How To Make Homemade Mozzarella

Knowing how to make your own mozzarella is a dangerous thing. Knowing that at any moment, should the desire present itself, you could whip up your very own ball of creamy mozzarella, still warm from the whey whence it came? Yes. Very, very dangerous. Here’s how to do it.

Needed:

• An 8 quart pot-enameled or stainless steel (do not use cast iron, aluminum, or other reactive pots)
• Thermometer
• Several measuring cups or something else for dissolving the Citric Acid and Rennet
• Strainer for straining the Curds from the Whey
• Sharp and long knife to cut the Curds
• Slotted spoon for stirring the Curds
• Large glass bowl for the drained Whey
• Small glass bowl for the Curds
• Microwave

Optional:

• Plain white Nylon netting for draining the Curds
• Plain white cloth for making Ricotta Cheese with the left over Whey
• Small strainer for dipping out the curds

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon of milk

Leave the milk to set out in the gallon container or in the pot until it gets to 50 degrees. Avoid using ultra-homogenized milk.

• Crushed Rennet tablet

Used for coagulation of the milk. Another option is liquid Rennet.

• 2 teaspoons of Citric Acid

1 teaspoon needs to be dissolved in water and the other one needs to be sprinkled directly into the milk. Citric acid gives the cheese its strength

• ½ cup of water divided in two

Avoid using chlorinated water, bottled water is allowed.

• 1-2 teaspoons of salt