Ricki's Magic Mozzarella .. no smoke and mirrors

Ricki's 30 MinuteMozzarella Magic

Buying milk for Mozzarella

the real problem is that milk is being shipped cross country after being processed by huge processing plants .. in order to do this the milk must be processed at higher temps and then held at cold temps for long periods while shipping long distances to markets .. this is especially true for our so called "organic milks" ... many of the milks not labeled as UP are in fact heat and cold damaged and will not make a proper cheese curd

.. our best advice to date is to buy a LOCAL milk ..
one that has not had to have the extensive "LongHaul" treatment
For more details on finding a milk that works for you click here

If you h

ave any questions on your milk quality
or your curd does not form a nice curd
like you see in photos 4-8 then click here for details

Click on any image to enlarge it..use Back Button to return !

First we add Citric Acid
to cold milk

then heat slowly to 88-90F

then add rennet, stir for 30 sec ... turn heat to 'Lo' then let set quietly

in 3-5 min a firm curd forms, note clear whey separating from the curd

now use a knife to cut
1 inch squares in curd surface to the bottom

note the greenish yellow whey forming in the cut and how clear it is

transfer the curd to a colander or bowl using a slotted spoon

notice how the curd is beginning to get firmer as the whey drains

continue separating the curd and notice the color of the whey

drain the whey from the curd while gently pressing to aid whey runoff

using a heat proof bowl microwave on 'Hi' for 1 min.. notice the whey..
...now pour it off

knead and reheat for 30 sec, repeat if needed until the curd is almost too hot to handle (135F)

and now the fun begins..
knead the curd as you would bread dough

remove the curd from the bowl and continue kneading .. return it to the microwave if needed

at this point, if hot enough, it will begin to stretch ...

... and stretch ...

... and stretch some more
this is what makes it Mozzarella

Well...
ain't we having fun now... ....Ooops !

now knead it back into a big ball until it is smooth and shiny like this

soo.. now you know why
they call her the
--------------------------
"CHEESE QUEEN"

..... to More Recipes

How to make this cheese :

The Milk:
Make sure the milk you use for this cheese is NOT
ULTRA- PASTEURIZED
--Homogenized milk will work fine.
--Fresh farm milk will also work well but we encourage you to try with 1 gallon of store bought whole milk first.
--Low fat milk will work but the cheese will be drier and less flavorful

You will need:
--A 6 to 8 quart stainless steel pot. Aluminum or cast iron will not work.
--A stainless steel or strong plastic slotted spoon.
--A two quart microwave safe mixing bowl
--measuring spoons
--A thermometer which will clearly read between 80 - 120 degrees F.

Prepare your work area:
Do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese.
Put all food products away
Move all sponges, cloths and dirty towels away from your work surface, wipe your sink and stove with soap and water.
Finally use your antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces.

Process:
crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool unchlorinated water and set aside to use later.

Heat this milk to 90F and add 1.5-2 tsp. of citric acid. This will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later. As you approach 90F you will notice your milk beginning to curdle due to acidity and temp.

When at 90F add your rennet (which you prepared in previous step) to the milk and stir in a top to bottom motion for 30-60 seconds
...then stop.

Now turn the heat off (it may continue to rise as high as 105For so)

Let the milk remain quiet for the next 3-5 minutes during which it will form a curd as seen in photos above. A longer set will result in a firmer curd.

Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern (as in photos above) and then scoop with a slotted sp0on into a heat proof bowl to be used in the microwave. (If the curd is too soft at this point let sit for another minute or so)
You will now press this curd gently with your hand, poring off as much whey as possible. Reserve this whey to use in cooking or making ricotta.

Microwave the curd on HI for 1 minute. You will notice more whey has run out of the curd. Drain off all whey as you did before.

Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point)

Microwave 2 more times for 35 seconds each and repeat the kneading as in the last step. Drain all of the whey off as you go.

Knead quickly now as you would bread dough until it is smooth and shiny. Add salt near the finish.

At this point the cheese should be soft and pliable enough to stretch like taffy.

It is ready to eat when it cools.
Form it into a ball and drop into ice water to cool and refrigerate.
When cold you can wrap in plastic wrap and it will last for several days but is best when eaten fresh.

Option:
--A substitution of reconstituted dry milk and cream is very viable and is a great option if you can not find the right type of milk
--Lipase may be added to the milk to provide a typical italian cheese flavor
--If you want a softer texture, do not let the curd set as firm and work less when draining and kneading.. this will make a moister cheese.

What you may need :
Citric Acid Rennet		Salt Lipase