Welcome!
If you are new to my articles, I try to make things as fun as possible while also teaching you a new life skill.
Today we are diving into the art of cheese making. More specifically, mozzarella cheese making. Remember, recipes are only a place to start. You can add or create your own once you get the hang of things.
Preparations For Mozzarella Cheesemaking
Your Utensils
Stainless steel, glass, and enamel are fine.When cleaning, rinse first in cold water to remove all milk residue and then proceed to wash it.
Cleaning Your Butter Muslin
Butter Muslin is first rinsed in cold water and then washed right away. If periodically boiled with a little baking soda, it will stay fresh and clean for cheesemaking.
Ingredients/Storage
Keep your rennet tablets in the freezer. (They will keep for years.)Citric Acid and cheese salt may be stored indefinitely at room temperature in a dry, cool place. (Moisture will lower the shelf life.)
The Option of Pasteurizing Raw Milk
Heat in a stainless-steel pot to 145° for 30 minutes. Cool quickly.
What Type of Milk Can You Use?
You can use cow’s milk (raw or pasteurized).Goat's milkWhole or skimmed
Try to use the freshest milk possible and support your local farmers' market if you do not have your own animals ;). Also, ultra-pasteurized, meaning over 172°, milk does not work in this particular recipe as the high treatment denatures the protein. The more butterfat in your milk, the tastier your cheese will be.
How to Make Mozzarella Cheese
This recipe yields approx. 3/4 pound and takes around 30 minutes once you're ready. The recipe is from the New England Cheesemaking Company.
Ingredients
One gallon of milk. You can do up to three gallons at a time and is what we do on our farm. Simply triple the recipe.1 1/4 cup of cool water (chlorine-free).1 1/2 tsp. Citric acid.1/4 rennet tablet (1/4 tsp. if using liquid rennet, which is what we use.)1 tsp. cheese salt
Equipment
One-gallon stainless steel pot or any non-aluminum or non-cast iron pot.Dairy thermometerColanderSlotted spoonLong knife (optional)Microwaveable bowl if using a microwave oven.Rubber gloves (optional)
Directions
Dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet or liquid into 1/4 cup of cool, chlorine-free water. Stir and set aside. Wrap the remaining pieces of tablet in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. If using the liquid rennet, store it back in your refrigerator.
Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid into 1 cup cool, chlorine-free water until dissolved.
Pour 1 gallon of milk into your pot and stir vigorously while adding the citric acid solution.
Heat the milk to 90°F while stirring.
Remove the pot from the burner and slowly stir in the rennet solution with an up and down motion for approximately 30 seconds.
Cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Check the curd. It should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curd and the whey. (See picture below). If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky, let set for a few more minutes. If your milk did not form a curd at all, it could be your choice in milk.
Cut the curd with a knife that reaches to the bottom of your pot. You cut so you make a design such as a square grid. Note: if the curd is not firm enough and is bunchy or moving around when you try to cut it, that's okay. It's not ruined. Simply follow the next step and stop cutting the curd.
Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 105°F while slowly moving the curds around with your spoon. Remember an up and down motion. (Note: If you are stretching your curds with the waterbath method instead of the microwave, heat the curds to 110°F in this step.)
Take off the burner and continue slowly stirring for 2-5 minutes. (More time will make a firmer cheese.)Pour off the floating whey or scoop out the glob of mozzarella cheese and proceed to the next step.
