FOOD Making Homemade Cheese: Mozzerella

[Nuthatch]

Well, I spent about $10 for the ingredients I needed that I didn't have on hand to try out a recipe of mozzerella. The ingredients will allow me to make cheese with 96 gallons of milk...so I guess that is about 10 cents a gallon, plus the cost of milk and the value of the citric acid I already had on hand. I guess that I spent $4.50 and roughly 30 minutes to turn a gallon of store bought milk into fresh mozzerella--two tennis ball-sized balls.

First I read up on it from Mother Earth News: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real...arella-Cheese-Whey-Easier-Than-You-Think.aspx

Then I ordered the rennet and cheese salt (won't need cheese salt again as I have non-iodized salt that will work, now that I know what kind of salt they mean) from New England Cheesemaking Supply. They have a simple recipe with photos to follow that does not require a microwave:
http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/123.html

Their main web sit is www.cheesemaking.com and they delivered my order very fast. I ordered liquid rennet.

Give it a shot.....it was very rewarding. Can't wait to mix it with the roasted peppers I made and some garlic and melt it on some good bread. MMMM.

 

[summerthyme]

Did you get the lipase powder, Nuthatch?

If not, it's an inexpensive addition which makes a HUGE difference in the flavor of the finished cheese.

Also, if you make a fairly large batch, you can freeze it.

And don't forget that you can make ricotta cheese from the whey! (waste not, want not). You don't get a lot from a 1 gallon batch, but I never make "only" a gallon at a time. It does take quite a bit longer to make the ricotta than the mozarella, but it's good stuff.

summerthyme

 

[Nuthatch]

Hmm. No, I didn't get the lipase powder. Which cheeses do you use it with? I will have to try it.

When do you add herbs/spices to the mozzerella? I was thinking of folding in some herbs/garlic at the stretching stage. Is that the best time? I like the small appetizer sized balls in seasoned olive oil with cloves of garlic, so I wanted to add it right to the cheese if it would work. Have you tried that?

Ricotta is my next try. I have another gallon of milk to play with. I never have this much milk in the fridge, but we love cheese.

My stock pot can hold two gallons of milk easily. Are you saying it isn't hard to double the recipe?

Thanks, Summerthyme.

 

[summerthyme]

Nuthatch... I haven't made much but mozarella for a couple of years... definitely need to get back to cheddar, etc. Those are SO time consuming, though.

The lipase powder just makes the mozarella have a deeper flavor. It's not a huge difference, and if we're using summer milk from our cows (when they're on pasture) I don't think it makes as much difference. But for winter milk, or for storebought, I think it is really well worth adding.

And yes, you can easily double- or triple- the recipe. You can also play around with the amount of rennet you use, and if you use less, you can get a "spreadable" mozarella, which can be fun. Of course, I've got lots of milk to experiment with (as long as hubby doesn't find out, LOL!) but I don't think I've ever had a complete failure.

I haven't tried flavoring the mozarella, but it should work. Just start with small amounts, and see what you like!

Summerthyme

 

[Nuthatch]

Thanks. That's very encouraging. I will try to be a little carefree about it and experiment.

Why I like mozz is because of its superior meltability. So I might try that spread idea too.

 

[gunnersmom]

well, I'll just add this to my list of things I want to do. Thanks for the links. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[tosca]

Oh, oh my! I am so envious of you gals, making

your own cheese!!!! I would love to do that. When I lived on the sailboat for two years, I used to unwrap and salt down cheese bricks until it formed it's own rind and they would store forever (while getting a bit stronger for cheddar, as time went by). Love to all, Mari Susan

 

[MtnGal]

Sounds great, I'll try this soon. We love mozzarella and it sounds easy enough. I'll have to order the lipase powder and the rennet. This will be fun this winter when all the chores are done.

 

[lectrickitty]

Reading this had made me want to make cheese. I'll have to wait for a goat to freshen, none are milking right now and I don't use store bought milk.

I'll have to go take a looksee at that site and order the stuff I'll need. When it comes to making cheese I know nothing.

How long will liquid rennet stay good? Does it expire or is it something I can stockpile and keep for months or even years?

 

[Warandra]

Thanks for the link.

 

[Be Well]

your own cheese!!!! I would love to do that. When I lived on the sailboat for two years, I used to unwrap and salt down cheese bricks until it formed it's own rind and they would store forever (while getting a bit stronger for cheddar, as time went by). Love to all, Mari Susan

I've seen people refer to this method of cheese storing, also coating with wax. Could you describe how you salted the cheese? I'd love to store some for long term, I am not ambitious enough to make any. (Storing is cheaper than trying to make any around here unless you have milk animals.)

 

[BoatGuy]

Cool deal! I'll have to try it!

I'd also be interested in learning how to store it for a long time, too...6 months to a year at a lot without refrigeration, would be great...

 

[Jarhead]

You all are making me hungry!!!

Jarhead gets up and heads for the fridge for the Colby and summer sausage....

Seriously, thanks for the post and the link. Long term storage would be GREAT! Please update with info when possible.

