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.

Homemade Ricotta

More cheese! I love ricotta and over the past couple of years I've been splurging on 'homemade' ricotta from the two Italian specialty shops here in Davis Sq. It makes such a difference - it's creamier, softer, and just has an overall marshmellowyness that the grocery store brands don't even come close to. The problem is - it's ridiculously expensive...and, it's not quite 'homemade' when it's made in someone else's home!

So, this is Barbara Lynch's recipe - it's incredibly easy, just takes a watchful eye.

**You need a candy thermometer for this - they're about five bucks at the grocery store or hardware store. You also need cheesecloth.

1 gallon of whole milk
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tb salt

1. Line a footed colander with two layers of cheesecloth and put it in your kitchen sink.

2. In a pot (spaghetti/pasta pot is the right size), combine all three ingredients and clip the thermometer to the pot.

3. Heat over medium-low heat and stir *continuously* until the temperature climbs to 140 degrees. Don't rush this by turning up the heat! It takes about 20 minutes. Not much will happen, just keep stirring!

4. When temp reaches 140, stop stirring and let sit until it reaches 175 degrees. This will take another 10-20 minutes. When temp reaches 175, immediately take off the heat - and don't let it get above 180. At this point, the curds form.

5. Gently scoop off the curds with a large spoon and put in the colander. Let it drain in the sink for about an hour until it's soft and spreadable. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will be.

Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. It will keep for up to a week.