Mozzarella is one of the few cheeses that you can make at home with some ease. This cheese, so soft and delicious, gives a twist to practically any type of sandwich, pizza or salad. If you want to find out how to make mozzarella, follow these steps.
Ingrediants
- 3.8 l of pasteurized whole milk, not ultra pasteurized
- 0.5 tablet or 2.5 ml of liquid rennet
- 175 ml of distilled water
- 2 teaspoons of citric acid powder or 10 ml of lemon juice
- 2.5 gr + 30 gr of salt
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Make the Milk and Rennet
Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer
It will reach 82ºC on the thermometer.
Step 2. Add the rennet to the water
Add liquid rennet to 1/4 cup of cold distilled water. Stir the tablet in the water until it dissolves, then set aside.
Step 3. Add the citric acid powder to the water
Add the 2 teaspoons of citric acid powder to 120ml of cold distilled water. Stir until dissolved.
Step 4. Put the milk in a saucepan
Put 3.8 L of pasteurized milk in a 5.7 to 7.6 L pot. Do not use ultra pasteurized (UHT) milk. UHT milk does not form a firm enough curd to make mozzarella.
Step 5. Pour the water where you dissolved the citric acid powder in the milk
Mix gently. Curd will form.
Part 2 of 3: Making the Curd
Step 1. Heat the mixture until it reaches 31ºC
Use medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from burning. You can use a whisk, spoon, or spatula suitable for heat. At this point the curd will begin to form. Use a thermometer to tell when the milk reaches 31ºC.
Step 2. Add the water with the dissolved rennet to the milk mixture
Stir carefully for 30 seconds and then turn down the heat. Cook the milk mixture over low heat until it reaches 40ºC.
Step 3. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes
This will allow the curd, which is the white mass, to separate from the whey, or liquid, before cutting it.
Step 4. Cut the curd
With a knife cut the curd into squares of about 2.5 cm and then let it rest for 5 minutes. While you are cutting the curd, it can help to hold it steady with a large spoon or ladle. Hold the knife straight and cut the curd into slices inside the pot. Then repeat the cut but with the knife at an angle. Turn the pot, cut and cut again, so as to draw a checkerboard of cuts.
You may not be able to see previous cuts. Do your best to get them straight
Step 5. Place a colander or piece of cheesecloth on top of the pot
Use a perforated stainless steel ladle to transfer the curd from the pot to the colander or gauze, collecting all the whey that flows into the container below. If you are using cheesecloth, you can tie the ends and hang the mozzarella to drain for 3 to 4 hours if you want a firmer cheese. If you choose this option, do not put it back in the pot after it has drained before adding the salt and starting to work the curd.
When you're done, transfer the drained whey to the pot
Step 6. Prepare the curd
To make the curd, you should first put the curd strainer into the whey pot to maintain the temperature. Then, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt to the curd. After this is done, you can fold it back on itself to increase the drainage of the whey. At this point, the more you fold, the drier the mozzarella will be.
Step 7. Pour some of the water from the pot into a large mixing bowl
The water should have a temperature of 76 / 79ºC.
Step 8. Transfer the curd to hot water
Put 1/3 at a time of the curd in the water. Wear thick rubber gloves or use a slotted spoon to work the cheese. Compact the curd and fold it in hot water.
Part 3 of 3: Making the Cheese
Step 1. Remove the curd from the water
When you do this, you should stretch it when it gets sticky enough that it begins to form a single body. If it doesn't stretch, check the water temperature. It might be too cold. If the mozzarella begins to split into pieces, put it back in the water for a while to warm up. Stretch the mozzarella and then fold it back on itself several times.
Step 2. Shape the mozzarella
Shape the mozzarella into a ball when it piles up and glistens.
Step 3. Brine
Mix 2 cups, plus or minus 465 ml, of whey with 2 tablespoons of salt (about 10 g) and ice. This will be the brine of your mozzarella. You can cool the mozzarella in the whey. When it has cooled down enough, you can remove it from the brine.
Step 4. Store the cheese
Wrap it in cling film or put it in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Advice
- Fresh cheese that is too soft to grate can be partially frozen sooner.
- You can use the serum to make cottage cheese.
- Make sure you have sterilized your countertops and tools before making the mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella spoils quickly and very easily if exposed to bacteria.
- Unpasteurized milk can also be used to make mozzarella.
