HOW TO MAKE MOTZARELLA CHEESE RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup water and rennet in a small bowl; mix well.
• Combine remaining 1/2 cup water and citric acid in another small bowl; mix until dissolved.
• Pour milk into a large pot set over medium heat. Stir in water-citric acid mixture. Heat milk, stirring occasionally, until it registers 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Remove milk from heat and stir in rennet mixture in a figure-8 motion for 30 seconds. Stir counterclockwise for 30 seconds to still the milk. Let stand, covered, until milk sets into curd, 5 to 10 minutes. Press edge of the curd gently with a palette knife or the back of a spoon to check for firmness.
• Slice vertically into the pot to cut curd into 3/4-inch cubes with a palette knife. Stir curds gently, but leave cubes mostly intact.
• Return pot to the heat; cook over medium heat, stirring curds gently, until temperature reaches 109 degrees F (43 degrees C), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Ladle curds into a colander set over a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Press curds gently to extract liquid whey. Pour drained whey back into the pot.
• Heat whey to 185 degrees F (85 degrees C), about 5 minutes. Wearing gloves, tear off a piece of curd and place on a slotted spoon. Dip curd into hot whey for 5 to 10 seconds. Stretch, fold, and knead the curd. Repeat until mozzarella is smooth and elastic. Knead in salt and form curd into a ball. Repeat dipping and kneading process with remaining curd.
• Allow mozzarella to cool. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator.

Steps:

• In large pot, heat milk over medium low heat to 90°F, stirring frequently.
• When milk is at 90°F, add culture, stir well, cover, and allow to ferment for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, check temperature again. It should still be at 87° to 90°F. Stir well to homogenize the milk, and slowly fold in the diluted rennet. Using an up-and-down motion with your spoon will ensure that the rennet works its way through all the milk, so you can get the highest possible yield.
• Allow the cheese to set for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the whey begins to separate from the curd. You should see a layer of mostly clear whey floating on top of the curd, and the curd should be pulling away from the sides of the pot.
• Using a long knife, cut the curds into 1/2-inch cubes and allow to set for 20 minutes. Do not stir.
• Over the next 30 minutes, slowly heat the curds to 100°F, stirring frequently. As you stir, the curds will shrink. Once the curds are at 100°F, turn off the heat and allow to set for 5 minutes.
• Drain the whey from the curds, preserving the whey for other recipes (if desired).
• Fill your sink with 110° to 120°F water, and set the pot containing the curds into the sink. Allow to set at this temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Every 30 minutes, use your hands to press the whey from the curds and flip the curds over. At the end of 2 to 3 hours, you should have a firm cake of curds.
• Cut the curds into four equal pieces; these will be your balls of mozzarella. Set three of the pieces aside, and put on your gloves.
• Heat water to between 170° and 190°F. Pour the water over the first piece of mozzarella, working it with your hands until it is smooth, shiny, and stretchy. Work quickly! The water is hot and you can burn your hands even through gloves. When the cheese is nice and stretchy, form into a ball and place in a bowl of cold water to firm up. Continue with the other three pieces.