HOME MADE MOZARELLA CHEESE

A little bit timeconsuming cheese making yet its worth it :)

Mozzarella Cheese Formula

Place one gallon whole milk into a stainless steel pot. Measure all of the following ingredients into five individual containers. This will allow you to make the cheese without worrying about measurements. 2 tsp. of citric acid
½ tsp. lipase powder in ¼ cup distilled water
1 tsp. calcium chloride in ¼ cup distilled water
½ rennet tablet in ¼ cup distilled water
½ tsp. flaked salt

Making the Cheese

Place the stock pot of milk on the stove over medium heat. It is important that you heat the milk slowly. Sprinkle in the citric acid and mild lipase powder while you gently stir. Heat slowly until the milk reaches 88 degrees. Stir every few minutes to prevent scorching the milk on the bottom of the pot. You will begin to see the curd develop.

Once the milk reaches 88 degrees F. stir in the diluted calcium chloride then the rennet and water mixture. Continue stirring every few minutes until the milk reaches 105 degrees F.

Developing the Curd
Turn off the heat and let the milk set covered for 15 minutes at 105 degrees. Curd (white mass) and whey (greenish liquid) will now be fully separated.

Cooking the Curd

Use a slotted spoon or strainer to transfer the curd to a microwave safe dish. If the curd is to soft to transfer, let the milk sit a few more minutes. Pour off as much of the whey as you can. Gently press the curds together with the spoon and force more whey out of them. Squeeze out and drain as much whey as possible.
Place the curd in the microwave on high for one minute. Remove and press the curds again to force out more whey. The cheese should begin to mass together and become sticky.

If it dose not, you will need to leave it in the microwave a few seconds longer. Not all microwaves are equal ! It will not hurt to place the cheese back in the oven for 10 seconds more it necessary. Please note the total time needed for future reference.

Add the flakes salt a little at a time and knead the cheese with a spoon as you would bread dough. It will become smooth and shiny. Place the curd back into the microwave and heat on high for one more minute. Remove from oven and drain any remaining whey. This time your cheese will be too hot to handle, about 130 degrees.

Stretching the Cheese
Knead the cheese again until it sticks to the spoon and pulls away from the bowl.

When the cheese begins to stretch like taffy, it is almost done. You can have some fun now by pulling and stretching the cheese until it is completely cooled. This is an important step. Stretching will make the cheese firm and stringy. If you prefer a softer texture don't stretch as much.

Place the cheese in an air tight container or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Use this cheese with in one week or store it in the freezer for up to one month. If your cheese is too soft to shred for pizza, place it in the freezer then shred and use it partly frozen.