🧄🍅How to make fresh mozzarella at home🍅🧄
Making fresh mozzarella at home is simpler than you might think, and the results are incredibly rewarding! This recipe from Fresh Recipes will guide you through every step, transforming simple ingredients into soft, stretchy, and delicious mozzarella cheese. Whether you’re new to cheese-making or an experienced home cook, this is a wonderful way to elevate your dishes with a homemade touch. Dive in, and let’s create something fresh and unforgettable.
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon (3;8L) whole milk (avoid ultra-pasteurized)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons citric acid, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet or 1/4 tablet rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
- 1 teaspoon (12g) kosher salt (optional, for seasoning)
What You’ll Need
Directions:
- Prepare the Milk: Pour the whole milk into a large stainless steel pot. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk reaches 55°F (13°C).
- Add Citric Acid: While stirring the milk, slowly add the dissolved citric acid solution. This helps the milk curdle and form curds more easily. Continue to heat the milk to 90°F (32°C).
- Add Rennet: Remove the pot from heat. Add the rennet mixture, stirring in a gentle, up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds. Cover the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 5–10 minutes until the milk has thickened and set to a custard-like consistency. The curds should separate from the whey (the yellowish liquid).
- Cut the Curds: Using a long knife, cut the curds into a 1-inch grid pattern. Make vertical cuts, then turn the knife at a 45° angle and repeat. This allows whey to drain out. Let the curds rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat and Stir the Curds: Return the pot to medium-low heat. Slowly warm the curds to 105°F (40°C), stirring gently to avoid breaking them up too much. As they warm, the curds will firm up. Once at temperature, remove the pot from heat and let it sit for an additional 5 minutes.
- Separate Curds from Whey: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the curds to a microwave-safe bowl, leaving most of the whey in the pot.
- Heat and Knead the Curds: Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off any excess whey. Using clean hands (careful, it’s hot!), fold and knead the curds until they become stretchy and smooth. If needed, microwave in 20-second intervals to keep the curds warm and pliable.
- Shape and Salt (Optional): Once stretchy, knead the cheese into a smooth, round ball. Sprinkle with salt, kneading lightly to incorporate. Shape into a smooth ball or into smaller rounds if desired.
- Chill and Serve: Submerge the mozzarella in a bowl of ice water for 5–10 minutes to help it firm up and hold its shape. Once chilled, drain and serve fresh or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutritional Information:
- ⏰ Prep Time: 15 minutes.
- | Cooking Time: 30 minutes.
- | Total Time: 45 minutes.
- 🔥 Kcal: Approximately 85 kcal per ounce.
- | 🍽️ Servings: Makes about 1 pound of fresh mozzarella.
Recipe Notes and FAQs
- If you use goats milk instead of cows, then be even slower and gentler when stirring the milk so as not to disturb the curds too much.
- If your cheese is tough or crumbly, then this is likely down to using too much acidity or heating it incorrectly. However, it can also happen if the curds are broken up too much by rough mixing. Try to reduce the amount of citric acid in the next batch.
- If the cheese is rubbery, then it’s likely that you overworked it during the stretching phase.
- For a softer mozzarella, stop the curds from becoming as firm and work the cheese even less when stretching (literally just a couple of stretches).
- You could add some dried herbs to the cheese, if wanted, during the final shaping stage.
- TOP TIP: A ‘failed’ batch definitely doesn’t necessarily mean waste. Even if the cheese is crumbly and won’t stretch, this can be used within pasta dishes, into cooked dishes, etc.
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