Smooth, semi-soft mozzarella is a cheese with an elastic texture. Do you think that it is not possible to cook it at home? Then you are wrong! It turns out that if you have certain raw materials, you can make mozzarella yourself.
Recipe content:
- Features of Mozzarella
- How to make mozzarella - production technology
- Homemade mozzarella recipe
- Video recipes
Mozzarella is a type of cheese made from cow's milk (pasteurized or unpasteurized). It is a soft, fibrous, fresh-tasting cheese that does not undergo a lengthy process to ripen. Now in supermarkets it is sold in at least two varieties: fresh in balls in brine and mature. The latter is called "pizza cheese" by professionals, which literally means "pizza cheese". By itself, this cheese is very specific. It is young, that is, it ripens in just a few days, unlike other cheeses, which take 1-1.5 months, and parmesan even that half a year.
Features of Mozzarella
- Mozzarella cheese becomes soft in a short time at room temperature. Therefore, before using it, it is better to slightly cool the cheese, so that it is easier to grate, if required by the recipe.
- Another distinctive feature is that the product is not afraid of low temperatures. That is, frozen homemade Mozzarella can be put in the refrigerator, and after slow defrosting, all its properties will be fully preserved in it.
- It melts perfectly, does not release fat, retains its characteristic viscosity and does not "dry out", even after the dish has cooled down.
- The taste of Mozzarella is soft milky, without harsh notes, which is perfect, does not interrupt the other main ingredients.
- They use it not only on its own, but also use it in cooking. The main dish where it is used is pizza. Another popular dish is Italian lasagna or cheese fondue. Still fresh Mozzarella is included in salads, for example, "Caprese". It is also included in pasta, french fries, stuffed mushrooms and more.
How to make mozzarella - production technology
When producing cheese, it is important to follow the technology. It is necessary to withstand temperature conditions, create the necessary storage conditions for the product, etc. The main ingredients and raw materials for the production of mozzarella are as follows:
- Cow's or buffalo milk, or a mixture of these, high in protein, fat and solids.
- Starter cultures or flavoring bacteria containing microorganisms.
- Rennet from calf gastric juice or other milk enzymes such as potassium chloride and sodium chloride as salt substitutes.
- Additives that improve the quality of the product: various types of starch and flour, vinegar, drinking water.
In cheese factories, the cheese technological process consists of the following stages:
- Milk reception, milk cleaning and maturation.
- Pasteurization, curd formation and ripening of the curd mass.
- Grinding, thermomechanical processing and shaping.
- Cooling and packaging.
At enterprises, the production of mozzarella begins with milk pasteurization, then coagulation at t30-38 ° C and fermentation of the product. Then part of the whey is removed, and the maturation process takes place at 5 ° C. After that, the curd is placed in a vacuum. The mass is cooked at 80-90 ° C until elasticity and is formed depending on the desired size. The remaining whey is used to make Ricotta cheese. The formed mozzarella is cooled in a special brine. All these processes take place at a certain temperature, which cannot be changed, this is a very important factor. Since the mozzarella comes out hot, and to fix the shape, it is cooled. When chilled sharply, poor quality, taste and appearance will result. Chilled mozzarella is packed. It is also important here that the packaging must contain liquid. This guarantees a shelf life of up to 20 days and keeps the cheese soft. Otherwise, the cheese will dry out without brine and the shelf life will decrease several times.
Homemade mozzarella recipe
Despite the fact that at first glance, it may seem a rather complicated technological process of making mozzarella in the factory, but at home it can also be done. Moreover, it is prepared in much the same way as in production, but some ingredients and manufacturing steps will be slightly different.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 280 kcal.
- Servings - about 1 kg
- Cooking time - about 2 hours
Ingredients:
- Fatty, country milk - 4 l
- Citric acid - 1.5 tsp
- Drinking water - 175 ml
- Rennet - sold in the pharmacy (before use, be sure to check the expiration date and read the instructions)
Step by step cooking:
- Dissolve citric acid in 125 ml of cold boiled water. This is necessary to give the cheese the desired consistency. Stir the acid until it is completely dissolved.
- Dissolve the rennet in the remaining water (50 ml). But see the exact amount of liquid on the package. Stir the powder until dissolved.
- Pour milk into a saucepan and heat to about 17 ° C. If the temperature exceeds the norm, then cool the milk a little, otherwise, when acid is added, it will immediately curdle, which is not yet required at this stage.
- Gradually pour the citric acid solution into the milk in a thin stream and stir constantly.
- Place the pot on the stove, set the heat to low and heat it to 35-38 ° C. To do this, it is better to use a special thermometer to control the temperature.
- Then pour the dissolved rennet into the milk and mix well for 2-3 minutes. In this case, the fire should be minimal.
- Then turn off the stove, cover the pan and wait 30-40 minutes. There will be a folding process, in which a certain clot is formed, but the mass should not stick to your hands. Use a slotted spoon to catch this clot and shake off excess liquid.
- Heat the remaining whey after curdling to 85-90 ° C. Pour about 1 cup, add salt to this part and stir. This will be the brine for storing the cheese.
- Dip the cheese into the rest of the heated whey. After 10-20 seconds, take it out, remember with your hands and stretch it. At the same time, he should not break. Then dip the curd back into the serum and follow the same procedure. Repeat this until the cheese is tender, stringy and smooth. In order not to burn your hands, it is better to do these processes with thick gloves.
- Cut the finished mozzarella into balls or strips and dip in the prepared slightly salted whey. Refrigerate the cheese and store for a few days.
Tip: If desired, add spices, slices of olives or ham when kneading and stretching homemade mozzarella. This will make the cheese taste more unusual.
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