You are merely 3 simple ingredients away from having the freshest most delicious Mozzarella cheese! You literally just need whole milk, white vinegar and a little salt to make yourself a fresh ball of mozzarella. Whether you plan on using it in a recipe -like a fresh homemade lasagna or handmade pizza – or adding it to your favorite charcuterie set-up, you are going to be just as amazed as I was to see how easy this is. And it doesn’t even take that much time. Start to finish – all told – you are looking at 45 minutes for a jug a milk to be silky fresh mozzarella cheese.
For this recipe, I have turned this into one large ball of mozzarella cheese. You can make it into smaller portions, or even make those cute little balls for serving on a snack platter or packing for lunch. This is such an easy recipe – it would make a great one for an afterschool or weekend activity with your kids. Or if you are looking for something fun to do with a kid’s group you work with – this is a great idea. Because we all know how much everyone really loves cheese.
Substitutes and Variations:
Once you have the process down, you can start to get fancy pants with this. You can add in herbs and spices at the final shaping stage. Since the ingredients are relatively inexpensive as well as easy to come by, I say play around with it as much as you want.
Suggestions for Sides:
As I mentioned above, you can use this in any recipe you have the calls for mozzarella cheese. If you want to shred it, I do strongly advise that you wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in the refrigerator for several hours so that it gets more solid. You can also place it in the freezer to speed up the process.
Tools that may make this recipe easier:
You are going to need two semi-specialty items to make this cheese. One is cheesecloth, which is super easy to find in the food preservation section of your store. You know, near the food saver bags andd canning supplies. Another tool you will need is a spider strainer– sometimes called a frying ladle. You can use a slotted spoon, but it will be much faster with the strainer.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Fresh Made Mozzarella Cheese
Equipment
- Cheese Cloth
Ingredients
- ½ gal Whole Milk
- ½ cup White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- Cold Water
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add whole milk. Bring to 115degF, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Once milk is to temperature, add vinegar while stirring. Within 10 seconds the curds should start to separate from the whey. Continue stirring for a minute. Then remove the pan from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Drape two layers of cheesecloth in a bowl. Use a spider strainer (frying ladle) to remove the curds from the whey into the cheesecloth. Once all the curds are in the cloth, squeeze as much of the additional whey from the curds.
- Transfer the curds to a microwave safe bowl (if not already using one). Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and check that the center of the cheese ball is to 160degF. If not, microwave again for 15 seconds.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then work the cheese with your hands until a smooth ball forms by folding it over and over itself.
- Return the ball to the bowl and cover with cold water. Add the salt. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut and enjoy right away. Or you can tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for a few hours before shredding.
- You can keep the cheese in the refrigerator (whole, sliced or shredded) for 1-2 weeks, wrapped in plastic or other airtight storage container.
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Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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