How to Make American Mozzarella Cheese

I'm excited and pleased to announce that I have finally been able to produce Mozzarella cheese. Mind you, it's fresh cheese made at home. I can control the dairy and the ingredients. Daggumit...I can make it. Isn't that cool? Now why would I make it if I can just buy it at the store? Hypothetically...I could. Just like the rest of the world, but there is something fantastic about being able to take a raw ingredient and make something out of it. I adore the freedom that it gives me to know that no matter what the circumstance, if I have milk...we can have cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese and yogurt. If you missed any of those posts on Homemade dairy, they are a good read. They are also wonderfully instructive picture tutorials on some of that homemade dairy basic stuff. I started making homemade dairy when we had some friends drop off several cases of dry milk powder. They had no idea what to make with the dry milk...and I was a full time stay at home mom on a very tight income. I saw all kinds of possibilities, and I learned quickly. Needless to say, as things have become less tight, I've relaxed on my cheese making. However, the nagging question at the back of my mind has always been lingering on other cheeses. Could I make pizza for my kids or lasagna if all I had was milk powder* and some flour? Could you?! This has been my quest, not only for myself, but for anyone who may be anxious to learn a new skill. I'm passionate about learning and trying new things. Cheese is the next step...in many steps.


Tutorial Tuesday today is American mozzarella. This is the cheese commonly used on American pizza. It is made using citric acid for acidification instead of bacterial fermentation as in other cheeses. It is very elastic, melts well and strings when hot. It makes great American Pizza.


This recipe was created for Junket by Dr. David B Fankhauser, PhD Professor of Biology and Chemistry University of Cincinnati Clermont College. Dr. David is very smart. I bow to his mighty large brain.

You will need:

Ingredients:

1/2 Junket Rennet Tablet

1-1/4 teaspoon citric acid powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 gallon milk whole milk for a richer flavor or skimmed milk for low calorie cheese*
( Note: I have been very successful using dry milk powder* dissolved in water for all my dairy making, but Dr. David Fankhauser does not recommend it usually.)

Equipment: Large 2 gallon pot, one gallon bowl, 8 inch strainer and cheese cloth. 1 quart more of water and 1/3 cup of salt.

Directions:
Warm milk over gentle heat 88ºF (31ºC). Temperature is important so use a thermometer and watch it carefully!

If you have never seen a rennet tablet, let me introduce you to my friendly neighbor hood Junket.



It takes half a tablet to make a batch of mozzarella.

This next ingredient is granulated citric acid. If you don't know where to find it, look in the home canning section of your local Wal-Mart or contact my friend Troy down at Preparing Wisely. He said there would be some in the store (hopefully today). A little goes a long way and I assure you...it is well worth keeping around if you plan on making cheese on a regular basis.

Dissolve 1-1/4 tsp. citric acid powder in 1/2 cup cool water.

Dissolve 1/2 Junket Rennet Tablet into 1/4 cup cool water. Stir thoroughly into warmed milk
mixture. When it set about 30 minutes it looked like this:

Let set undisturbed for 1-2 hours, until a clean break is achieved. It will come clean when you cut into it. Cut curd into 1/2 inch cubes.

Put the curds and whey in a large 2 gallon pot. I usually heat just two minutes and remove from the heat. Warm the curds and whey over low heat, stirring gently to warm evenly and keep the curds separated until temperature reaches 42º C (108ºF). When the pot is off the heat, it is easier to Hold at 42ºC for 35 minutes, stirring every five minutes to keep curds separated and off the bottom. This temperature is a "no brainer" in Arizona during the summer. In fact, I can put the pot outside on my patio and it stays perfect for the duration of this step. At any rate, while it is held at that temperature, get your remaining equipment ready. While it heats, get your strainer and a one gallon bowl...

Cloth to line the strainer is pivotal for good cheese. I use a fine cotton instead of the store purchased "cheesecloth". I find it not only costs me nothing...but it is much better for cheese making at retaining all the curd. This cotton I drape over the strainer.

Pour the curd into the cloth and twist the top of the cloth closed.

This is an 8 inch sieve over a 1 gallon container, let drain for 15 minutes. The whey will separate from the curd.

