How to Make Great Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

How to Make Great Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
This has been Revised a little bit because some people have had a little trouble with the original. Even I had a few bad batches. The main differences are the times in the microwave. Follow the instructions carefully and you should end up with an almost 100% foolproof batch of Mozzarella Cheese

If you like fresh home made Mozzarella Cheese then try out this Instructable. If you have never had fresh Mozzarella Cheese, try it out any way. There is a world of difference between the packages stuff you buy in the store and the cheese you make yourself. It will only take a couple hours out of your life but it will be well worth it.

There are a lot of recipes on the internet but a lot of them seem to skip an important step or 2 or don't really explain it well enough, so I have made many batches through trial and error combining things that I have learned and experimented with (so you don't have to) and come up with this recipe that seems to work real good.

There are also a lot of recipes out there saying make Mozzarella Cheese in 30 minutes. Realistically, it ain't gonna happen if you want to do it right. Plan on it taking about an hour and a half to 2 hours. As you make more batches you can cut it down to maybe an hour or so.

I use whole milk for mine but you should be able to use skimmed, 1%, or 2% milk also. If you have access to farm fresh milk your even better off and I'm jealous. You can also use goat, buffalo or camel milk.
 
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Step 1Equipment you will need:

Equipment you will need:
Equipment:
1. At least an 8 quart pot either enameled or stainless steel. (Do not use aluminum, cast iron or other reactive pots)
2. Thermometer. (A candy thermometer will probably work but a good digital thermometer is much better for accuracy.)
3. A couple measuring cups or something to dissolve the Citric Acid and Rennet in.
4. A big strainer to strain the Curds from the Whey.
5. A long sharp knife to cut the Curds up with.
6. A slotted spoon to stir the Curds and dip them out with.
7. Large bowl for the drained off Whey. (Glass is best)
8. Small bowl to put the Curds in. (Glass is best)
9. Microwave

Optional:
10. Nylon netting for draining Curds. (I use this with the strainer. You can get this stuff at most fabric stores. It is just nylon netting. Get the plain white and probably not the colored stuff)
11. Plain white cloth if you want to make Ricotta Cheese with the Whey that is left over.
12. Small strainer to dip out the curds.

Ingredients:
1. 1 gallon Milk. Let the milk set out either in the gallon container or in the pot until it gets to about 50 degrees. (I have only used whole milk, although you can also use 2% or skimmed milk. Do not use ultra-homogenized milk though. If you are lucky enough to get milk fresh from the farm, that's even better)
2. 1 Rennet tablet crushed. (The Rennet tablet is used to coagulate the milk. You can also use liquid Rennet if you can get it. You can get The Rennet tablets at a lot of specialty or smaller stores and it is usually in the pudding aisle or in the Ice Cream section with the chocolate, nuts and stuff. About $2.00)
3. 2 teaspoons Citric Acid divided. 1 teaspoon is dissolved in water and the other one is sprinkled directly into the milk. (The citric acid is what gives the cheese it's stretch. Get it at some health food stores for around $4.00 for 4 ounces or at a pharmacy which can cost $12.00 to $14.00)
4. 1/2 cup water divided in 2. (Do not use chlorinated water. Bottled water is fine.)
5. 1 - 2 teaspoons salt.
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436 comments
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Aug 26, 2010. 6:46 PMmrwolfe says:
You're kidding, right? UN chlorinated water? The only place you can get unchlorinated water, apart from a rainwater tank, is from a pump in a third world country, or from a laboratory de-ioniser. The water supplies in all western countries are chlorinated to kill bacteria. If it weren't so the incidence of typhoid, dysentery and cholera would be as bad as they were 200 years ago. Are you talking about clean tap water, or are you using some special de-ionised water for your cheese?
Jan 23, 2012. 10:08 AMrbessey says:
sir we here in Idaho enjoy fresh well water that is without chlorine or any other chemicals placed in it. We enjoy artesian wells that don't even require a pump.
Perhaps you should get out more. LOL
Jan 20, 2012. 4:10 PMjkane21 says:
haha. you sir have to get out and travel more. Where I live in Canada, we have fresh water springs everywhere. Natural underground springs, defiantly not full of typhoid, dysentery and cholera. This is an AMAZING recipe. mmmmmmmm
Nov 1, 2011. 1:00 PMirunamuk says:
Um, anyone who has a well has "UN chlorinated" water. Or you could let water sit out overnight and the chlorine will evaporate.
Sep 20, 2011. 8:16 PMbgeddes says:
Many, many folks here in the good 'ole US of A enjoy fresh clean unprocessed water from a well. They bottle water from the same vein as my well and send it to city folks. No chlorine is added, or necessary.

