Mozzarella

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (usually in the grocery store near the supplies for canning, but if you can’t find it – just order online)
  • 1/4 rennet tablet or 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (Not Junket rennet). If you can’t find rennet in your grocery store…or you don’t care to try…I order New England Cheesemaking Vegetable Rennet Tablets from Amazon.
  • 1 gallon milk, whole or 2%, raw or pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized. See the cheesemaking website for more milk details: https://www.cheesemaking.com/learn/faq/milk.html. If you are immunocompromised, you should not consume raw milk cheese, use pasteurized milk instead.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Materials:       

  • one medium to large pot for cooking 1 gallon of milk
  • two medium bowls
  • strainer
  • slotted spoon
  • bottled (NOT TAP) distilled water
  • kitchen thermometer
  • Thick rubber kitchen gloves (as in the kind for washing dishes, usually found in the housecleaning section of the grocery store)

Food Safety:

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, remove any sponges or other potentially contaminated items, and wipe down your workspace carefully with  cleaning solution. Do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese. 
Put all food products away. Because we will not be adding any preservatives, please eat your prepared cheese within a couple days.

You may find it helpful to view this video on making mozzarella cheese: http://www.thekitchn.com/videos/r8yBls85

Instructions

When you see text in boldface blue font. You should document that step with a photo on your blog.

  1. Prepare the Citric Acid and Rennet: Measure out 1 cup of distilled water. Stir in the citric acid until dissolved. Measure out 1/4 cup of distilled water in a separate bowl or cup. If you have a rennet tablet, place the piece of tablet in a piece of folded wax paper and crush with the flat side of your knife. Slide the powder into the water. Stir the rennet into the water until dissolved. It is normal to see brownish powder remaining.
  2. Warm the Milk: Pour 1 gallon milk into the pot. Stir in the citric acid solution. Set the pot over medium-high heat and warm to 90°F, stirring gently.
  3. Add the Rennet: Remove the pot from heat and gently stir in the rennet solution. SLOWLY Count to 30. Stop stirring, cover the pot, and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.*If you are using raw milk, it is important to top-stir it for several extra seconds when adding rennet. This mixes any butterfat that has risen to the surface back into the body of the milk. To top-stir, simply stir the top inch of milk with the bottom of a slotted spoon or skimmer.*
  4. Cut the Curds: After five minutes, the milk should have set, and it should look and feel like soft silken tofu. If it is still liquidy, re-cover the pot and let it sit for another five minutes. Once the milk has set, cut it into uniform curds: make several parallel cuts vertically through the curds and then several parallel cuts horizontally, creating a grid-like pattern. Make sure your knife reaches all the way to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Cook the Curds: Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and warm the curds to 105°F. Stir slowly as the curds warm, but try not to break them up too much. The curds will eventually clump together and separate more completely from the yellow whey. Make sure your thermometer is well submerged in the liquid (but not touching the bottom of the pot) so you get an accurate temperature reading.
  6. Remove the Curds from Heat and Stir: Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring gently for another 5 minutes.
  7. Separate the Curds from the Whey: Ladle the curds into a microwave-safe bowl with the slotted spoon. Alternatively, you can strain the curds away from the whey using a wire-mesh strainer. Then transfer the curds to the microwave-safe bowl. Set aside the whey for later.
  8. Microwave the Curds:  Check the temperature of the curds. It will probably be ~100°F. If so, microwave the curds for 30 seconds. Put on your (clean!) rubber gloves, and press the curds down with your gloved hand, while draining off the whey into the sink/bowl. Now, fold the curds over on themselves a few times. At this point, the curds will still be very loose and cottage-cheese-like and should measure around 120-125°F.
  9. Microwave the Curds to 135°F: Check the temperature of the curds. Microwave the curds in 10-20 second bursts until the internal temperature reaches 135°F.  The curds need to reach this temperature in order to stretch properly, but do not overheat.
  10. Stretch and Shape the Mozzarella: Sprinkle the salt over the cheese and squish it with your fingers to incorporate. Using both hands, stretch and fold the curds repeatedly for at least 30 seconds, but not more than 60 seconds.. The curds will start to tighten, become firm, and take on a glossy sheen. After 60 seconds, you are ready to shape the mozzarella. Make one large ball, two smaller balls, or several bite-sized bocconcini. Try not to over-work the mozzarella.
  11. Using and Storing Your Mozzarella: The mozzarella can be used immediately or kept refrigerated for a week. To refrigerate, place the mozzarella in a small container. Mix a teaspoon of salt with a cup of cool whey (the leftover liquid) and pour this over the mozzarella. Cover and refrigerate.

On your blog: 

Take photos

  • Of your finished cheese that has been sliced to show the interior.

Post a video in which…

  • You taste test the mozzarella. Does the cheese have a firm bite? Does it stretch?
  • Describe what went really well during your cheesemaking
  • What would you change if you repeated this process again.

Answer the following questions:

  1. What are curds and whey? provide a chemical explanation
  2. Why did you add “acid” to the milk? provide a chemical explanation.
  3. What is rennet? And what was the purpose of adding it?

References:’

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-mozzarella-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-174355