How To: Making Mozzarella Cheese

Last night we watched the History Channel's show Modern Marvels: Cheese. Quite a way to party on a Saturday night-- I know. But it was not nearly as boring as it sounds! So I promised the kids today we would make our own mozzarella cheese.

Making mozzarella cheese was much easier than I expected. Start to finish ( and by finish I mean in my mouth) it took us 40 minutes including clean up. Not bad.

You will need:
1 gallon whole milk, NOT ultra pasturized, rennet tablets, citric acid, salt, a large stainless steel pot, slotted spoon, microwavable bowl, and a thermometer.



Disolve 1/4 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup water and set aside. Also disolve 1 1/2 tsp citric acid in 1 cup of water and set aside.

Combine milk and citric acid in pot over medium heat while stirring until it reaches 95 degrees.

Remove from heat and add rennet mixture while stirring up and down. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Using a knife, cut through the thick custard, and you should see a yellowish clear whey seperate from the thick white curd.

Put back on heat and stir until it reches 105 degrees.

Drain off whey and ladel curds into a microwavable bowl. Put in the microwave for one minute. Again drain off excess whey. Cheese curds need to reach 135 degrees. After one minute, combine curds into one large curd and then microwave for 30 seconds. Once it comes out, add one teaspoon of salt.

Begin to pull and knead the curds.

The more you work the cheese, the firmer it will be. Once it is smooth and shiny, it is ready to be formed.

Form into small balls and immerse into ice water.

The finished product. Our mozzerella balls were roughly the size of golf balls. This receipe made 12 balls of this size.

Eat and enjoy your homemade mozzarella cheese. Can be stored in the fridge in water for up to 2 weeks.