How to turn milk into mozzarella cheese

Please visit my blog: http://billyandanuttama.wordpress.com/ for more home dairying and recipes.

March 2009, IMPORTANT UPDATE: I finally tried making mozzarella using the store-bought "milk" available here in the USA. It is pasteurized and homogenized. I used three gallons and added 1/2 tsp of liquid rennet. About 1/4 cup of buttermilk for the starter. The first thing that I noticed as being different than when I make this with non-processed milk is that while the milk set quickly, when I cut it, the curds disintegrated into tiny curds rather than remaining in the chunks for some time. It was quite difficult to strain the whey to make ricotta. (I got about a pound of ricotta). Then after letting it sit over night, it wouldn't melt although it was quite cultured by the buttermilk. I didn't add the hot water, but just added salt and it made a tasty, fairly tart cheese, something like a cross between feta and cream cheese. But it wasn't mozzarella.

I am cow-sitting for the winter so I learned how to make mozzarella because I had so much milk.

If you want a recipe, I suggest you visit Dr. Frankhauser's Cheese Page: http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/CHEESE.HTML
Dr. Frankhauser has also posted suppliers for ingredients and equipment. Good luck and have fun!

12-07: This year the museum's cow, Rain presented us with a beautiful calf, Dhana, who we are keeping. Rain is a Jersey and Dhana's Dad is a mostly white Holstein, but somehow Dhana came out almost totally black. She has some white patches on her tummy and (future) udder.

12-08 update. We have Rain back for the Winter again and I'm back to making mozzarella. Through trial and error, I've become quite good at making the mozzarella by-product: ricotta. Use the whey right after you've heated the curd (before letting it sit overnight). Heat it to 200º F and remove from heat. Then add lemon juice one TBS at a time and barely stir in the lemon juice as you watch curds form on the top. Go really slowly. When the whey looks like urine (sorry), rather than slightly cloudy, you are done adding lemon juice. Let the curd/whey set for about 15 minutes and then strain through a double layer of cheese cloth. I get about 2 lbs of ricotta from a four gallon batch of mozzarella. To think I used to give this whey to the dogs! Now they get the clearer stuff.

The music on this video is Europa by Guitar Romantica available on itunes or at: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/GuitarRomantica The artist kindly gave me permission to use it. These guitarists are great entertainers. Check out their videos by searching youtube for "guitar romantica".

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• cheese
• mozzarella
• milk
• cow
• rennet
• dairy
• fresh
• brine
• whey
• food
• home
• arts
• crafts

[sunqi865]

very cool, and nice music! what's the music called please?

[louhi1212]

@sunqi865 Did you find out who is plaing the guitar?

[anuttama]

@louhi1212 It's Guitar Romantica playing Europa. Available through itunes or their website listed with the video info.

[anuttama]

@sunqi865 It's Europa from Guitar Romantica available from itunes. The artists kindly gave me permission to use it after it had been on my video for some time. Apparently I'd been steering customers to itunes and they appreciate the business:)

[guitarrasco]

@sunqi865 Hey thanks for the Compliment, Europa is the music by Carlos Santana, played by Guitar Romantica Duo, Thanks for listening, Andres of Guitar Romantica :) And thank you again anuttama for including our arrangement of a Great tune in your video !!.... Have Fun

[double92134]

ancoequipment com

[sinagog]

Gayest music ever..

[mts2457]

Why does this seem gross to me?

[TheDeviantGamer]

I can't get this to work, the cheese just keeps crumbling

[UFOENGINE]

@commonsensible1 about a half cup

[commonsensible1]

how much is 'some buttermilk" ??

[777SEER]

Very Nice! You were born to make mozzarella:) Love the music

[Discernaoftruth]

@piggear Thanks for the tip! I will try that!

[recruitmentch]

@sunqi865 it sounds very similar to the music playing to a beautiful song called magdalena by a croatian singer called oliver dragojevic. look it up :)