Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

 Make Fresh Mozzarella cheese in minutes. 

Delicious, fresh and to be used in any of your favorite recipes, or on your best sandwich. The best part about making your own cheese, is that you can choose the fat level; and make it full fat, low fat or completely fat free. Depending on the milk that you use will determine your cheese fat level. Choose Full fat milk if you want that rich and creamy Mozerella, Choose low fat or 2%milk if you want a little fat but are trying to have a healthier cheese; and choose fat free or skim milk if you want no fat at all and want to enjoy your cheese without the guilt. No matter which milk you use, your cheese will come out delicious. I have made it with all 3 milks and they all came out equally as good.

For those a bit more health conscious, on a diet or taking care or what kinds of fat you are intaking. The fat free option is best. A guilt free cheese to use without the high levels of cholesterol. 

In some Countries the price of cheese is extremely high, for such a small pack of cheese that doesn't serve to be used for much. So instead of spending money on a tiny bag of cheese, make your own at home in minutes and enjoy your own, with only 3 simple ingredients that you most likely have lying around at home. Take a look at the recipe and give it a try.

Ingredients

2L pasteurized fresh milk ( Do not use UH Milk or Ultra Pasterized milk)

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tsp salt

Directions

Add your milk to a pot, stirring constantly to not burn. Heat on medium low heat, until it reaches a temperature of 120 degrees or just until it starts getting hot and you start to see steam coming out of the pot, that is hot enough. (Note:  Do not allow it to boil as this will be way too hot and will make your cheese come out crumbly.)

Once it's starting to steam, add your vinegar to the pot and gently stir, You will see immediately your cheese starting to form on the spot. This part is amazing every time : - ) My favorite part of cheese making... You will literally start to feel your milk thicken in seconds into cheese. Stir for a few seconds only. Stir gently and then set your milk aside without touching it, allowing  to cool and rest for about 15 minutes. 

While cooling you would need to get a strainer and a cheesecloth. (If you don't have a cheese cloth you can get a thin cotton cloth or a thin clean cotton t shirt or under shirt and cut it into a square and this can be used as your cheese cloth if you cannot find one or do not want to buy one) 

Set your strainer on top of a bowl and set the cheese cloth or cotton cloth on top of the strainer. It should look something like this.

Once this is done, Take your cheese curds ( The milk that thickened) Use a big spoon and scoop out all of the cheese curds that formed in your milk and set it gently into the cheese cloth. The rest of the water Which is called "Whey" You can set aside and I will let you know what to do with it in the end.

Once all of your cheese curds are in the cheese cloth. Wrap up the cheese tightly like a ball on the center of the cloth and pick up the cloth and squeeze out all the excess water or "Whey" from the cheese; until there is no more of the whey dripping out. 

Your doing Great, Now take this cheese out of the cloth and place it in a bowl and sprinkle the salt on top and place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stretch the cheese a little (Placing cheese in the microwave will make it melt and be very moldable like playdoh.) Stretch your cheese and fold it until it starts to cool. Once it cools it will harden. This is the part that makes your cheese smooth in texture. Once it cools and becomes hard to mold. Heat once again in microwave for another 30 seconds, remove from microwave and continue to stretch and fold the cheese. But this time move quickly and also form your cheese into a nice smooth ball. 

 

Once cheese is smooth and into the shape of a ball. You are done. Now set your cheese in the refrigerator for about an hour to allow it to harden and become the texture of mozzarella cheese. (If you need it immediately you can still use it right now. I had a time where I didn't have time to let my cheese cool because i needed it right away and it came out just fine. But for best results, allow your cheese to cool at least an hour or two in the fridge)

Enjoy, your deliciously homemade fresh cheese. 

Now for the water that was left at the bottom of the cheese. As I mentioned earlier, this part is called Whey. It is actually very nutritious for you. You can choose to either just throw it away or you can use it in a soup or in smoothies because there are lots of nutrients in this whey liquid. So don't just waste it. Take advantage and do something special with it. 

Tip: If you don't want your cheese to be hard mozarella, but instead prefer the soft wet mozzarella. If you look in the grocery store there are two types of ways that mozzarella is sold. They are sold as fresh mozzarella inside of the whey liquid and it stays soft. Or you can choose to keep it in the fridge without the liquid where it will be a little harder and shreddable.

Enjoy, 

From my kitchen to yours

God Bless