Well, it is finally summertime, and here in Northern Nevada
we have the temperatures to prove it.
There are so many great and wonderful things that only
summertime brings. We get to watch our kids splash in the pool or under a
sprinkler to keep cool. Take trips to the lake or beach are always
favorites. For me, even the scent of sunscreen changes my mood!! And I can't forget the sun tea, sometimes mixed with fresh lemonade.
One of the best reasons to celebrate summer is summer
produce. Who doesn’t love fresh strawberries or peaches, maybe with some
homemade ice-cream? I think my favorite this year is my basil plant. I have
tried gardening flower beds in the past and have ended up with dried dirt and
sticks. Who knew that gardens need water? Well, this year I tried again, but I
have done something different. I get up and water my plants. And they are
thriving. I also feed them once a week, but I’ll get into that later in the
post.
Today, I am going to
make fresh mozzarella and fresh ricotta cheese. The reason I make ricotta
cheese when I make mozzarella is because a byproduct of making mozzarella is a having
lot of whey left over with cheese particles in it. I want all the cheese I can
get from my gallon of milk. And besides, it gives me a great reason to make my husband’s
favorite dish, lasagna (which I will tell you how to make in part 2)!!
So here we go!!
How to Make
Mozzarella Cheese
The first thing I want to establish, I got my directions
from instructables.com. I have looked all over the internet and tried many
different instructions for making mozzarella cheese and this is the only one I
could get to work. http://www.instructables.com/id/Great-Mozzarella-Cheese/?ALLSTEPS,
http://www.instructables.com/id/Great-Ricotta-Cheese-From-Whey/?ALLSTEPS
Equipment:1. At least an 8 quart pot either enameled or stainless steel. Do not use aluminum.
2. Thermometer. I got this one at Ikea for under $10 and it works great!!
3. Two measuring cups
4. Large strainer
5. Long knife
6. Slotted spoon
7. Large glass bowl
8. Small glass bowl
9. Microwave
10. Cheese cloth or muslin fabric (optional)
11. Rubber gloves (optional)
12. Small strainer
Ingredients:
1. 1 Gallon of Milk. I use whole milk because it is less processed than 2% or skim milk, but you should be able to use them if you prefer. If you have access to raw milk, that is best!! What you want to be careful about is ultra-pasteurized milk. Most organic milk is ultra-pasteurized so it will keep longer. This will not make good mozzarella cheese. I tell you more about this later in the post. Let your milk sit out for a while until it gets to about 50 degrees.
2. 1 Rennet tablet crushed.
3. 2 teaspoons of Citric Acid divided. 1 teaspoon is dissolved in water and the other one is sprinkled directly into the milk. I found both Rennet and citric acid at our local beer brewers supply store. The prices were good and the salesmen were friendly. You can also get it online pretty easily.
4. 1/2 cup water water divided in 2. Use distilled water or bottled drinking water. Be sure not to use tap or chlorinated water.
5.1 teaspoon salt.
1. 1 Gallon of Milk. I use whole milk because it is less processed than 2% or skim milk, but you should be able to use them if you prefer. If you have access to raw milk, that is best!! What you want to be careful about is ultra-pasteurized milk. Most organic milk is ultra-pasteurized so it will keep longer. This will not make good mozzarella cheese. I tell you more about this later in the post. Let your milk sit out for a while until it gets to about 50 degrees.
2. 1 Rennet tablet crushed.
3. 2 teaspoons of Citric Acid divided. 1 teaspoon is dissolved in water and the other one is sprinkled directly into the milk. I found both Rennet and citric acid at our local beer brewers supply store. The prices were good and the salesmen were friendly. You can also get it online pretty easily.
4. 1/2 cup water water divided in 2. Use distilled water or bottled drinking water. Be sure not to use tap or chlorinated water.
5.1 teaspoon salt.
Directions
1.
Pour 1 teaspoon of Citric
Acid into ¼ cup of water and stir. Crush the Rennet tablet and pour it into the
other ¼ cup of water.
2. If you haven't done so already, pour your milk into your pot.
3. If your milk is not 50 degrees, turn on low heat until it is. When it reaches 50 degrees (or warmer is ok) put in your citric acid/water mixture and stir for about 1 minute. 4. Next, sprinkle your dry citric acid into the pot and stir for another minute. 5. Heat your milk to 88-90 degrees. I usually let it get to 88 and remove it from the burner to avoid too much heat in case of inaccurate thermometer. 6. Add rennet/water mixture and stir for 15-20 seconds. 7. Put the lid on the pot and wait for 15-30 minutes, or until you get a “clean break.” Mine usually takes about 25 or 30 minutes.