After 15 minutes it will look like this:

Now you need a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Set it aside. Get your one tsp of salt. Put the curd in a bowl.

With very clean hands, break up curd. Then mix in 1 teaspoon salt thoroughly.

Place 1 cup of salted curd into 2 cup glass measure. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. You will also need to put 1/3 cup salt into 4 cups of water to make the brine for the cheese. This salt needs to be dissolved.

Remove cheese curd from the microwave. Separate hot curd from container with the back of a fork, knead with hands to distribute heat evenly. Use caution, as it can become very hot.

Heat again for 20 more seconds. Stretch and fold to make smooth and elastic shape into a soft ball.

Drop into cold, salted water (1/3 cup salt per quart), let sit in refrigerator for a day, store in an air tight container. Use within a week.

Again, I can't take credit for this amazing process. This recipe was created for Junket by Dr. David B Fankhauser, PhD Professor of Biology and Chemistry University of Cincinnati Clermont College http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/CHEESE.HTML . I, Chef Tess, am but a faithful follower of Dr David. Thank you for all you do!

To see more delicious recipes and products visit the Junket web site http://www.junketdesserts.com/ and if you do remember this little tidbit...

Redco Foods AKA Junket wrote me an email. Here's what they said, "Currently we have a promotion running that with your first order you will receive 50% off (before shipping) using offer code JKT5006. We would be delighted if you posted this recipe on your blog. Have a great day!"

So, there you go folks. Make some cheese! I want to hear about your experiences.

Rambling Reviews...Junket Ice Cream Mix

I'm breaking down. It's two posts in a row that I'm showing my weaknesses. Is anyone getting scared? I hope not. I think it's healthy. It gives me freedom to be human. Breath...Here goes. I'm making a true confession. I have a weakness for this ice cream mix.
Did I ever once claim that I would never use a mix? Ever? I'm not above it. I think if you find something that works, you should. In this case I broke down because I was really craving a good chocolate ice cream. This box was just over a dollar and since I already had cream at home it was a really low cost alternative to the other ice cream at the store. I would have paid a lot more for the cocoa powder alone. I like the premium stuff because it only takes a few small spoonfuls to kill my craving. Weight Watchers loves me. My "regular milk"allergy doesn't allow much more than that anyway. Well, imagine my joy in finding that it made a rich creamy spoon full of heaven. I am already a fan of Junket tablets for making Homemade cottage cheese and Homemade Cream Cheese . Now, I'm stocking up on this mix as well. It' was awesome. I folded in some toasted chopped almonds and chunks of gourmet chocolate I had tucked away earlier this year. With stuff I already had on hand, I made premium ice cream for just over a buck. Thank you Junket! I love you guys!

The other benefit of making ice cream at home? Seeing my son excitedly looking into the ice cream mixer. It took me back to the painted cinder block steps on my grandma's porch. Just for a moment, I was there. I was a bright eyed child again waiting for ice cream from the mixer. Speaking of bright eyed children...look at Face. I told him we may never buy this stuff again and he almost cried. Don't worry. I was being sarcastic. Face just didn't get the joke.

There you go. Maybe if I talk about Junket enough they will give away some free ice cream mix to some of you. Awe crap (pardon my slang). Maybe they would give some to me too! Wouldn't that be a little spoonful of heaven? Anyone with me?!

As an end note...I ended up taking some of this ice cream to my home bound neighbor and she cried. She used to make this Junket as a kid. What a sweet ending to an already joyful day.

Alternate Cooking Method Homemade Cottage Cheese

This is the official follow up on the original posting for Homemade cottage cheese . Brace yourselves people. I, Stephanie Petersen, am now letting everyone know that there may be an easier way to make cottage cheese from powdered milk. I'm almost embarrassed to admit this. It's just hurting my cute little ego. Sigh...alas, I think it's very healthy to admit when something this cool happens to me. It was quite by accident that I came across this method. There. It's out there. I'm not as sharp as I pretend to be. Is anyone? Really? Except for Ace. He is as cool as he pretends to be (think on that one...). On this occasion, I literally just forgot to add all the water to my powdered milk. I was using powdered because we where out of fresh milk. The irony? I was shocked at how quickly it set and how much easier it was. I think I actually find more success. Scary isn't it? First, I followed the instructions for Homemade cottage cheese except I used:

