Sunday, November 08, 2009

Ricki Carroll's Recipe for 30 Minute Mozzarella

I posted a recipe some time ago for Mozzarella and while it is a good recipe,  Ricki Caroll's recipe is quicker. The recipe is taken from her Home Cheesemaking book. You might want to check out the company founded by Ms. Carroll, The New England Cheese Making Supply Company.

1 1/2 level teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
1 gallon milk
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water (un-chlorinated)
1 teaspoon cheese salt (optional)

1. Add citric acid solution to 55 degree milk.
2. Heat milk to 90 degrees over medium/low heat. (The milk may start to curdle.)
3. Gently stir in diluted rennet with up and down motion while heating the milk to 100 to 105 degrees. Turn off heat. The curds should be pulling away from the sides of the pot and ready to scoop out (approximately 3-5 minutes).
4. The curds should look likethick yogurt and have a bit of shine to them. The whey will be clear. If the whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes.
5. Scoop or pour out curds and drain.
6. Put curds in microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Fold the cheese over and over with your hand or spoon. Add cheese.
7. Continue to microwave and knead and stretch until cheese becomes elastic and stretches like taffy. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.
8. When finished, place in a bowl of ice water for 1/2 hour to bring the inside temp down rapidly. This will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese.

Attention: If you don't want to use a microwave, you can heat the whey to at least 175 degrees. Form the curds into a ball and dip in the whey for several seconds until you are able to knead and stretch. Continue to dip curds in the hot whey until the consistency of the cheese is smooth and will stretch like taffy.