2. If you haven't done so already, pour your milk into your pot.
3. If your milk is not 50 degrees, turn on low heat until it is. When it reaches 50 degrees (or warmer is ok) put in your citric acid/water mixture and stir for about 1 minute. 4. Next, sprinkle your dry citric acid into the pot and stir for another minute. 5. Heat your milk to 88-90 degrees. I usually let it get to 88 and remove it from the burner to avoid too much heat in case of inaccurate thermometer. 6. Add rennet/water mixture and stir for 15-20 seconds. 7. Put the lid on the pot and wait for 15-30 minutes, or until you get a “clean break.” Mine usually takes about 25 or 30 minutes.
This is what
it should look like after stirring in the rennet, before letting it sit.
This is what
your clean break should look like. When you stick your finger in it, the curd
and whey should separate and not stick to your finger. If it is still watery, let
it sit a bit longer. If you cannot get a clean break, your milk may be ultra-pasteurized.
Even if it doesn’t say ultra-pasteurized, the manufacturer may overheat it and
not put it on the label. In my experience, Kirkland milk from Costco does not
make good mozzarella. It will, however make good ricotta. For this batch, I
used Wal-Mart’s Great Value brand. This is the best batch yet!!!
2.
1. Cut the Curds into 1/2
inch cubes from top to bottom. Then do the same thing at a 45 degree angle.
2. Let
curds sit for 5 or 10 minutes, undisturbed.
3.
1. Heat on very low heat
to 108 degrees stirring occasionally, just enough to keep the curds separated.
2. When the temperature is 108 degrees, turn off the heat and continue
stirring every few minutes for another 20 minutes while the curds continue to
shrink.
4.
1. You can either dip the
curds out with a small strainer or drain the curds into a strainer. Let them
strain for about 15 or 20 minutes until all the whey is drained out. Be sure to
save the whey, you will need it for the ricotta cheese. There are also a few
other things you can do with the strained whey but I’ll get into that later in
the post. 2. Place
the curds in a small glass bowl.
5.
1. Heat the curd in the
microwave for 30 seconds. 2.
Using a slotted spoon or your hand, gently squeeze the whey from the curd and pour
off the whey.
6.
Microwave again tor 15 to 20 seconds and
squeeze the whey again working into a ball. Around this time, I put on some
rubber gloves because the curd gets a little hot. Pour off the whey.
7. Microwave,
squeeze and pour, over and over until there is almost no whey sitting in the
bowl after coming out of the microwave. I had to do this several times. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. At this point it
should start to get stretchy. Grab about 1/3 to ½ and lift. It should start to stretch
under its own weight. If not, microwave for a few more seconds. Stretch and knead
like dough. Knead it like bread into a ball, and microwaving when necessary, until
smooth and shiny. It should look like the last picture when finished.
8. You
can then freeze it for an hour and shred for lasagna (recipe will be in part 2
of this post) or you can slice it up for some caprice!!!!
Now for the
Ricotta!!
This one is
pretty easy and quick.
1. 1.
Boil the leftover whey, in the same pot, until it reaches 200 degrees. The temperature
doesn’t really matter;
just don’t let it boil over. You don’t want to clean up that mess. 2.
Stir and let cool. This doesn’t really have to be an exact temperature either;
you just want it to be manageable. You don’t want to accidently spill boiling
hot whey on yourself. It hurts.
2. 1.
Line a very, very large strainer with a cheese cloth or muslin. I use muslin
because it is reusable and strains better. I wash it with my kitchen towels
then sterilize in boiling water. 2. Pour the whey and let drain, I usually let
if drain for a couple hours, I don’t like mushy ricotta. Then package it up and
refrigerate. I have a really good ricotta, basil and pea dip recipe if anyone
is interested. This will also be going into the lasagna.
Now, what to do with the Whey!!!
There are a few things you can do with it.
I water it down (a lot) and feed my plants with it
every Monday. They are thriving (considering they are my plants and I have a
reputation as a plant murder!!).
I also have a recipe, which I will be sharing with you
in Part 2 of this post, for Old-Fashioned Lemon Whey Pie. I am gluten
intolerant so this will be a gluten free version.
There are other uses also. You can put it in smoothies or put in soups.
Or you can just throw it out. I just like to get everything I can from my
gallon of milk.
As for the carton, I like to use it to store my
strained whey and I repurpose it as a water container. It only costs about 30
cents to fill up a gallon jug at the grocery store and costs anywhere from 79
cents to over a dollar to buy a full jug.
And that’s how you make Mozzarella and Ricotta Cheese
using every last penny you spent on your gallon of milk. I apologize this is so
long, I guess I should have split this into an additional part. Thank you for
reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully soon you will enjoy some freshly made mozzarella!!
Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3, where I will be providing recipes using your
cheeses and whey and showing you how to make Greek yogurt in a crock pot. Slice
up some cheese and tomatoes, add some basil, salt and oil for some caprice and
invite someone over to enjoy a summer snack!!
“Contribute to the
needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Romans 12:13 (ESV)
“Show hospitality to
one another without grumbling.”
1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)
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