Alphabe Thursday: M is for Mozzarella

One of the great aspects of blogging is all the inspiration and motivation gleaned from other bloggers.  Recently, I was inspired by a post written by Yvonne at Stone Gable.  She wrote a very informational post, complete with beautiful photography, about making mozzarella.  

I didn’t even know you could make mozzarella cheese at home.  Yvonne provided a link to the New England Cheesemaking Company.  The company offers cheese making tools and specialty ingredients.  Because I am a novice, I chose one of their beginner mozzarella/ricotta cheese kits.  The kit includes citric acid, rennet, cheese salt, a dairy thermometer, and instructions.  

Rennet: There are two types of rennet used for cheese making purposes.  One is a substance made from the inner lining of the fourth stomach of calves and other young ruminants (any cud-chewing hoofed mammal with an even number of toes and a stomach with multiple chambers) which contains the enzyme rennin.  The second type is a vegetarian substitute made from plants.

Citric Acid:  A weak colorless acid used in flavorings.

Ok, now that we know what we are working with, here's what you will need.

Equipment

Stainless Steel, or any other non-aluminum or non-cast iron pot with 1 gallon capacity.

Dairy thermometer

Colander
Slotted spoon

Long knife

Microwaveable bowl

Ingredients
1 Gallon Whole Milk
¼ Rennet Tablet dissolved in ¼ Cup Non-chlorinated Water
1½ Teaspoons of Citric Acid dissolved in 1 Cup Non-chlorinated Water
1 Teaspoon Cheese Salt

Please note

• Do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese.

• Put all food products away

• Move all sponges, cloths and dirty towels away from your work surface, wipe your sink and stove with soap and water.

• Finally use your antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces.

Directions

Crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool non-chlorinated water and set aside to use later.

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of citric acid to 1 cup cool non-chlorinated water and pour into pot.  Add milk to pot while stirring vigorously.  (This will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later.)  Heat milk to 90*.  As you approach 90*, you may notice the milk beginning to curdle.

At 90*,  remove the pot from the burner and slowly add the dissolved rennet to the milk and stir in a top to bottom motion for about 30 seconds.  Cover the pot and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Check the curd, it will look like custard, with a clear separation between the curds and whey.  If too soft or the whey is milky, let set for a few more minutes.

Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern.

Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 105*, while slowly stirring the curds with your slotted spoon.  

Take off the burner and continue slowly stirring for 2-5 minutes. (More time will make a firmer cheese)

Drain the curds in the colander and place the curds in a microwave safe bowl.  You will now press this curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as possible. (You may reserve this whey to use in cooking.)

Next microwave the curd on high for 1 minute. You will notice more whey has run out of the curd. Drain off all whey as you go.  Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point)  Microwave 2 more times for 35 seconds each and repeat the kneading.  Knead quickly now as you would bread dough until it is smooth and shiny. Add salt near the finish.

I am sharing this adventure in cheese making with Jenny Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday and Michael West’s Foodie Friday. 

 

 

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

    

Google Image

At this point the cheese should be soft and pliable enough to stretch like taffy.   I am not talented enough to stretch the cheese and take pictures simultaneously so I borrowed an image from Google. 

Form cheese into a ball or log and drop into ice water to cool and refrigerate.  When cold you can wrap in plastic wrap and it will last for several days but is best when eaten fresh.