Okay, so now I qualify as an official cheese maker Yeah, it's a simple introduction into cheese making kind of cheese that I made, but I am still amazed at being able to produce cheese. I made mozzarella and it required milk, citric acid, rennet and a pinch of salt. It's so simple that few ingredients are required and time spent is minimal.
So now I am a cheese maker. A gallon of milk goes into a large stainless steel pot with a thermometer attached. Citric acid, dissolved in water is added Heat it up to 90 F and add the rennet. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. If the cheese has "set" you can cut the cheese in a checkerboard fashion. It's set if it looks like custard that has separated away from a liquid. (curds are the solids and whey is the liquid). Now you heat up the curds to 110 F. At this point the curds are strained. This might have to happen twice. Then the product (solid cheese) is then worked into which ever shape you like. Plus this is an all natural product. Citric acid is found in fruits like lemons and oranges and rennet is derived from either an animal or vegetable source. When salt is used it should be sea salt as the iodine in table salt impedes the cheese making.
I happen to love fresh mozzarella and have had a hankering to try making it and finally took the plunge, and boy oh boy am I ever glad I did. There is a lot of self satisfaction that comes from tackling a project or making something we thought would be difficult or that we are unsure if we can do it or not. When you have successful completion it's grin time! The project was so much more fun having completed it with a friend. Now we need to make another batch because we ate almost all the cheese with some Hungarian sausage and washed it all down with a couple of Fat Tire beers. Fun!
So now I am a cheese maker. A gallon of milk goes into a large stainless steel pot with a thermometer attached. Citric acid, dissolved in water is added Heat it up to 90 F and add the rennet. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. If the cheese has "set" you can cut the cheese in a checkerboard fashion. It's set if it looks like custard that has separated away from a liquid. (curds are the solids and whey is the liquid). Now you heat up the curds to 110 F. At this point the curds are strained. This might have to happen twice. Then the product (solid cheese) is then worked into which ever shape you like. Plus this is an all natural product. Citric acid is found in fruits like lemons and oranges and rennet is derived from either an animal or vegetable source. When salt is used it should be sea salt as the iodine in table salt impedes the cheese making. 
I happen to love fresh mozzarella and have had a hankering to try making it and finally took the plunge, and boy oh boy am I ever glad I did. There is a lot of self satisfaction that comes from tackling a project or making something we thought would be difficult or that we are unsure if we can do it or not. When you have successful completion it's grin time! The project was so much more fun having completed it with a friend. Now we need to make another batch because we ate almost all the cheese with some Hungarian sausage and washed it all down with a couple of Fat Tire beers. Fun!
woo hoo! Well done :) I'm a glutton for buffalo mozzarella, it has such great texture and taste.
ReplyDeleteThe satisfaction must be immense. I've been baking our own bread since the January snows and love it. The loaves don't always look perfect but they taste excellent.
Taste and texture get me too, I love it! I saw your posting about baking fresh bread, there's nothing quite like a fresh loaf in this world. It's the ultimate comfort food.
DeleteWow !very nice dish.This is really an interesting blog as it focuses on the very important topic. i came to know about so many things or tips.Thanks for sharing it..
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Myofascial Pain, thank you for reading and I'm glad you find value and enjoyment by reading!
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