Mozzarella: A Gateway Cheese

Mozzarella got me into cheese making. Heck, I made mozzarella before I raised my first batch of chickens, brewed my first beer, or made my first yogurt. I made some bread, and then I made some mozzarella, and by then I was hooked. For a while, I made mozzarella at least once a week, and it never tasted like it does in the stores. It was more like ricotta, really. (I had some early milk issues.) But I loved it and I ate it all the time and called it mozzarella to incredulous guests. Eventually I would feed those same guests hard bread, rubbing alcohol honey wine, and chicken with little feathers still in it. I guess you could say mozzarella was my gateway food.

Mozzarella is a fresh cheese whose taste betrays a lot of the character of the milk from which it was made. As a result of which, it requires some good milk. Prairie Farms is a must here, at a minimum. (If anyone has a lead on an affordable source for raw milk, let me know.) Definitely avoid ultra-pasteurized. A lot of organic milks tend to be ultra-pasteurized, since it preserves the milk longer, thus allowing small farmers to expand their sales footprint. HOWEVER, ultra-pasteurization destroys the proteins necessary to form curds. I mean, it tastes like water people, can't you see how that wouldn't make good cheese? So try to figure what milk is most local to your area, because that's the cheese that's most likely to make the best mozzarella.

I use Ricki Carrol's 30 minute Mozzarella Recipe*, like pretty much everyone else. Its a lot like making any other cheese, except that once you get the curds drained, you just melt them and stretch them and then let them cool. This recipe does require some speciality ingredients, but they are relatively cheap and easy to get.** You will need some rennet (available at Kalamazoo People's Food Coop) and some citric acid. Homegrown tomatoes and basil are a bonus.

Mozzarella is a great way to get used to using some specialty ingredients, along with learning some cheese making techniques. You will need to use rennet, citric acid, and lipase, and recognize a clean break, cook curds, and slowly heat the milk.

A photo diary of making mozzarella...

The dogs LOVE milk jugs.

The milk has already started to coagulate with just the addition of some citric acid and lipase (optional).

A clean break. The curds have clearly separated from the water-like whey.

Curds cooking.

The drained curds ready to be microwaved.

Microwaved curds after some kneading.

It stretches like taffy! Its done! All in all, about 45 minutes.

Cheese! With bonus ingredients.

*http://www.cheesemaking.com/howtomakemozzarellacheese.html

**Try leeners.com or cheesemaking.com