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Homemade Mozzarella cheese

RRP
RRP Posts: 25,880
edited January 2014 in EggHead Forum
I mentioned in another thread that I make my own Mozzarella. Seeing I will be making another batch this Friday I thought I'd share the recipe - honestly it really is easy to make and is so far superior to the store bought variety!

image


Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.

Comments

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited January 2014
    The recipe!

    30 Minute Mozzarella

     

    This is a summary of a recipe from a library book entitled Recipes For All Types Of Cheese

     

    Ingredients needed:

     

    1 gallon whole milk that has not been ultra-pasteurized

    ¼ teaspoon  liquid rennet (or ¼ rennet tablet) diluted in ¼ cup cool, unchlorinated water

    1 teaspoon cheese salt (optional) BTW un-idolized Kosher salt is a fine substitute.

    2 level teaspoons citric acid (powder)

     

    Method:

     

    1. Add citric acid to milk and mix thoroughly

     

    2. heat the milk to 88° - I used my Thermapen

     

    3. gently stir in the diluted rennet using an up and down motion and continue heating to 105°. Turn off heat and let curd set for a few minutes – I let it go for 4 minutes

     

    4. The curds should look like thick yogurt. If the whey is still milky white instead of yellowish wait a few more minutes.

     

    5. scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon into a 2 quart microwaveable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve the whey.

     

    6. microwave the curds for 1 minute on high. Drain off the whey and quickly work the hot cheese into a ball with a spoon or your hands using rubber gloves for protection.

     

    7. microwave two more times for 35 seconds each time draining off the whey and working the cheese.

     

    8.  knead the cheese quickly like bread dough until it is smooth. Sprinkle on the salt if desired while kneading and stretching. When the cheese stretches like taffy it is done, but if the curds break you need to reheat them again.

     

    9. when the cheese is smooth and shiny it is ready to eat. If you want to eat it later cover it and refrigerate.

     

    Yield: ¾ to 1 pound

     

    Use of the by product of whey is a whole other venture.

     

    Recipe recap made by RRP.



    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Mross
    Mross Posts: 338
    edited January 2014
    Looking forward to your recipe. I have been threatening to this myself for time now.
    Duncan, SC
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    I've made this before and it is a fun recipe to do with my little ones, highly recommended.
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Thanks sir! I will definitely try this
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Thx, Ron. Couple of questions... Which brand of Kosher salt do you use? I understand Morton and Diamond are very different as to saltiness per teaspoon. Flakes vs crystals or something like that. Ever try a reduced sodium version? Did it work? Thanks!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    How long does it keep?
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Will have to try this some day.  thanks for sharing.  i've bookmarked it.  where do you get unpasturized milk?

    Damascus, VA.  Friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail.

    LBGE Aug 2012, SBGE Feb 2014

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    where do you get unpasturized milk?
    Not unpasteurized. He said not to use ultrapasteurized milk. Though I understand unpasteurized milk is best for cheese, if you can find it. You might be able to find some at a dairy farm though some states don't allow the sale of unpasteurized milk even there. Plus, there's a reason milk is pasteurized.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • EagleIII
    EagleIII Posts: 415
    @RRP, Awesome! A long time ago, I tried a diff recipe. We failed three times. Ended up with what looked like cottage cheese all three times. We thought maybe our milk was ultra pasteurized....BUT I am not sure, how you tell if it IS or is NOT ultra pasteurized. Any ideas? The label just says "pasteurized".
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    EagleIII, the label will say ultrapasteurized if it is. means it's heated to a higher temp and/or held there for longer (or both, I forget) while it's being processed. If it says "pasteurized", it is not ultra.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Thx, Ron. Couple of questions... Which brand of Kosher salt do you use? I understand Morton and Diamond are very different as to saltiness per teaspoon. Flakes vs crystals or something like that. Ever try a reduced sodium version? Did it work? Thanks!
    Michael,
    I've just always used Morton brand crystals and never tried any reduced sodium version. Sorry, but I'm married to a saltoholic and that won't fly !
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited January 2014
    Thanks for jumping in while I was gone, Michael, in discussing the Ultra vs un etc. We shop in a city with 120K population with multiple chain supermarkets plus a few smaller independent grocery stores. Out of all of those only 1 store, an Iowa based chain called Hy-Vee, carries the whole milk. It comes from a family farm operation in a small nearby town and is only delivered very Friday.

