Homemade Mozzarella

So I'm on a bit of a cheese roll. Once I got the hang of ricotta (and totally addicted), I figured I'd branch out and see what else I can make...stay tuned for Greek Yogurt. Now, the mozzarella was a bit trickier and required some new ingredients and tools. My biggest pot is not stainless steel and you have to have one for the cheese - so make sure you've got one, a big one (8 Qts). You'll also need a digital candy thermometer that reads as low as 80F and a large slotted plastic spoon. The two hard to find ingredients for this are citric acid and rennet. I bought them on Amazon after a bit of searching in local stores. Here's how it goes according to the "Cheese Queen" on www.cheesemaking.com...




1 1/2 tsp citric acid
1 cup bottled water - divided (must be non-chlorinated so don't trust the tap?)
1 gallon whole milk
1/4 of a rennet tablet

1. Dissolve the citric acid into one cup of cool bottled water and pour into your pot. Add the milk.

2. Heat slowly to 90F.

3. Remove the pot from the burner. Dissolve the rennet in 1/4 cup of bottled water. Pour the rennet mixture into the milk and stir slowly for 30 seconds. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

4. After 5 minutes, check the curd that has formed. It will look like custard and the whey will be clear. If it's too soft, let it sit for a few more minutes.

5. Use your knife to cut the curd into 1 inch squares while still in place in the pot. You will have a layer of curd that look like dice or square pieces of tofu in the pot.

6. Place the pot back on the burner and heat to 105F. Stir slowly.

7. Take off the burner and continue stirring for 2-5 minutes. Using a large slotted plastic spoon, scoop out the curd to a colander and drain the whey. Gently press the curd to drain as needed.

8. Transfer the curd to a microwave proof bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Pour off the whey.

9. Knead in the bowl and then reheat for another 30 seconds. Repeat if needed until the curd is 135F.

10. Transfer the curd to a cutting board and knead as you would bread dough. Return it to the microwave if needed. If it's hot enough, it'll stretch. Stretch it a bit and then knead it back into a ball until smooth and shiny.