We all know the mozzarella cheese.It is very tasty and healthy product made from cow and buffalo milk.It has a pure white color, and elastic texture with a smooth thin crust.Unlike most cheeses, you can easily cook mozzarella at home.It is possible to use the same for both sandwich and as an ingredient for a variety of pizza and salads.So, we offer to learn how to make mozzarella at home.
Ingredients
To prepare the mozzarella at home, we need the following products: four liters of pasteurized milk, liquid rennet - half a tablet or half a teaspoon, distilled water - 175 ml of citric acid - two teaspoons2.5 tablespoons of salt.
Making mozzarella at home: milk and rennet
a large pot filled with water, put it on the stove and bring to a boil.In a separate container, mix half a tablet or half a teaspoon of liquid rennet and a quarter cup of distilled water (cold).Stir until the enzyme is completely dissolved.Capacity set aside for the time aside.
Separately, mix 2 teaspoons of citric acid with 120 ml of distilled cold water.Thoroughly mix.In a saucepan with a capacity of 6-8 liters Pour four liters of pasteurized milk.Sterilized (UHT) milk should not be used, as in the cooking process, it does not curdle.In the same pot pour water containing dissolved citric acid.Gently mix.At this point, you can see how the milk begins to coagulate slowly.
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Preparation mozzarella at home the next step involves a process of coagulation of milk.Heat the pan on a low heat until it is finding the mixture will have a temperature of 31 degrees Celsius (use a thermometer).Do not forget to constantly stir the milk, that it is not burnt.You can use a spoon, whisk or spatula ovenproof.In this step begins the process of coagulation of milk.After the mixture in the pan has reached the desired temperature, it is added in distilled water with dissolved rennet.Thoroughly mix the contents of the pan for 30-40 seconds and reduce the heat to very low.Continue to cook the milk mixture until the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius.Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to stand for a quarter of an hour.At this time, curled white mass (essentially curd) is separated from the whey.As you can see, is a recipe mozzarella at home is not a big deal.Therefore we continue.
next step - working with Curd
Not removing cheese from the pan, cut it with a knife into cubes with sides of about 2.5 centimeters.For convenience while cutting it is possible to hold a large spoon or ladle.Set the bowl over a piece of cheesecloth or a colander.Then, with a slotted spoon stainless steel we shift into a colander or cheesecloth sliced cheese from the pan.Allow serum to drain into a bowl.If you used the gauze, then you can hang it mozzarella drain for three to four hours.In this case, your cheese will be more solid.
resulting whey in a bowl pour back into the pan.We return to the same, and a colander with cheese.Then add half a teaspoon of salt.Repeat the procedure of passing the cheese to him again glass serum.The more times you do this, the land will eventually be your mozzarella.
again heated water in a pan.When its temperature reaches 76-80 degrees, it shift the curds.Over time it should be placed in a pan-third of the total mass.Wear heavy rubber gloves or take skimmer and squeezed cottage cheese into a coherent whole, omit it in hot water.
Making mozzarella at home: the final stage
Extract the curd with hot water.At the same time, check whether it is stretched as it should be the consistency of sticky and smooth.If cheese crumbles, then check whether there is enough hot water in the pan.If necessary, heat it and hold cottage cheese in it for some time.Several times stretch and roll your cheese is almost ready.When you are convinced that he has acquired the necessary consistency, roll it into a ball.
Now you can proceed to the preparation of brine.To do this, we mix two cups of serum with two tablespoons of salt.There also add a few ice cubes.The resulting brine is necessary to put the finished cheese.In it, he must be to cool.Then the finished mozzarella can be extracted from the brine.
order to properly store the cheese, it should be wrapped in plastic wrap, and then close in an airtight container.Thus it is possible to keep in the refrigerator for a week, and in the freezer - within a month.
few tips
- If you decide to cook mozzarella cheese at home, then, before you begin this process, make sure all the kitchen items and utensils are clean.For fresh cheese it is very perishable, if it has been exposed to the bacteria.
- If the fresh mozzarella was too soft to rub it on a grater, you can pre-freeze it.
- remaining from cooking mozzarella whey can be used for the preparation of ricotta cheese.
