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–+ servings

Homemade Mozzarella

Mozzarella cheese is quick and easy to make! Traditionally made with water buffalo's milk, this recipe uses raw cow's milk. Unlike the process used to make other cheeses, the curds for mozzarella are heated to a high temperature and stretched like taffy. This produces the stringiness mozzarella is know for.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Hands-on Time 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Cheese
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 pounds

Equipment

  • Large Stock Pot at least 10 quarts
  • Cooking Thermometer with a pot clip
  • Long Knife
  • Colander
  • Rubber Gloves optional

Ingredients
  

  • 2 gallons Whole Milk raw if possible
  • 3 tsp Citric Acid Powder, dissolved in 1 cup cool water
  • 1/4 tablet rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water or, 1/4 tsp of liquid rennet in 1/4 cup cool water
  • 1/2 cup Sea Salt

Instructions
 

  • Dissolve citric acid in cool water.
  • Pour cold milk into your large stock pot and stir the citric acid into your cold milk
  • Bring milk to 88°-90℉ over medium heat. Stir occasionally to ensure you get an accurate temperature reading.
  • While the milk is heating, dissolve the rennet in water.
  • Once the milk reaches temperature, turn off the heat and stir in the dissolved rennet.
  • Let the milk sit undisturbed for 5 minutes until it thickens like custard.
  • While the milk sets, in a separate pot bring 3 quarts of water and 1/2 cup salt to 185℉
  • Cut the curd from top to bottom and right to left creating 1/2" cubes.
  • Turn the heat on high and slowly stir the curds until the milk reaches 110℉. Turn off the heat, and continue to stir for 2 more minutes.
  • Slowly pour the curds and whey into a colander set into another pot to collect the whey, and press whey out of the mass of curds to form 1 large lump.
  • Put the lump or curds into a stainless steel bowl and pour the 185℉ salt water over it. Use your hands to stretch and pull the cheese into a rope. (This is where the rubber gloves come in handy!! That water is HOT)
    *If the cheese isn't hot enough, it will break apart when you try to stretch it. Place it back into the water to heat up again and continue to stretch as before.
  • Once the mozzarella has been stretched for about 5 minutes, shape into dinner roll sized balls and let sit in ice water for 10 minutes.
  • Remove mozzarella from water and enjoy!!
  • To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, or put into a food storage container and refrigerate. Can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Keyword cheesemaking, raw milk
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