Ricotta cheese is a savory dairy product high in protein and essential amino acids. Let’s speak about where to get ricotta cheese, the best brands to buy, how to keep it, and how to utilize it.

Where to buy ricotta cheese near me

Ricotta cheese may be found at practically every big supermarket shop. Because it must be refrigerated, it may be found in the dairy section. It is often kept aside from the block cheeses and near the sour cream and dips.

Here are some retailers that stock it:

• Wal-Mart
• Publix
• Winn-Dixie
• Target
• Kroger
• Whole Foods
• Safeway
• Meijer

If you can’t locate ricotta cheese in such stores, it’s possible that it’s temporarily out of stock. Fortunately, there are alternative methods to get it.

Ricotta cheese is not just sold in shops. Here are several online stores that offer the dairy product:

• Di Bruno Bros.
• Alma Gourmet
• Foodservice Direct
• Amazon
• Stop and Shop

The following services may provide you with ricotta cheese from their associated retailers:

• Instacart
• Shipt
• DoorDash
• Fresh Direct
• Amazon Fresh

There are always options for obtaining ricotta for your recipes, salads, and other applications. Even if you don’t have time to shop, you may have groceries delivered to your house in as little as an hour.

What are the best brands to buy?

There are numerous possibilities, whether you want inexpensive, accessible ricotta or cheese imported from Italy. Here is a list of the top ricotta cheese brands.

Best-tasting, easy-to-find grocery store brands:

• Galbani
• BelGioioso
• Calabro
• White Rose
• Sargento

Best authentic Italian ricotta brands:

• Il Villaggio
• Zerto

Cheapest ricotta cheese brands:

• 365 by Whole Foods
• Organic Valley
• Polly-O
• Great Value
• Shop Rite

Ricotta cheese is delicious on its own in a variety of meals, but when cooking with it, high-quality brands are the best option. When in a need, though, you can locate cheaper manufacturers practically anyplace.

Choose the brand that best meets your financial requirements.

How to store ricotta cheese

The first thing to remember is that ricotta, like most other cheeses, should always be refrigerated or kept cool. Dairy products are susceptible to spoilage, and keeping them refrigerated is one of the greatest methods to keep bacteria and pollutants at bay.

You should also store your ricotta in an airtight container. It comes in a tub or plastic cup whether purchased online or at a shop.

The absence of oxygen in packaging lowers the pace of bacterial development in cheese, allowing it to last longer.

If you discard the container or relocate your ricotta to a different storage medium, ensure that it is airtight. If you are concerned about exposing the cheese to air, cover it in plastic or aluminum foil for further protection.

If you want to save ricotta cheese for later, you may freeze it. However, doing so destroys much of the mild taste and texture that distinguishes ricotta.

Only freeze the cheese if you are in a hurry or if you are using a recipe that calls for frozen cheese.

Ricotta may be kept properly for approximately one week after it is opened, while unopened ricotta can be stored for a few days over its expiry date.

Common ways to use ricotta cheese

Ricotta is a mild cheese that lends smoothness to many dishes. However, it may be a tasty addition to a variety of dishes without the need for cooking.

Ricotta may be used for breakfast, lunch, and even dessert. Here are some instances of how versatile this cheese is.

Ricotta is an Italian cheese, hence its most popular use is with pasta. Ricotta, in particular, is an excellent filler for ravioli, lasagna, manicotti, and shells.

It contributes to such recipes because, unlike many other types of cheese, it keeps its form and texture when cooked.

Ricotta may also be used to fill vegetables such as peppers, eggplant, and squash. In a roasted spaghetti primavera, the cheese goes nicely with the veggies.

Ricotta is an excellent topping for toast, bagel, pizza, pie, or salad. The mild taste adds depth and helps to balance out the sweetness of components like tomato sauce and fruit.

For even deeper tastes, try incorporating ricotta into recipes like spaghetti and pesto.

Ricotta is an excellent cheese to use in an omelet or frittata, especially when combined with spinach and tomatoes. It’s even sweet enough to put in a crepe, making it useful for early mornings.

Ricotta is wonderful as a topping for pancakes, or cooked within. Try creating ricotta stregata gelato if you want something cool.

Ricotta is often used in cheesecake, along with eggs, sugar, and pie crust. After that, top with fruit, chocolate, or whipped cream for a gourmet dessert.

This cheese is delicious on its own. It is a low-fat cheese that is high in protein, amino acids, and other nutrients. It has half the calories of many other types of cheese and is even available in skim milk.

What to get instead

Ricotta cheese is neither lactose-free or vegan since it is a dairy product. Fortunately, there are a number of replacements for various reasons that you might test.

These are also useful for recipes if you run short of ingredients.

Some recipe replacements for ricotta include:

• Sour cream
• Cottage cheese
• Mascarpone
• Goat cheese
• Paneer
• Buttermilk

Some vegan and dairy-free ricotta cheese substitutes include:

• Tofu or soybean curd
• Whipped almond or cashew butter
• Mashed bananas
• Mashed avocado

Understand that vegan ricotta alternatives generally resemble the cheese’s mild taste and texture. They still have individual palettes, so match them with complementary components in your meals.