Devonviolet Acres

[Devonviolet]

And now you'll have another goat in milk! Cheese! That ought to make some yummy keto pizza!

I'm making mozzarella cheese today! If it turns out, someone might be receiving a gift soon!

 

[Devonviolet]

Woohoo! The mozzarella cheese turned out yummy!

 

[Hens and Roos]

looks yummy! What recipe did you use?

 

[Baymule]

I'm making mozzarella cheese today! If it turns out, someone might be receiving a gift soon!

 

[Devonviolet]

looks yummy! What recipe did you use?

30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Gallon of Milk(Not UltraPasteurized)
1 Tbsp Citric Acid
1/2 tsp Double Strength Liquid Rennet
1-1/2 tsp Salt

Equipment:

** A large stainless steel pan - I use 2 gallon milking buckets. But, you could use a canning kettle, or something similar.
** Good Thermometer - I use a digital meat thermometer.
** Long Knife to Cut Curds
** Spoon or Ladle to Stir Curds
** Large Colander
** Large non-metal Bowl (I use a glass bowl)
O** ptional - Cotton gloves and Food grade, heat resistant gloves (I use Nitrile) for stretching the curds. Wear the Nitrile gloves over the cotton gloves.
*******
Add liquid rennet to 1/4 cup filtered water. Set your rennet mixture aside to use later.

Add citric acid to 1/2 cup cool, filtered water, mix and pour this into your pot.

Now, pour cold milk into your pot quickly to mix well with the citric acid. This will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later.

Heat the milk slowly to 95°F.

Note: If you're having problems with milk forming a proper curd, you may need to increase this temp to 100°F.

At 95°F, remove the pot from the burner and slowly add your rennet (which you prepared in step one) to the milk. Stir in a top to bottom motion for approx. 30-45 seconds. Stop when you see the curds begin to slightly separate from the whey.

Cover the pot and leave undisturbed for 5-8 minutes.

Check the curd after 5 minutes, it should have a clear separation between the curds and whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky, let it set for a few more minutes. Test the curd, to see if it has what is called a “clean break”, where you stick a knife into the curd and gently lift the tip. If the curd on the tip, of the knife stays on the knife, leaving a clean, sharp edge in the curd. In my case the curd sank to the bottom, so I used a ladle and took at least half of the whey out of the bucket.

Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern.

Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 105°F while slowly stirring the curds with your ladle (if you will be stretching the curds in a hot water bath rather than using a microwave heat to 110°F in this step).

Take the pot off the burner and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 minutes. (More time will make a firmer cheese)

With a slotted spoon, scoop curds into a colander or microwave safe bowl (if the curd is too soft at this point let it sit for another minute or so).

Once transferred, press the curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as possible. If desired, you can reserve the whey to use later in baking or as a soup stock.

If in a colander transfer the curds into a heat safe bowl. Next, microwave the curd for 1 minute.

You will notice more whey separation from the curd. Drain off all whey as you did before. Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point).

Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and repeat the kneading as in the last step to aid in more whey drain off and ensure even heating of the curds. Drain off all of the whey as you go.

Now the fun begins, knead quickly now as you would bread dough. Remove curd from bowl and continue kneading until it is smooth and shiny. Return it to the microwave if needed (if it begins to cool before it's ready to stretch). Add salt near the finish. At this point, if hot enough, the cheese should be soft and pliable enough to stretch, and stretch, and stretch some more (like taffy). This is what makes it Mozzarella.

*** ETA - If you want Smokey Mozzarella Cheese add the following:

1 tsp Wright's Smoke Flavoring

At the heat and knead stage (after heating in microwave for 1 minute), add smoke flavoring and knead well. Stretch and knead. Heat another 30 seconds when it starts breaking as stretched. Knead and stretch. Add salt and knead well. Stretch. Knead and form into a ball.

 

[Baymule]

I watched you make it one day, it is a fascinating process.

 

[Mike CHS]

You have my mailing address right?

 

[Baymule]

 

[Baymule]

You have my mailing address right?

Hey Mike, ask her to put liquid smoke in some, it makes it sooo good! We put her cheese on Triscuit crackers and melted it in the microwave. That is some darn good stuff. Been waiting on her goats to start milking again! Her keifer is delicious too, we love it!

 

[Devonviolet]

I watched you make it one day, it is a fascinating process.

That’s right! I forgot about that!