COTTAGE CHEESE
Ingredients:
1/4 Junket Rennet Tablet (http://www.junketdesserts.com/)
1/2 cup water
1 quart water, 70 degrees
4 cups powdered milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cream

Dissolve Rennet Tablet in 1/2 cup water by crushing. Set aside. In a large (8 cup capacity) sterile microwave safe dish with a fitting lid, heat water to 70º F. Add the milk powder and dissolve. 70 degrees is important. It will not feel warm to the touch. (Use a thermometer folks!) Stir in buttermilk and Rennet Tablet solution, mixing well. Cover with towel and let stand at room temperature 12 to 18 hours until firm curd forms. To test for firm curd, remove a milk sample at a point near the edge of the pan or bowl with a spoon. The curd is ready when the coagulated milk sample holds its shape and the edges are sharply defined.
Now here's the difference in cooking method. I took the curd and placed it in the microwave for 1 minute on high heat, then stirred it. Allowing it to sit for 5 minutes.
If you are against the microwave cooking, by all means, do the double boiler spoken of in the original post.

Make sure you are Checking that the curd doesn't get above 115 degrees. 110 degrees is optimal. Mine did get slightly warmer and I stirred it. Even a few degrees hotter and it will turn to more of a soft fresh mozzarella. This batch actually ended up okay because I caught it in time. I have found this method to be easier at allowing it to stay at this temperature for about 20 minutes.

Stir ever few minutes and heat 20-30 seconds if it gets below 100 degrees. After 20 minutes, drain the whey. It takes a lot less space to do this one and yields about one pound of cottage cheese with excellent flavor. Not a hint of dry milk taste. Transfer to a clean bowl and mix in the salt and cream. Enjoy as you would cottage cheese.

See, and now you can sleep at night knowing that even I can admit when I find a better way. I'm not opposed to seeking out bold better and brighter futures. I think we can all agree on that.
There you go...

Hey, does anyone else wonder why I end all my posts "There you go"?

It's my way of saying, "Now you go do it." I want to hear all your joys and despairs on this journey. I'm here learning everyday right along with you.

So...There you go.

Homemade Cream Cheese

First I want to say that I claim nothing about this cheese other than the fact that I love the work of this man. I love smart people. His name is David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Chemistry University of Cincinnati Clermont College. I have been practicing the recipe he wrote for cream cheese May 5, 2003 for Redco foods. His cheese pages are fabulous. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/cheese.html This is the method I use and I love it. It's so very similar to the beginning stage of cottage cheese making that I may have repeated some pictures.

This is a soft, spreadable cheese originated from France and is eaten fresh. It's sometimes called Farmer's cheese. I use it in cheesecake, fold it into hot pasta, spread it on crunchy toasted sourdough, mix it with herbs...it is cream cheese. You do need a few basic pieces of equipment.

Dr. Fankhauser uses the following:

5 quart stainless steel pot with a lid, sterilized by boiling water 5 minutes.

Wire whisk

Thermometer (should read in the range of 32-200 degrees)

Quart strainer

1 quart bowl (to receive dripping curd)

Sterile handkerchief (sterilized by boiling and hanging to dry)

Receiving container to catch draining whey. A one gallon bowl or bucket will do fine.

Ingredients:

1 gallon milk (can be made with whole milk for a richer flavor or skimmed milk for a lower calorie version. I often use fat free powdered milk.)

1/4 cup cultured fresh buttermilk

1/4 tablet Junket Rennet Tablet

Directions and method:

1. Pour the milk into the pre-sterilized 5 quart stainless steel pot. Warm to 65 degrees (use your thermometer!) with stirring.

2. Meanwhile, dissolve the 1/4 tablet rennet in 1/4 cup water.

3. When the milk reaches 65 degrees, remove from the heat and add the buttermilk. whisk to mix thoroughly.

4. Stir the dissolved rennet into the 65 degree inoculated milk. Blend thoroughly.

5. Cover and let sit overnight undisturbed at room temperature (65-70 degrees Fahrenheit).

6. The next morning, a clean break should have formed. If the milk isn't firm enough, let it sit until it does, as long as another 12 hours.

