Homemade Mozzarella Cheese
Homemade Mozzarella Cheese
Description
Make fresh, delicious homemade mozzarella with just two ingredients: milk and white vinegar! This easy recipe yields stretchy, perfect cheese for all your cooking needs.
Ingredients
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Instructions
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Pour the Fresh Whole Milk into a large pot.
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Place it on low heat until it becomes warm, but do not let it boil. You're looking for it to be warm to the touch (around 40-45°C). Turn off the heat.
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Add the White Vinegar to the warm milk. Give it a quick stir.
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Cover the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. You'll notice the milk starting to curdle and separate into solid curds and yellowish whey.
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Using a slotted spoon or your clean hands, gently start gathering all the curds.
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Press them together to form a cohesive mass, squeezing out as much whey as possible.
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Keep the remaining liquid (whey) in the pot and heat it gently over low heat until it's very warm (around 60-70°C).
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Dip the ball of mozzarella curds into the hot whey. As the cheese warms, it will become more pliable and stretchy.
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Knead and stretch the cheese repeatedly, dipping it back into the hot whey whenever it cools down or becomes difficult to stretch.
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Continue this process until the cheese forms a smooth, elastic ball that holds its shape.
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Once your mozzarella ball is firm and stretchy, immediately transfer it to a bowl of cold water (you can add ice cubes to the water) to cool it down and stop the cooking process.
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You can slice or shred the mozzarella immediately.
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Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, preferably submerged in a little salted water or whey from the process, or freeze it for longer storage.
Recipe Notes
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Serving Size: Varies depending on milk quantity (yields approx. 300-400g from 3 liters milk)
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Scaling down the recipe: You can easily reduce the quantity. For every 1 liter of milk, use 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
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Milk Quality: Using fresh, unpasteurized milk (if available and safe to consume in your area) often yields the best results for mozzarella due to its natural enzymes. However, store-bought pasteurized whole milk also works well. Avoid ultra-pasteurized (UHT) milk, as it may not curdle effectively.
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Temperature Control: The temperature of the milk and whey is crucial. Using a kitchen thermometer can help achieve the best results.
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Stretching: The stretching process develops the classic mozzarella texture. Don't be afraid to keep dipping the cheese in hot whey and stretching until it's smooth and pliable.
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