Thanks,

Jarhead (munching a cheese and sausage cracker)

 

[Nuthatch]

well, I bought liquid rennet and they recommend refrigeration. However, tablet rennet is also available and I would assume it is more shelf-stable. Junket is a brand I have seen in stores on occassion. Maybe Summerthyme can answer this question.

Tosca, if you can get rennet and non-iodized salt, citric acid and a gallon of milk (I used store bought), you're in business. No kidding, it really only took about 30 minutes and was ready to use.

 

[summerthyme]

Rennet does need to be refrigerated or frozen *for the longest storage life*. It doesn't "spoil" per se... it just gradually gets weaker. However, you can get a concentrated powdered rennet (not cheap, about $30 for the smallest container I've seen) which makes a LOT of cheese. The powder and the tablets probably will hold their strength for a year if they aren't refrigerated... I keep all of mine in the freezer (liquid in the fridge) so I can't say for sure.

As far as long term storage of cheese.. mozzarella isn't a good candidate. You either need to freeze it, or keep it stored in a STRONG brine in a cold place. But it does freeze exceptionally well, and doesn't change texture much when frozen, unlike the hard cheeses like cheddar, which tend to get crumbly when frozen.

You can rewax cheddar to store it, or salt it... salting it makes it form it's own "rind" which is sort of what wax is... an "artificial rind". The rind is just a rather dry, hard part of the cheese... you really want to use BIG chunks or wheels for that, because otherwise you're going to lose a significant percentage of your cheese. (for example, if you salted a 1# chunk and let it form a rind, you might only get 7/8# or even less of "edible" cheese when you go to use it. If you wax a pound of cheese, you'll have pretty much a pound of cheese to eat when you peel off the wax.

Other ways to extend the life of cheese (prevent mold from forming- you can simply trim off the moldy portions if it does... it's one of the few foods where the mold won't ruin the whole piece/batch), is to wrap it in a piece of muslin or similar type fabric which has been dipped in vinegar and wrung out. You don't want it dripping, just good and damp. Then put the wrapped cheese in a closed container or a sturdy plastic bag. Keep as cool as you can manage... under 50° if at all possible.

When you pick cheese to store for long term, look for the "youngest" version of that type. Mild cheddar, for example... because as it ages, it will get sharper and sharper.

Waxing is really simple... you CAN use plain (unscented and uncolored) paraffin wax, but it tends to be a bit brittle. Mixing it 1/2 and 1/2 with beeswax works really well, but is going to be rather expensive. However, you can reclaim and reuse the wax over and over. You can also buy cheese wax in various colors (which will be food safe- don't use colored candle wax, please!). Melt the wax in a kettle or container which is large enough to at least dip half your cheese into. Or else, melt in a container and use a new paintbrush.

Dip half the cheese into the melted wax (JUST melted temp... let it cool to just where it's beginning to form a bit of a "skin" on top), and let it set on a wire rack or cheese rack for a minute to harden. Then pick it up by the waxed end and dip the other half.

Or, put it on a rack and use the paintbrush to cover the top and sides with wax. When it hardens, turn it over and cover the other side. If this is purchased cheese, you may want to wipe it down with vinegar before you start waxing, just to eliminate any stray mold spores which might try to form under the wax (it shouldn't be able to do that, but if you get any tiny breaks in the wax which allow a bit of air in, it can).

Do at least two coats, for safety. Store as cool as possible, and watch out for mice! I use those Christmas decorative tins they sell for cookies... and also those large popcorn tins. Those work great for storing 30# or so of cheese in my root cellar.. I stack wheels in them, with waxed paper or parchment paper in between.

Summerthyme

 

[Nuthatch]

Thanks Summerthyme. I knew you'd know!

 

[Jarhead]

Thanks Summerthyme. I knew you'd know!

+1000.... Thanks, Summerthyme..!

Jarhead

 

[Be Well]

Thank you, Summerthyme. I want to try the wax and the salt methods. Have you ever done the salt only method?

 

[Nuthatch]

An addendum: I made a birthday pizza for a friend with homemade crust, this mozzerella that had been stored in a puree of roasted peppers/tomatoes/garlic and fresh tomato slices. The mozzerella melted beautifully and the whole thing looked really great. She thought it was super special that I had made everything (well, I grew the tomatoes--I didn't make them).

I am going to try making this for holiday gifts this year or at least for holiday parties.

 

[Straycat]

I picked up some citric acid and rennet at the natural foods store last night, going to try it this week.

 

[summerthyme]

BeWell... I have salted cheese a time or two, probably 20 years ago now. It does form a good rind (best if you keep it up on a rack of some sort, though), but it just wastes too much cheese to suit me. In a situation where you couldn't get wax, I'd probably use it... on LARGE (5#+) wheels.

Summerthyme

 

[armadillogray]

Has anyone used dry rennet on NIDO? Does it make decent cheese? Picked up things this a.m. and am just wondering.....

If no one has an idea, it may be an experiment this week.