Homemade Mozzarella, it's so easy! Plenty of Q-view!

[coyote1]

AL can I use 2% milk I have 2 gal. to use up

 

[SmokinAl]

AL can I use 2% milk I have 2 gal. to use up

NO!!!

It won't form the curds.

 

[coyote1]

ok thank you for the fast answer

 

[coyote1]

ok I made some today and it did not stretch out like a rope. I worked it for a long time and got it close and gave up and put it in the fridge I haven't tried it yet but it looks good

 

[johnnie walker]

Al, that mozzarella looks awesome! I love fresh mozzarella. Now you have me wanting to try my hand at making cheese.

 Just what I need more stuff to do.

 

[SmokinAl]

ok I made some today and it did not stretch out like a rope. I worked it for a long time and got it close and gave up and put it in the fridge I haven't tried it yet but it looks good

When you work it like that & it won't stretch, give it 15 seconds in the microwave & that should do it.

I found that the milk you use is the most important thing. The best grocery store milk I have found is Borden's whole milk. It seems to be a little thicker than the other one's I have tried.

 

[jno51]

OMG. my wife is going to kill me. A project for this weekend. Thanks for the encouragement, and how too. Al will this work the same way with pepper jack. "SMF ROCKS" 

 

[SmokinAl]

OMG. my wife is going to kill me. A project for this weekend. Thanks for the encouragement, and how too. Al will this work the same way with pepper jack. "SMF ROCKS" 

This recipe is for mozz like cheese, when you get to the stage where your kneading it & it's starting to work like bread dough, then you can add spices & or thinly diced jalapenos. But it's still going to have the consistency of mozz cheese.

 

[venture]

I am sneaking up on this project carefully.

Very little in the kitchen intimidates me other than pastry or a project like this.

My rennet is different than Al's.  "junket" brand from my supermarket.  Came with all sorts of recipes in it.  These tablets are smaller than Al's and they call for 1/2 tablet per Gallon of Milk.

Found it by the Jello section. 

Check your rennet before proceeding.

I already have the Milk, so I am committed.  Don't expect a QVIEW unless my failure might be instructional to others?  

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[SmokinAl]

Good luck Merv! You can do it buddy!

 

[bama bbq]

I just saw this and am completely impressed.  Wow.  I love it.

 

[venture]

A big apology goes out to SmokinAL for being so late with this update!

This post inspired me to try the deal.

The cheese turned out so good that it didn't last until my recent cheese smoke!

Having said that, my cheese wasn't as nice as Al's. I will certainly be doing it again! 

I think my cheese needed more frequent trips to the "nuke" and more kneading?  The flavor was wonderful.  The texture was a little off and not quite as elastic and shiny as Al's perfect example.

Don't be afraid, as I was!  You can do this!  It is a little work and there is , for some of us, a learning curve?

I garontee that the final product is worth it!

Thanks, Al!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[SmokinAl]

Thanks Merv, there is a bit of a learning curve. You are right a few more times to the microwave would have probably done it for you. It has to get hot enough that it is almost starting to melt, but only nuke it for 15-30 seconds at a time. I failed a few times before I figured it out. It's almost like smoking ribs. You do it the same every time but the results vary. Thanks for the update. I'm sure you will be making a lot of it in the future. We make the Caprisi salad whenever we have guests & it's gone in seconds.

 

[scarbelly]

Hey Merv glad you finally jumped in on the cheese. Al has done them many times and I recently proved that even kids can do it. I have a gallon of milk ready to go this morning

 

[venture]

For anyone making this for the first time, Al is absolutely right.  You have to regularly nuke it for 15 seconds or so.  Otherwise you will be amazed how hard it sets up and how hard it gets to knead.  Difficult to imagine what would change a gallon of milk into that hunk of clay? 

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[roller]

This is such a GREAT Thread I thought I would bump it up...

 

[budster]

Unreal! I can't believe it's sooo easy. I'm definitely making some. Thanks for posting it. I love this place.
 

 

[grabber]

Any ideas on adding parsley, oregano or other seasonings to milk while starting for extra flavor.  Again, thanks.

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Any ideas on adding parsley, oregano or other seasonings to milk while starting for extra flavor.  Again, thanks.

You can add any seasonings you want, just do it at the point I added the salt.

You can't add anything until then.

Al

 

[grabber]

Just wondering.  Mrs bought mozz balls in olive oil but was just wondering how long it'd be safe to keep them in fridge before they'd go bad.  Any help or input welcome.  Thanks.