When the clean break is achieved, cut the curd into chunks and transfer to the sterile handkerchief supported in a large strainer and placed over a one gallon receiving bowl. Allow the whey to drain through.

You may save the whey for making muffins or quick bread. You may also use it to make ricotta cheese. That's a whole different recipe though. Here's what the whey looks like. It's kind of yellow and smells like milk. But it's clear.

On a personal note, I use a little clip after a while.

When most of the whey has drained off, take this little bundle of joy and if you have a smaller bowl with a strainer, put it in the fridge. The next day remove the cheese and mix in 1-3 tsp salt. It may be eaten immediately or stored in the fridge until use. Ours never lasts long.

Especially if there is fresh honey and sourdough in the house.

There you go.

Homemade cottage cheese

I've been experimenting with homemade cottage cheese for a while. I think we've finally got it right. Yippee! Not that I have done anything as far as pioneering any methods here. Just know that it took me a little while to feel like I had the hang of it and cut yourself some slack if your first batch doesn't turn out perfect. Mine didn't. Now, if your first batch does turn out perfect, feel free to make sure you know how amazing you are! I'd hug you if I could. This recipe does in fact come from the makers of Junket Rennet tablets. If you don't know what that is, don't feel badly. I had to learn about it too. Rennet tablets contain the natural enzyme rennin. Rennet changes milk into a smooth custard, and eventually cheese curd. I was surprised to find it at my local Wal-Mart by the ice cream toppings. It is in fact what a lot of folks use to make homemade custards and ice cream. So...look for the box. If you don't have it, it can be ordered. http://www.junketdesserts.com/. I keep it on hand. Cost, $1.50 a box, 8 tablets to a box. 1/4 tablet makes about a pound of cottage cheese. So, it's well worth the price. May I add here that I love these people who make Junket! You all rock! My cottage cheese recipe comes from the Junket folks. http://www.junketdesserts.com/cheeserecipes.aspx. Everyone should check them out, buy their stuff and keep them in business. I don't work for them...so I'm saying it from the heart. Really. Plus their packaging looks like 1950. I feel so retro when I use it.
COTTAGE CHEESE
Ingredients:
1/4 Junket Rennet Tablet
1/2 cup water
1 gallon skim milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cream

1. Dissolve Rennet Tablet in water by crushing. Set aside. In a large saucepan, heat skim milk to 70º F. (Use a thermometer folks!) Stir in buttermilk and Rennet Tablet solution, mixing well. Cover with towel and let stand at room temperature 12 to 18 hours until firm curd forms. To test for firm curd, remove a milk sample at a point near the edge of the pan or bowl with a spoon. The curd is ready when the coagulated milk sample holds its shape and the edges are sharply defined.

2. Cut curd into 1/2-inch long pieces using a long knife. Heat curd slowly over hot water until temperature reaches 110ºF. May I interject here and say that my first batch I did over a double boiler, I heated it a little too much and my curds ended up really hard. More like cheese than cottage creamy cheese. So, just heat the water then turn off the heat. That worked perfectly the second batch. Hey look, this picture could have been taken in 1950. It's like "I Love Lucy" but I'm not wearing fake eyelashes. Oh yes, I am wearing that frilly apron though.

Mmmm. Curd.

Hold curd at that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring at 5-minute intervals to heat curd uniformly. Again, 110 degrees is not super hot. Use a thermometer to help you gauge it. You'll be glad you did.

Dude...whey.

Pour mixture onto the fine cheesecloth in a colander and drain off whey.

Also, have a bowl of cool water nearby.

Now it gets really non-technical.

I bunched it with a clippy thing. Then when the whey had drained for 2 -3 minutes I said, " Dude...NO Whey." Sometimes I turn into surfer chick.

3. After whey has drained 2 to 3 minutes, lift curd in cheesecloth and immerse in pan of cold water 1 to 2 minutes, stirring and pressing with a spoon. Then immerse in ice water 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain the curd until it is free from whey and place in a large bowl. Add salt and cream and mix thoroughly. Chill.

Yes, this is really my own homemade stuff. I feel so proud.

There you go. Have fun and let me know when you have said "Dude...no whey".

You know I love you.