How to Make Mozzarella Cheese with Cultures
Place 2 to 3 tbsp.,Place the yogurt into a fridge until you are ready to make mozzarella cheese., Repeat this process to continue making kefir yogurt., Pour 1 gallon of milk into the cooking pot., Warm the milk to 88 to 90 degrees F. To accomplish...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Place 2 to 3 tbsp.
of kefir grains into a jar.
Add ½ to ¾ cup of raw or non-homogenized milk and let sit in a dark environment for 24 hours. ,, If it’s thick and creamy, drain the yogurt from the Kefir grains using a strainer. , Stir in ¼ to ½ cup of kefir yogurt., Always test the temperature while stirring to obtain the exact temperature.
While waiting for the milk to warm, dilute ¼ tsp. of liquid animal rennet into ¼ cup of purified water., Stir for 30 to 60 seconds and cover for 1 hour., If you have a clean break, it should like Jell-O and will leave a hole.
If it is still liquid like, cover for another 30 minutes and try this step again., Resist the urge to keep checking on the milk; it needs to retain the heat for the fermentation process to begin.
After 4 hours, the curds should have sunken to the bottom of the whey and will have connected back together. , Try your best to make one solid level piece similar to a pie.
Poke several holes on the top of the curd.
You will then see whey accumulate in the holes that you created., This should be done right away to get a base line of the pH.
Normally, it will be around
6.2 at this point, but it will vary., As a rule of thumb, the desired pH is
5.2.
However, this is subjective.
For a tougher and denser mozzarella, a desired pH would be
5.3 to
5.4.
For a softer mozzarella, a desired pH would be
5.0 to
5.1.
The fermentation process can range from 2 to 18 hours depending on the amount of cultures present in the kefir and the climate that you live in.
Test periodically after the initial test and then every hour once the pH has reached
5.5 to
5.6 range. , It should be one solid dense piece at this point.
Cut the curd into half inch squares., Place the chopped-up curds into the first bowl, fill the second bowl with cool water and the third with ice and water.,, Do not pour directly onto the curds, but rather around the rim of the mixing bowl., Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of salt onto the cheese curds and then dump 2 to 3 more cups of hot water into the bowl and let sit for 1 more minute., If they are ready for stretch, they should stick together and not fall apart.
Scoop the curds up and let gravity do its work.
The cheese should stick to the spoon and begin to stretch on its own.
You can assist the stretching by grabbing the bottom of the cheese and pulling it down.
If it is too hard to stretch, simply place all the cheese back in the hot water and let it sit a little longer.
Stretch into a long 2-inch-wide strip and fold over 3 to 4 times.
Do not over work the stretching because doing so will make for a tough and dry mozzarella cheese.
Once you have repeated this process 3 – 4 times and the mozzarella is smooth, it’s time to form the fresh mozzarella balls. ,, Squeeze the bottom of the ball and break it off., Repeat this step until you have made all of the mozzarella balls and let them sit in the cool water for 10 minutes or until they have all cooled down., This preserves the shape of the fresh mozzarella.
There you have it: you have made fresh mozzarella using cultures.
It is ready to eat at this point and is always best right after the stretch. -
Step 2: Place the yogurt into a fridge until you are ready to make mozzarella cheese.
-
Step 3: Repeat this process to continue making kefir yogurt.
-
Step 4: Pour 1 gallon of milk into the cooking pot.
-
Step 5: Warm the milk to 88 to 90 degrees F. To accomplish this
-
Step 6: place the burner on low and warm very slowly while occasionally stirring the milk until reaching the desired temperature.
-
Step 7: Pour the diluted rennet in the milk.
-
Step 8: Test for a clean break by poking your finger through the coagulated milk.
-
Step 9: Chop up the coagulated milk with a whisk into small chunks and cover for 4 hours.
-
Step 10: Scoop the curds into a strainer and press the whey from them.
-
Step 11: Test the pH using the pH meter by testing the whey accumulated in the holes.
-
Step 12: Cover and the fermentation continues.
-
Step 13: Place the curd onto a cutting board.
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Step 14: Place the 3 mixing bowls on a counter
-
Step 15: side by side.
-
Step 16: Heat a large pot of water to approximately 180 degrees F.
-
Step 17: Pour 1 to 2 cups of hot water into the bowl with the cheese curds.
-
Step 18: Let sit for two minutes and dump the water out.
-
Step 19: Take the stirring spoon and begin to push all the cheese curds together.
-
Step 20: Take the 2-inch strip and fold small sections over itself 3 times.
-
Step 21: Force it through your index finger and thumb forming the mozzarella ball.
-
Step 22: Place the fresh mozzarella ball into the bowl with cool water.
-
Step 23: Place the mozzarella balls into the ice-cold water.
Detailed Guide
of kefir grains into a jar.
Add ½ to ¾ cup of raw or non-homogenized milk and let sit in a dark environment for 24 hours. ,, If it’s thick and creamy, drain the yogurt from the Kefir grains using a strainer. , Stir in ¼ to ½ cup of kefir yogurt., Always test the temperature while stirring to obtain the exact temperature.
While waiting for the milk to warm, dilute ¼ tsp. of liquid animal rennet into ¼ cup of purified water., Stir for 30 to 60 seconds and cover for 1 hour., If you have a clean break, it should like Jell-O and will leave a hole.
If it is still liquid like, cover for another 30 minutes and try this step again., Resist the urge to keep checking on the milk; it needs to retain the heat for the fermentation process to begin.
After 4 hours, the curds should have sunken to the bottom of the whey and will have connected back together. , Try your best to make one solid level piece similar to a pie.
Poke several holes on the top of the curd.
You will then see whey accumulate in the holes that you created., This should be done right away to get a base line of the pH.
Normally, it will be around
6.2 at this point, but it will vary., As a rule of thumb, the desired pH is
5.2.
However, this is subjective.
For a tougher and denser mozzarella, a desired pH would be
5.3 to
5.4.
For a softer mozzarella, a desired pH would be
5.0 to
5.1.
The fermentation process can range from 2 to 18 hours depending on the amount of cultures present in the kefir and the climate that you live in.
Test periodically after the initial test and then every hour once the pH has reached
5.5 to
5.6 range. , It should be one solid dense piece at this point.
Cut the curd into half inch squares., Place the chopped-up curds into the first bowl, fill the second bowl with cool water and the third with ice and water.,, Do not pour directly onto the curds, but rather around the rim of the mixing bowl., Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of salt onto the cheese curds and then dump 2 to 3 more cups of hot water into the bowl and let sit for 1 more minute., If they are ready for stretch, they should stick together and not fall apart.
Scoop the curds up and let gravity do its work.
The cheese should stick to the spoon and begin to stretch on its own.
You can assist the stretching by grabbing the bottom of the cheese and pulling it down.
If it is too hard to stretch, simply place all the cheese back in the hot water and let it sit a little longer.
Stretch into a long 2-inch-wide strip and fold over 3 to 4 times.
Do not over work the stretching because doing so will make for a tough and dry mozzarella cheese.
Once you have repeated this process 3 – 4 times and the mozzarella is smooth, it’s time to form the fresh mozzarella balls. ,, Squeeze the bottom of the ball and break it off., Repeat this step until you have made all of the mozzarella balls and let them sit in the cool water for 10 minutes or until they have all cooled down., This preserves the shape of the fresh mozzarella.
There you have it: you have made fresh mozzarella using cultures.
It is ready to eat at this point and is always best right after the stretch.
About the Author
Jack Cooper
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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