Mozzarella is a type of cheese that you can make at home quite easily. This incredibly delicious and creamy cheese is perfect for bread, pizza, or salads. If you want to know how to make mozzarella cheese, follow these steps.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon (3.8 L) pasteurized milk, not UHT
- teaspoon. (2.5 ml) liquid rennet
- cup (175 ml) distilled water
- 2 tsp. (10 ml) citric acid powder or lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. plus tsp. (32.5 ml) salt
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Milk and Rennet
Step 1. Take a large pot of water and boil it on the stove until it reaches 180ºF (82ºC) on the thermometer
Step 2. Mix the rennet into the water
Add tsp. (2.5 ml) liquid rennet to cup (60 ml) cold distilled water. Stir until dissolved then set aside.
Step 3. Add citric acid powder to the water
Then add 2 tsp. (10 ml) powdered citric acid to 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold distilled water. Stir until dissolved.
Step 4. Pour the milk into the pot
Mix 1 gallon, 3.8 lt of pasteurized milk into 6-8 qt. (5.7-7.6L) pan. Don't use UHT milk. UHT milk does not produce a solid enough curd to make mozzarella cheese.
Step 5. Pour the water into the milk along with the dissolved citric acid
Stir slowly. Next will occur thickening.
Part 2 of 3: Making Curd
Step 1. Heat the mixture to 88ºF (31ºC)
Use medium low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from getting too hot. You can use a heat-resistant whisk, spoon, or spatula. The curd will begin to form at this stage. Use a thermometer to determine when the milk reaches 88ºF (31ºC).
Step 2. Add the water along with the dissolved rennet to the milk mixture
Stir carefully for 30 seconds then lower to low heat. Cook the milk mixture over low heat until it reaches 105ºF (40ºC).
Step 3. Remove the pan from the stove and let it sit as is for 15 minutes
This will allow the curd, which is a white mass, to separate from the whey or liquid before you can cut the curd.
Step 4. Cut the curd
Cut the curd into 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares with a knife then let sit for about 5 minutes. Holding the curd with a spoon or a large spoon can also help you chop. Hold the knife straight upright and cut the curd into slices in the pot. Then repeat the same cut with the knife at the corner. Rotate the pan, cut, and cut again to make checkerboard cuts.
You may not be able to see the previous cut, so make the cut as flat as you can
Step 5. Place a sieve or piece of cheesecloth over the bowl
Use a stainless steel spoon to transfer the curd from the pan and place over a sieve or cheesecloth, this works for all the whey that flows into the bowl underneath. If you're using cheesecloth, you can tie the ends and dry the mozzarella for 3 to 4 hours if you want the cheese to be tougher. If you choose this option, don't return the cheese to the pan after draining it before adding the salt and starting to work on the curd.
When finished, transfer the filtered whey back to the pan
Step 6. Prepare the curd
To prepare the curd, you must first place the curd strainer into the pan of whey to maintain its temperature. Then, add tsp. (2.5 ml) salt into the curd. Once you've done this, you can fold the curd to drain it of the whey. The more you fold the curd, the drier your mozzarella will be.
Step 7. Pour the water from the boiling pot into a large bowl
The water should be at 170 - 175ºF (76 - 79ºC).
Step 8. Transfer the curd to the hot water
Place of the curd into the hot water at a time. Wear thick rubber gloves or use a slotted spoon to work the cheese in hot water. Press the curd while folding it in the hot water.
Part 3 of 3: Making Cheese
Step 1. Remove the curd from the water
When you do this, you should stretch it when it becomes sticky so that it clumps. If it doesn't stretch, check the water temperature, it might be too cold. If the mozzarella starts to tear, place it back in the water for a moment to heat it up. Stretch the mozzarella cheese and fold over each other a few times.
Step 2. Form the mozzarella cheese
Shape the mozzarella cheese into a ball when it becomes lumpy and glossy.
Step 3. Make the brine
Mix 2 cups (465 ml) of whey with 2 tablespoons (10 ml) of salt and a little ice. This is the brine for your mozzarella cheese. You can chill the mozzarella cheese in the brine. When it's cool enough, you can remove it from the brine.
Step 4. Storing the cheese
Wrap in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Chill in the refrigerator for a week or freeze for up to a month.
Tips
- Fresh cheese that is too soft to grate can be partially frozen and then grated.
- You can use whey to make ricotta cheese.
- Unpasteurized milk can also be used to make fresh mozzarella.
- Make sure that all surfaces on which you are working and equipment are sterile before making mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella cheese is very fast and easy to spoil when exposed to bacteria.
