# Made my first mozz cheese



## shellbellc (Mar 20, 2007)

Super easy...Deb don't get mad at me, I bought one of the kits with the rennet, citric acid, cheese salt, cheese cloth and thermometer...It was super easy.  I didn't see the recipe posted in any of the other threads on the step by step process everyone else tried so I just went with the directions in the kit.  1/4 tab of rennet in 1/2 c water set aside. 1 cup water w/ 1 1/2 tsp of citric acid, stir til desolved, add gallon of whole milk.  Stir and bring to 88 degrees over medium heat then take off heat.  Add renet mixture, stir for 30 seconds then let sit for 5 - 8 minutes.  "Slice" curd into 1 in squares with knife then slowly stir curds.  Dump whey, add curds to microwave bowl.  Heat for 1 minute, start forming ball, dump any whey.  As it cools heat 35 seconds continue mixing/stretching.  I had to heat one more time at 35 seconds and the ball became stretchy, shiny and what I thought was done.  I let it cool and fridged it.  I think it was awesome!  Oh I also added 1 tsp cheese salt after the first minute in the microwave and when I started "streching".  Could've used maybe a little more salt, but I got scared when I read smoked's notes...I will definitely do again!  Can't wait for summer tomaters and I can make a truly from scratch lasagna!  Next one (mozz)I will try some smoke on...


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## msmith (Mar 20, 2007)

Sounds very good shellbellc


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## shellbellc (Mar 20, 2007)

It was!  A little over 1/2 hour from start to done stretching.


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## tonto1117 (Mar 20, 2007)

Sounds great Shellbec, were did you get the kit from???


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## deejaydebi (Mar 20, 2007)

Gee Shell -
I wouldn't get mad at you! Kits are okay but just to darned expensive! Go to my website and check the recipes in the cheese section. I just hate for people to spend more money than they have to! The recipe and step by step directions are also in the Making Cheese At Home forum I run but you didn't sign in yet.

http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/

You can probably buy the Junket rennet at the grocery store in the pudding section for about $2 and the citric acid (which is also good for sausage) for about $2 but that might be harder to find. MAke sure you rinse the cheese after it sits in the brine or it will be very salty! I assumed that would be understood as it is a brine and we used them all the ime in smoking but silly me 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 I should know about assuming things.

Don't smoe it for more than about 30 minutes or it'll get icky! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Glad to hear you tried it though it's way better than store bought cheese!


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## deejaydebi (Mar 20, 2007)

PS 

I also have a set of drawings for making a cheese press that will save you close to $50 so don't buy a cheese press!


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## gunslinger (Mar 20, 2007)

Great!!
I haven't made any cheese yet. I wanted to get a big all clad stainless pot before I do it. Them pots are EXPENSIVE!!!!!
I acquired a 24 qt pot this weekend, so I'll make some myself soon. As I said in another post, I don't care for mozzarella, but I'm going to try it (per Debi's insistence
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 ). Maybe it'll be better homemade. I just prefer really stinky old cheese.


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## deejaydebi (Mar 21, 2007)

Tom -

It really does taste better than the stuff in the store and it's great with some diced jalapinos pulled in the end or some crumbled bacon. Also gives you a chance to learn the texture of a clean break - betcha Ariel will eat it!

Do you have any Good Will stores down by you? I got a smaller 12 quart SS pot there for about $20 had a few dings but what the hey ...

I do agree that cheese is always better when it smells like old gym socks...


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## gunslinger (Mar 21, 2007)

Arial will eat/not eat anything. Does that make sense?


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## deejaydebi (Mar 21, 2007)

Fussy when she wants to be huh? She is cute ...


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## payson (Mar 21, 2007)

I made some w/ a kit as well. Gotta check out your (Deejaydebbie)instructions now. We rolled some cappicolla into it... awsome! It is far better than store bought!


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## shellbellc (Mar 21, 2007)

OOOhhh, never thought of stretching things into it!  My hubby would love HOT pepper mozz.  Make a sort of lasagna with some spicy sausage, hot pepper mozz, more hot pepps and a salsa instead of a tomato sauce.  He would love that.  You could probably put some smoked sausage in when stretching the cheese and that would give it some smoked flavoring...


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## deejaydebi (Mar 24, 2007)

The kids like it rolled into preztle logs. Thye sell it in the stores that way.


