Making Quick Mozzarella

Quick Mozzarella is as its name says.  It’s quick to make, usually under 30 minutes with a bit of practice, and it is one of the tastiest soft cheeses around.

Delicious on pizza.  Devine with Cannelloni, and amazing just served sliced with basil and home-grown tomatoes.

So how do you make this fantastic cheese?

Well that is the topic of this weeks video.  http://youtu.be/yLEMX5–yh4

 

Now, because I am a really nice guy, and to help out those who would rather have the recipe and method, I have pulled the recipe from my cheese making book Keep Calm & Make Cheese.

Quick Mozzarella

The ingredients and method are very simple.

Ingredients

• 4 litres of full cream milk,
• 1½ teaspoons of citric acid mixed with a ½ cup of non-chlorinated water,
• 1 teaspoon of non-iodised salt,
• ½ teaspoon of liquid rennet or ½ a rennet tablet mixed with a quarter of a cup of non-chlorinated water,
• 1/8th of a teaspoon of lipase mixed with a quarter of a cup of water (let this sit for 20 minutes before hand).
• ¼ teaspoon of Calcium Chloride in ¼ cup unchlorinated water if using homogenised milk.
• Kitchen rubber gloves

Method

1. Sterilise your utensils and leave to air dry.
2. Heat the milk to 13°C (55°F) then add the citric acid solution to which you add the calcium chloride.  Add the lipase and stir well and continue to heat.  The milk will curdle a little on the surface due to the increased acidity.
3. Heat to 33°C (90°F), then add the rennet solution and stir gently for 1 minute.  Wait for 5 minutes for the rennet to set.  If you have a solid curd cut it crossways.
4. Slowly heating the milk to 38-40°C (100-105°F) and the curd will begin to come away from the edges of the pot.  This happens in about 5-8 minutes.
5. Pour off some whey, and scoop the curds with a large serving spoon into a microwave bowl, or drain through cheese-cloth.  The whey becomes clear and yellow.  Drain as much whey from the curds in the bowl and then put it in the microwave for 1 minute on High.  Put on your gloves as the curd begins to get hot during handling.
6. Drain the whey again, then into the microwave for another 30 seconds on High, drain and form into a single mass, and back into the microwave for a final 30 seconds.
7. Add the salt and start kneading quickly like bread dough until it is smooth and shiny and it can be stretched like melted cheese.  Form the cheese into smaller balls and then put them in a big bowl of iced water for 10 minutes.  This helps the cheese to form the same consistency throughout as it cools rapidly.
8. Take it out of the iced water and try a slice on a cracker with fresh tomato and freshly cracked pepper and salt.  It is delicious!

Quick Mozzarella can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days, but don’t expect it to last that long.  The addition of lipase enzyme gives this cheese a big boost of flavour.  The cheese increases in flavour within 24 hours.  Without the lipase, I found that it was too bland, but everyone has their own preference.

So what are you waiting for?  Get stuck in!  Nom, nom.