Not-zo-rella

My goal here to utilize fresh, raw, milk to make a mozzarella type cheese without the 170 degree water (ouch ouch) that doesn't involve stretching the curd...pretty simple, but sanitation is very important when working with raw milk and I'm not sure what kind of mozzarella texture I'll wind up with.

1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride (only if using store milk), I'm using raw
1 1/2 level teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
1 gallon whole milk
1/4 teaspoon lipase powder (Italase) dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water (for 20 minutes prior to using)*
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
cheese salt

*Do not add lipase if using milk from the store. It will make your curds too soft.

1. If using store milk, add the 1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride directly to the milk when you put it in the pot. While stirring the milk constantly, add the citric acid solution.

2. Begin heating the milk, continuing to stir, until it reaches 90 degrees.

3. Stir in the diluted lipase. Mix thoroughly then stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion. If using raw milk, continue heating (stop stirring) the milk to 100-105. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a colander.

If using store-bought milk, after adding the rennet at 90, turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Check the curd. If it’s too soft, let it sit a few more minutes. Cut the curd into 1-inch squares with a knife that reaches the bottom of the pot. Place the pot back on stove and heat to 105 while stirring slowly. Take it off the heat and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 minutes before transferring to a colander.

Note that the cheese right out of the pot already has a stretchy quality.


4. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon, transferring to a colander set over a bowl (to collect the whey). As you ladle the cheese from the pot to the colander, sprinkle kpsher salt in the layers of curds.

5. Work with the curds as little as possible while still allowing as much whey to drain as you can.

Use a slotted spoon to just sort of lift up and move around the curd mass without disrupting it. (Don’t stir up the curds or knead them.) The curd mass will become small enough that you can move it to either a small ricotta basket or a 1-2 pound cheese mold.


Put the cheese, in the mold, back in the colander to continue draining. It took a while to drain, I was getting a bit nervous because I was working with raw milk and no starter culture, so I took them out of the molds and refrigerated them. I continued to drain them every 20 minutes or so until 3am, then I needed sleep.

I used the remaining whey to cook some pasta while draining the curd.

Now the cheese is ready to eat, or store in the fridge for later. (Keeps in the fridge for about a week.)



Notes:
I used a very mild lipase and may increase the amount or type with the next attempt. The cheese is excellent, but very mild. Reminiscent of an Antonio's mozzarella early on.