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## deejaydebi (Mar 27, 2007)

I like to put some dill weed in it for antipasto - yummmmm


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## payson (Mar 27, 2007)

The possibilities are endless! Do you make mozzarella with whole milk or buttermilk? Buttermilk seems like it would make a great cheese although I don't like it on its own...


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## shellbellc (Mar 27, 2007)

I just used whole mile, but I was wondering about trying a higher fat milk like cream or half/half. I thought about buttermilk also, but I don't like the flavor of it...(except for fried chicken!)


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## payson (Mar 27, 2007)

Ahh, Half/Half... you might be onto something!


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## deejaydebi (Mar 30, 2007)

I like to use whole milk for mozzarella but you can even use powdered milk in a pinch. 

Butter milk will make more of a Queso Fresco type cheese than mozzarella.

Cream and buttermilk make Sour Cream.

Check out the cheese recipes on my site for an idea of what makes what.

http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/CheeseDownloads.htm


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## cheech (May 10, 2007)

I just spoke with a guy today that is building up his water buffalo farm in order to make cheese. He claims that the buffalo milk has a higher fat content and thus makes a better moz cheese. The cheese he makes has a shelf like of 2-7 days which seems like a bit of a problem for distribution.


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## deejaydebi (May 10, 2007)

Cheech -

In Italty they make mozzarella with buffalo milk. Most people just don't have them in there neighborhoods! 

Man you gonna make some GREAT cheese!


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## cheech (May 10, 2007)

He told me that his experience is being a dairy farmer and does not have the experience in making the cheese. He is hoping to start by making some by hand and then moving to automating it.

Do you know if your way is the same way that he would make it? I know that he would love the help. 

His herd is currently around 250 but he hopes to increase the size of the herd soon.


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## white cloud (May 11, 2007)

I use old twice sweat in gym socks instead of cheese cloth for a slightly funky flavor I call it nikeoralla ala sweaty primogana ala perfec toe jam ha ha


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## deejaydebi (May 11, 2007)

Cheech-

He could start that way but when he automates it it'll really be to hard to knead tons of cheese. 

There's serveral ways to make the mozzarella but my way is the easiest and fastest. Good way to get a taste and feel for it. The hardeat part for a newbie is knowing when to cut the curds - that's the same no matter how much you make.


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## nogoer (May 22, 2007)

Way back when...mozzarella was actually made from buffalos milk not cows milk. Otherwise it wasnt considered mozzarella. Awhile ago i tried some buffalo mozzy but i dont remember it being that much better than the cows milk version.

I have made mozzy using the half hour recipes and the hour recipes but found all of them to be slightly lacking on the flavor side. Texture was fine but i wanted the sharper taste i was used to. Finally i found an excuse and bought some lipase for parmesean about 2 months ago. I just have been busy and havent had a chance to swing back to cheesemaking to try it in homemade mozzarella.

To alot of the comments throughout this post...you have to be a little careful with ingredients. Salt measurements and fat content do play a major scientific role in the style of cheese you are making. Especially salt as too much can halt the bacterial ripening and profoundly change the final taste. Cheese isnt salted "to taste" its salted for ageing.

That being said experimentation is how we have all the cheeses there are. Its just if your trying to make a specific cheese like cheddar your sort of need to follow proven recipes. Otherwise you have made "farm cheese" 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  which constitutes any cheese you make that didnt wind up as what you wanted.


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## shellbellc (May 22, 2007)

I've had the buffala mozz at a couple of restaurants with the tomato, basil, and balsamic vinegar.  I thought it was just slightly stronger in flavor...

I haven't done this for a while, I'll have to try this weekend.


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## deejaydebi (May 23, 2007)

I've made buffalo milkcheese - but we just had a article in the paper some guy up the road about 10 miles is going to start a buffalo farm but I think it's just for meat.


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## az_redneck (May 30, 2007)

You can get kits and presses reasonably priced at www.leeners.com .. I mention them a lot and no, I don't have any affilliation with them. I just love the stuff they sell...


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## deejaydebi (Jun 1, 2007)

I've got a heavy duty press desgn you can make for about $20 if you buy all the parts, or you can buy one similar for about $50.

http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/Chees...heesePress.pdf


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