Aug 26, 2011. 8:27 AMybreiden says:
You can let you water sit out, uncovered over night and most of the chlorine will escape.
May 23, 2011. 1:21 PMbstapler says:
You can also use distilled water. This type of water has nothing added to it at all. Most of the time it's made by a process of reverse osmosis, this way it insures that there aren't any additives or chemicals in it.
May 10, 2011. 9:46 AMTommyDG says:
If you use a simple Activated charcoal filter, it will remove the Chlorine.
Apr 30, 2011. 6:56 PMMMMMary says:
I just went to a cheese making class today and they also said not to use chlorinated water. You can boil it for 15-20 minutes or use bottled water...
Feb 16, 2011. 5:51 PMwww.microbike.ie says:
There is no chlorine in tap water in here in Dublin, Ireland, Since we have free water, and everyone says we should not drink it unless boiled first ....We have been drinking it for a past 6 years and I cannot recall when I got cholera last time :-DD. On the other hand, quick tip: Tap a jug of chlorinated water and set it aside for a few hours the chlorine will evaporate on opened air..that is natural reaction that occur and you end up with clean better tasting water that you can use for cheese on the other hand I recall that distilled water should not be drunk since there is higher risk of Water intoxication even with smaller amounts, since distiled water has no minerals or better salts(sodium and other electrolytes) and thus I'm not sure if is it safe in cheese or any other food.

"Water intoxication, also known as hyper-hydration, water poisoning, or overhydration, is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water."
May 23, 2011. 1:23 PMbstapler says:
I forgot about just letting the tap water sit for 24 hours, that is a good idea. It's the same concept for when adding water to the fish tank.
May 27, 2011. 7:18 PMCGreene1607 says:
This is true for chlorine, but most water systems in the US do not use chlorine anymore; they use chloramine (a bond of chlorine and ammonia). Chloramine does not evaporate out of water.



De-chlorinating chemicals available at pet stores will break the bond, allowing the resulting chlorine and ammonia to dissipate, but of course I doubt you want to make cheese with water treated with a de-chlorinating agent.



You could always call the water agency and ask which they use, but the safe bet is that they've switched to chloramine. Spend the $1.50 on a 20 oz bottle of water to get your half cup.

May 10, 2011. 9:50 AMTommyDG says:
Sunlight and heat also will deplete Chlorine.
You're correct about the distilled water removing all those things, but once left open, bacteria , etc. can cotaminate the water. Same with boiled water or water run through activated charcoal. Without residual chlorine, the water will not stay clean in open air for long periods.
Oct 26, 2010. 3:55 AMjlausen says:
Mr. Wolfe,

it is apparent you don't know our great country. All rural areas, aka - farm land, have well pumps and are not on chlorinated water systems. The water that comes from my faucet is unchlorinated and has been for the 12 years that I have owned my house. I live in a rural area that is surrounded by small towns that have municipal chlorinated system but it is cost prohibitive to bring town water all the way out to the farms and communities surrounded by the farms. Oh and we have a septic tank too....
Nov 2, 2011. 5:26 PMtjohnson51 says:
I so agree with you jlausen, I live in a very rural area of Florida and it is nothing but farm lands here. I have a well and the water comes straight in from the Aquifer. I would love to see the USA try to chlorinate the whole USA underground water Aquifer. My water is a nice sweet and cold tasting water with no additives.

