Mozzarella Cheese

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

CRAFT OF THE COUNTRY COOK
Usually makes 4 half pound cheeses.
Mozzarella is one of several kinds of "plastic-curd" cheeses, originating
in Italy. In making them the curds are kneaded, which expels whey and
produces plasticity. Because of their dense texture they keep well in warm
climates and are ideal for smoking.
Provolone is an aged version of a plastic-curd cheese. Mozzarella is one of
the most versatile cheeses to make at home, since it tastes wonderful
freshly made, freezes well, and can be used like an aged cheese in cooking,
melting readily when heated.
Start this cheese in the evening. Maintain the milk at 90^F in a double
boiler. Mix the buttermilk and yogurt separately with a little of the milk
to remove lumps, then blend into the rest of the milk. Add the rennet
solution and mix thoroughly. Let sit until the curd sets and breaks clearly
when tested with a finger - about 20 to 30 minutes. Cut the curd into 1/2
inch cubes as evenly as possible. Maintain at 90^F for 15 minutes, stirring
with a clean hand. The curds are fragile because they have not been cooked,
so stir very gently, just enough to keep them from matting together. Gently
pour the curds into a cloth lined colander. When the whey has drained, the
curd should be in one solid piece. Rinse in cold water, then soak in a pan
of cold water for 15 minutes. If it is a big batch, cut the curd into
several blocks, 4 or 5 inches square. Drain off most of the water, then
refrigerate the curds, or keep in a cool, 40^F place. Leave them in a
colander or other container that allows drainage. (Commercially, mozzarella
curds are shipped to delicatessens at this stage, where the cheese is
finished.) The next day, warm the cheese to room temperature so it will
ripen, or become more acidic. After an hour or so, test the cheese for
acidity as follows. Cut off a small piece of cheese and cut it into three
1/2 inch cubes. Heat several cups of water in a sauce pan to 165^F. Put in
the cubes and stir for 5 minutes. Remove the cubes and mold them together
like modeling clay. Reheat the lump of cheese in the water for a minute,
then remove and work or mold it together a little more. After repeating
several times, try to pull the curd apart. If it breaks or tears, and
clouds the water, it is underripe. Wait an hour or so and test again. When
it pulls into a long rope and can be molded together again, it is ready. It
will have a glossy surface and* will cloud the water only slightly. The
whole cheese is treated somewhat like the test sample to finish it. Cut it
into small cubes and put them in a pan. Heat water to 170^F and pour enough
over them, to cover the curds by about 2 inches. Keep a thermometer in the
pan and let the temperature drop to 135^F. Press the cubes together, and
then knead the cheese, by stretching and pulling it, as if working
modelling clay. It should become "plastic" and stretch into long strands.
When it does, shape into half pound balls, or make a thick rope, fold it in
half, and twist several times to make a decorative oblong cheese.
Mozzarella can be dipped in hot water to make a glossy surface, or wrapped
in cheese cloth to protect it. To keep the cheese very fresh tasting for up
to a week, keep it in a bowl of water in the refrigerator, and change the
water every day. To salt mozzarella for longer keeping, or to prepare it
for smoking, soak it in brine for 4 or 5 hours (See Brined Cheese) The whey
from mozzarella is perfect for making ricotta because it does not have a
chance to develop much acidity.
Smoked Mozzarella: Mozzarella and other firm cheeses can be cold smoked for
flavor. Salting and smoking both help preserve the cheese by drying it, and
discouraging bacteria and insects. Set the cheese on a rack in the smoker,
or wrap in cheesecloth and hang it. Keep the temperature below 90^F to
prevent sweating off butterfat or melting. Smoke at 60 to 85^F for 4 to 15
hours.
Brined Cheese: Press the cheese for 5 or 6 hours, or overnight, without
salting it. Make enough brine to cover the cheese by about an inch, using
4.1/2 Tablespoons of plain salt for every quart of water needed. Soak the
cheese from 12 to 24 hours. A small cheese requires less time than a large
one. Turn the cheese once or twice to ensure that the brine penetrates all
sides. Drain for about an hour on a cloth covered rack. Cover and
refrigerate. Keeps for a week or more, longer than most fresh cheeses.
Posted on GEnie Food & Wine RT Aug 22, 1992 by COOKIE.LADY [MUMSIE]
MM by MMCONV and Sylvia Steiger, GEnie THE.STEIGERS, CI$ 71511,2253,
Internet sylvia.steiger@lunatic.com, moderator of GT Cookbook and PlanoNet
Lowfat & Luscious echoes

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