
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-search/?component=1100 (USDA FoodData Central Oct-2024, whole-milk ricotta: protein 8.1g, fat 11.3g, carbohydrate 6.5g per 100g)
- https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/166820 (CREA-IT, Ricotta di vacca: water 75.7g, fat 10.9g, protein 8.8g, sugars 3.5g per 100g)
- https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/brands/lactofree/all-articles/is-ricotta-lactose-free/ (support: ricotta lactose typically ~3-5g/100g)