30 Minute Mozzarella

By : Yogurt Hydro | 2 Comments | On : April 4, 2015 | Category : Cheese, Food, Recipes

I made 540 grams of mozzarella cheese for under $5! (A gallon of milk here is $4.60.)
A pound is 454 grams, so I’m pretty happy with the numbers!!

You will need a few supplies:

• Citric Acid
• Liquid Animal Rennet
• Mild Lipase Powder (optional)
• Dairy Thermometer
• Cheese Salt
• Rubber gloves, dedicated to cheesemaking only
• Stainless steel or enameled pot
• Stainless steel slotted spoon
• Long curd cutter
• Stainless steel or plastic sieve
• Microwave safe bowl (optional)
• Whole or raw milk

You’ll be able to make cheese several times with the basic supplies, so it is very cost effective compared to buying mozzarella and the added bonus is being able to tell people you made cheese!!

Lipase powder is optional, but will add flavor to your mozzarella. I made this batch without it, and though I’d like to compare the flavors sometime, the mozzarella without lipase is very good. Kevin is not easily impressed and he LOVED this cheese;)!

Wait at least 24 hours after baking bread, or any yeast based products in your kitchen area.

How To Make Mozzarella Cheese:

Wash and sterilize all your equipment.

Have all your supplies readily available in a clean kitchen (you don’t want to introduce any yeasts or bacteria to your cheese culture).

Dilute 1/4 tsp. of rennet with 1/4 cup cool water. (*If using lipase, use 1/2 tsp. rennet)

Dilute 1 1/2 tsp. citric acid in 1 cup cool water.

Dilute 1/8 – 1/4 tsp. lipase powder in 1/4 cup cool water 20 minutes before use.

Add diluted citric acid and lipase to stainless steel pot.

Pour 1 gallon of cold milk into the pot to combine. Attach dairy thermometer to side of pot and slowly heat milk to 90F. I used a twist tie to secure my thermometer to the side of the pot.

Remove from heat and add rennet. Stir slowly using an up and down motion with your spoon for 30 seconds to distribute rennet evenly from top to bottom. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.

Check the curd by gently pressing the curd at the edge of the pot. It should be separated from the whey with a custard consistency. If not, cover and let stand 2 – 5 minutes longer.

Cut the curds using a long cutter that reaches down into the pot. Cut in 1″ strips in one direction, then in the opposite direction to create 1″ squares.

Reheat to 105F on stovetop while slowly stirring the curds.

Remove from heat and continue stirring for 2 – 5 minutes (the longer you stir, the firmer your cheese will be).

Scoop out curds using a slotted spoon or sieve and place in microwave safe bowl.
(If you don’t own a microwave, leave whey on stove and heat to 175F. This will be used to dip and reheat curds.)

Gently press and pour off excess whey. (You may want to wear rubber gloves while working with hot curds!)

Microwave for 1 minute. Press and drain whey. Fold and press cheese to remove more whey until cheese has cooled.

Microwave again for 30 seconds, knead the cheese removing whey until cheese cools.

Microwave another 30 seconds. Knead cheese until smooth and shiny, working in 1 – 2 tsps. cheese salt. The cheese should be stretchable when done.

Shape cheese into a ball (or several balls) and place in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes.

When completely cooled, wrap in plastic and store in fridge. You can freeze the whey to use in breads and soups, or immediately begin making ricotta cheese (within 3 hours). There are many uses for whey.

That’s it!! It may seem daunting reading the instructions, but it’s actually quite simple and only takes about half an hour and you’ll have about 1 pound of fresh mozzarella for only a few dollars!

The flavor of this mozzarella is so good. I used 1 tsp. of cheese salt and that was enough for me. The cheese tastes fresh, mild, and light – it’s really a world away from the bricks of mozza you buy at the store.

Have you ever made your own mozzarella?

Share This Post!