Anyways, I can't wait to try this recipe out, it sounds great and I have made it years before. Just took a quick look up to remember how to. Beware though, this will wear out your hands in making the Balls of cheese, but well worth the sacrifice.

Blessings,
Tea
Sep 11, 2010. 12:12 PMokff2 says:
ever heard of bottled water?
Sep 9, 2010. 12:56 AMmrwolfe says:
All right, all right, you lot, UNCLE!

I didn't mean to, but it looks like I really lit a fire here. I'm not too worried, though, because there have been lots of great suggestions on how to get your water without Chlorine in it.

One thing though , how important is the dechlorinated water? I just did a quick internet survey, and out of 20 recipes (pretty much the same recipe 20 times, really), only 2 mention bottled or distilled water. Most recipes I've seen don't specify "unchlorinated water", just "water". Has anyone tried using ordinary chlorinated tap water? Does it make a difference? Just curious ...
May 10, 2011. 9:02 AMheldmyw says:
I have used both bottled and tap water. It makes no difference at all.

Sep 8, 2010. 5:34 PMjrmarchesini says:
tap water comes chlorinated, yes! But leave it in an open bowl and have it rest for a couple of ours and you will have eventually clean dechlorinated water. Chlorine dissolves eventually in the air with a little rest time.
Sep 8, 2010. 6:34 AMjimdaye says:
We are not hooked to a municipal water system. My water comes from my well..no chlorinated water here, just turn on the faucet. I am wondering if there will be a change in taste though due to the fact that the water is a little hard. One other question-- do you have to use powdered citric acid or can something like lemon juice be used?
Sep 7, 2010. 8:44 AMyaki-imo says:
Many municipal water systems in North America do not chlorinate. My town in central British Columbia does not chlorinate. When we visit relatives in places where the city system does chlorinate, we really notice the chemical taste and smell right away. Chlorine does make the water system safer but there are always trade offs...
Sep 6, 2010. 5:27 PMcougarmandan says:
My britta filter makes unclorinated water by the gallon, and I even have one attached to my sink that makes a continuous flow of it. I use it when I was make wine so the chlorine doesn't affect the yeast.
Sep 6, 2010. 3:34 PMShiftlock says:
Okay, so mrwolfe didn't think before he wrote the comment about unchlorinated water. I've never seen so many responses to one boneheaded comment.

So, everyone use bottled spring water (Poland Spring, Evian, Aquafina, Dasani, generic-market-brand, etc.) for this recipe. I think the issue is settled now, isn't it?
Sep 6, 2010. 6:46 AMuallacepod says:
"You're kidding, right? UN chlorinated water? The only place you can get unchlorinated water, apart from a rainwater tank, is from a pump in a third world country" You must be joking, huh? You should be more respectful. I'm from Brazil, one of the so called "Third World Countries". And here we ALSO have all of the water supplies chlorinated. Someone of your age shouldn't be so uninformed about other cultures... No hard feelings, these are just my thoughts. :-) Oh, and by the way... Nice instructable. :-D
Sep 9, 2010. 12:15 AMmrwolfe says:
No disrespect intended, uallacepod. To confess, I never thought of Brazil as third world. Brazil is very progressive, in may ways more so than most "first world" countries. You have a vibrant aerospace industry and you have been using E85 fuel in your cars for years, something that most "western" governments are still very timid about. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Sep 9, 2010. 6:14 AMuallacepod says:
Hi, mrwolfe!

I understand your words. :-D

No har feelings about that. I was in a "not so good day", lol.
And also, you've demonstrated knowledge of our "good tech points" when you spoke about some good points that even most brazilians don't know about it. :-)


My best regards, mrwolfe. :-D
Feb 16, 2011. 11:38 PMleftiejenessie says:
There is no such thing as a first world, there is no such thing as a third world, there is just one world!
Feb 17, 2011. 5:36 AMuallacepod says:
Sorry to kill your dreams, leftie. But this is not a physical division and yes, ther are "these worlds", lol. :-D

I'm joking... I see your point and agree. But, unfortunately there's still too much difference in the living conditions ober the world (see Africa, for example).

