making handmade mozzarella

Hi :)

I've got alot of tomatoes coming in, four different varieties of basil and one of my garlics are ready for harvest :)

This got me wondering...

I love fresh handmade mozzarella! I wonder how involved it is to make a good product?

Ricki's Magic Mozzarella .. no smoke and mirrors

Have any of you got any experience/tips/suggestions in making Homemade mozzarella? How does the recipe look, in the link above?

Thanks all!
dan

I have done it twice in volume, and will never do it again, the fresh mozz. I buy is just as good, First you have to buy the curds, then work it in hot water with your hands and a wooden stick and I mean hot water it burns your hands. Then it is more perishable then the one I buy. Just not worth my time or effort. If your doing it for yourself home it is a learning experience.:beer::bounce:

My intentions are to make it at home, in small(ish) quantities. 1 gallon of milk per single recipe. The recipes that I was looking at you make your own curds.

I still plan on giving it a try...but that doesn't mean 'm not listening to your advice. It may be a one time thing, it may not???

thanks,
dan

watched Michael Chirarello do it on his show.
of course there, it looked relatively easy.
I know better.
wanted to do it for years, but honestly, don't have the gumption.

You should try it, it really isn't that hard... it's just, messy.

Essentially as stated above, you buy curd and break it down into small pieces. Then you put it in almost boiling (salted) water, and let it "cook" for a few minutes while you fold it like clay. When it's stretchy and malleable, you pull out a chunk and form it into a ball. Once it's pulled from the water it's important to not over work the cheese as it will become tough. Once they're in balls you wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge at least overnight to let them set.

Making fresh mozz is all about technique and speed, with practice you can make some good cheese. Also when you feel comfortable enough, you can flatten out a round of cheese instead of making balls, stuff the cheese with different ingredients and roll it up. Again storing it in the fridge until it sets, however this time when you cut into it you'll have a nice surprise.

All in all, IMHO making cheese from curd or from scratch is an art that is best left to the pros. You should try to make it once yourself to understand the process and make yourself more knowledgeable in cheese making. However, take that knowledge to help you understand what good cheese is.

The mark of a good Chef or Cook is knowing when someone else does it better, but either using that or learning from that to make themselves better.

Hope this helps!

I've never made by a restaurant I frequent does...get some buffalo milk if ya can! and let us know how it turns out.

there are some kits that help you make it. thay come with acid and all you need.
i have found however, out of my few times making it that raw milk really helps. it might be hard to get your hans on but when you do ther is nothing like it.
and i prefer it served right from the pot. for sure if its being served with fresh awesome vegies.

I love eating dishes with MOZZARELLA! Especially Pizzas and Calzones! It just hypes my appetite!

HOME MADE MOZZARELLA:

Things You'll Need:

* 1 gallon whole milk
* 2 tsp. cirtric acid
* 1/2 rennett tablet, dissolved 1/4 cp water
* 1/2 tsp salt (non-iodized)
* thermometer

STEP 1: Clean all your utensils. Typically everything should be made of glass or stainless steel. Clear a work area and wipe down all the surfaces.

STEP 2: Pour the milk into a 6 quart stainless steel pot and place over medium heat. You will want to heat the milk gradually. Stir in the citric acid and stir well. Continue to heat the milk, stirring occasionally until it reaches 88 degrees.

STEP 3: Now add the rennet and continue to heat and stir until the mixture reaches 105 degrees. Remove from the heat and cover for 15 minutes.

STEP 4: The curds and whey should now be separate with the curds being white and the fluid a yellow green color. Gently pour the curds through a cheesecloth lined strainer. Remove the curds from the strainer and place in a microwavable container.

STEP 5: Microwave on high for 1 minute and press on the mass with the back of a spoon, removing as much of the whey as possible. Drain off any excess whey.

STEP 6: After kneeding the mass for a few minutes with the back of a spoon. Microwave for another minute. At this point the cheese will be quite hot and you will have to wear gloves to handle it. Work with it like bread dough until it sticks to the spoon and pulls away from the bowl. When it begins to stretch like taffy, it is almost done. You can continue tol make the cheese firm and stringy or if you prefer a softer texture don't stretch it as much. Wrap in a sheet of plastic or wax paper and chill. Cheese is now ready for use.

I hope this helps! :)

If this is your first time making it, then like all projects , I wish you much success.
I have made it three times and I will have to admit my hands hurt for awhile after, working with very hot water is not something I enjoy, and maybe no else either.
But I did research on this and kept a site in my scrapbook on the problems incurred while trying to make it and also special tips on how to succeed with this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. The pictures give you more of an idea of what to expect.
Happy Cheese making....
Petals
fiascofarm.com/dairy/mozzarella.htm -

on our way to Cambria, Ca.
I know just the place to probably find rennet.:D

Thanks for the encouragement Luvpie. Hopefully I'll get some good results that may give you the gumption you're looking for to try it yourself ;)

ChefOfTheFuture, I can't wait to add some extra ingredients to the fresh mozzarella. That is...if it turns out decent. I plan on trying it from scratch first, then perhaps I'll try starting with curds and comparing the results. thanks.

Hi RPMcMurphy. In order to get fresh mozzarella at a restaurant I'm really best off going into Chicago. But an Italian deli make handmade mozzarella from time to time. The only problem is that they don't have it every time I go in. I've had fresh buffalo mozzarella and it is delicious. If this whole thing turns out...I may try and source some farm fresh buffalo milk. But, money is a lot tighter than it used to be...so my usual sourcing may have to be toned down for a while.

Hi ariphilipson. Thanks for sharing your real world experience :) If everything goes well, I will try to get some raw milk from one of the farms within driving distance. But like the buffalo milk, it may have to wait a bit. Thanks.

Hi chickprincess. Your recipe and step by step certainly does help. Thanks!

Hi petalsandcoco. thanks for sharing your experiences making handmade mozzarella. Looking at different recipe's I believe my hands are in for a scorching! I'll have to see how it goes. Oh yeah...thanks for the link!

dan