    BTW I am accustomed to drinking 1% milk for breakfast and trust me taking a shot of this that is not ultra pasteurized and whole milk besides is like taking a chug of whipping cream to me!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
    Thanks for posting. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    Where do you get the rennet and the citric acid powder?

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    For those who aren't familiar the byproduct after making the cheese is called whey. Here for reference was a batch of cheese and take a look at the large amount of whey left. Whey has uses, and while it can be drunk I use it on acid loving garden plants such as tomato plants. I just freeze it until needed.

    image
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    cazzy said:
    How long does it keep?
    I have only had enough left over for a few days - not because of spoilage, but it tastes so good you will want to snack on it! Trust me it is so good nice and fresh like this! 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited January 2014
    QDude said:
    Where do you get the rennet and the citric acid powder?
    I got the citric acid powder on line, but the liquid calf rennet I use came from a friend who bought it at a store that sold items for home brewing. Google should be your friend! You can buy the rennet in tablet form - the liquid kind has to be kept refrigerated so not as convenient.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited January 2014

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    No, I never have - gotta try it though. What whey we can't use I give by the gallons to my sister in law who typically has 24 tomato plants every year and then she in turn keeps us supplied with tomatoes!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • BREWnQ
    BREWnQ Posts: 219
    You know how much milk I've wasted trying to do this?!?  I cannot for the life of me get Mozzarella!  Every time I've tried it I just get some crumbly cheese like stuff that looks like dried out play doh.  I use whole milk, I use non U-pasteurized I just cant get it.  What am I doing wrong?
    Brewer, BBQer, Softballer, RCer, Father, HomeTheaterer, and trouble maker.
    Orange, CA
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    edited January 2014
    QDude said:
    Where do you get the rennet and the citric acid powder?
    I got the citric acid powder on line, but the liquid calf rennet I use came from a friend who bought it at a store that sold items for home brewing. Google should be your friend! You can buy the rennet in tablet form - the liquid kind has to be kept refrigerated so not as convenient.
    Walmart in the canning section
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    BREWnQ said:
    You know how much milk I've wasted trying to do this?!?  I cannot for the life of me get Mozzarella!  Every time I've tried it I just get some crumbly cheese like stuff that looks like dried out play doh.  I use whole milk, I use non U-pasteurized I just cant get it.  What am I doing wrong?
    I'm sure no expert, but that recipe I posted is fool proof - but I suspect you might not be hitting the 105 degree mark and letting the curd set - don't stir it that breaks it up! BTW I use my Thermapen for accurate reading.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • BREWnQ
    BREWnQ Posts: 219
    The recipes I've tried are all very very similar to yours and I just cant nail it.  I don't know what my problem is.  I'm super bummed because I'd really like to have some homemade cheese.
    Brewer, BBQer, Softballer, RCer, Father, HomeTheaterer, and trouble maker.
    Orange, CA
  • I made ricotta last year. It looked like the real thing, but tasted like cardboard.
    Judy in San Diego
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    What consistency is the finished mozz? Like string cheese or the wet kind of mozz which is usually packed in water (whey?) Bookmarked for the bucket list :)

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880

    caliking said:
    What consistency is the finished mozz? Like string cheese or the wet kind of mozz which is usually packed in water (whey?) Bookmarked for the bucket list :)
    Closer to string cheese than that soft mushy stuff sold in the tubs of whey. I recall only one batch that was stiff and almost the consistency of a rubber ball. It tasted ok but to eat it fresh and raw like you will be prone to do it was more chewy than soft. One of the last steps in the recipe says you are looking for your cheese to pull like taffy and not break apart.
    The only other thing I can offer is while the curds are forming let it be - don't try to rush it by stirring. The rennet is working fine by itself!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • sumoconnell
    sumoconnell Posts: 1,932
    Looking online, my office is 1 mile from Austin homebrew supply (beer, wine & cheese).  I'm trying this weekend :)

    Thanks for posting, looks simple and good.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Austin, Texas.  I'm the guy holding a beer.
  • EagleIII
    EagleIII Posts: 415
    @Carolina Q, thanks for the answer regarding pasteurized vs ultra pasteurized. I am going to give this another go!
  • Hibby
    Hibby Posts: 606
    Definitely going to attempt this. I have made homemade cottage cheese and it was great.
    I cook. I eat. I repeat. Thornville, Ohio