Well, i hope these barriers come dow as soon as possible.

Respectfully,
uallacepod
Feb 18, 2011. 4:22 PMleftiejenessie says:
Yes there are different types of societies, different levels of living conditions, but physically there is only one world and we as a human society need to start thinking and acting as such. One step is to stop calling countries "first world" or "third world" countries because that just implies that they are somewhere else, that we don't have to worry or help, that the choices we make don't affect people's lives elsewhere. I haven't come up with a good phrase though...
Feb 19, 2011. 6:26 AMuallacepod says:
Perfect stated leftie! Those words were wise and solidary.

I sincerely hope that more people think as you, my dear.

Also, you already wrote a "good phrase", lol.

My cumpliments,
uallacepod
Feb 21, 2011. 11:15 AMleftiejenessie says:
What was my good phrase? I am trying to think of one to replace 1st and 3rd world. It needs to be short and sweet and preferably catchy so people will pick up on it.
Feb 21, 2011. 12:16 PMuallacepod says:
"Yes there are different types of societies, different levels of living conditions, but physically there is only one world and we as a human society need to start thinking and acting as such".

No need to say more, lol. perfect words.
Mar 20, 2011. 1:56 PMleftiejenessie says:
And the reason why it should be short is no one is going to remember a long phrase and you can't really refer to a country with that phrase. But really, we should just not have any countries, and then we wouldn't have to come up with a phrase. It would just be one world. But that's a long way off and in order to get towards that we would have to stop isolating ourselves and a representation of that would be by changing the way we speak. By changing the way we speak, we change the way we think, by changing the way we think, we change the way we act, by changing the way we act, we change who we are, by changing who we are, we make the world a better place!
Mar 20, 2011. 1:51 PMleftiejenessie says:
I meant (or niced: the English language is so strange! I never mean anything! I nice whatever i say) to reply earlier about this but i forgot. I am trying to find a short phrase (less than three words) so that people might pick up on it refer to what we currently call 1st and 3rd world countries as something less demeaning, insulting, and isolating. Developed and underdeveloped or developing nations is not good either, as that implies that rich countries are mature and developing nations are immature. It is actually the other way around. Countries like the U.S. are like teenagers. People are caught up in what is cool, and they want the latest new tech thing. And hardly anyone listens to people who know what is better for them. So should we call them teenager countries? Or rebel countries? What to call non-teenager countries?
Sep 5, 2010. 10:34 PMmacrumpton says:
Distilled water is definitely unchlorinated and it is available at any supermarket. I also suspect that pretty much all bottled water is unchlorinated as well. Bringing water to a boil also drives the chlorine out quickly.
Sep 5, 2010. 9:19 PMdropkick says:
If you let your tap water sit at room temperature, in a uncovered container, for 24 hours any chlorine it might have in it will dissipate into the atmosphere. And you'll have unchlorinated water.
Sep 5, 2010. 2:20 PMjanettetsmith says:

UN kinds: Evian, wells, distilled ...
Sep 5, 2010. 2:00 PMcahj1968 says:
RO process will also get rid of chlorine
Sep 5, 2010. 1:24 PMCaptainGroovy says:
You most live city. The truth is unless you are on a Municipal water system in the Untied States most water is not Chlorinated. Typhoid Dysentery and Cholera were only problems for area that used common wells. The truth of the matter is "modern pluming" is what did a way with yphoid, dysentery and cholera. 200 years ago most people used outhouses and those that did not used chamber pots and cesspools. Additionally people did not take baths or showers often nor did they was their hands combined that with poor food storage Technics or abilities No refrigeration excepts for maybe a "Ice Box"
Sep 5, 2010. 11:57 AMbhannold says:
geezzz.... i drink unchlorinated water every day.... from my WELL!!!
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