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Mozzarella is one of the easiest cheeses to make, and often one of the first cheeses a beginner ventures to make at home. You probably won't get it exactly right the first time, but you will appreciate how magical mozzarella is.
What you need
- 1 gallon whole milk (or 2%)
- 1/4 cup distilled water
- 1/2 rennet tablet
- 2 teaspoons citric acid
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- A cheesecloth, a large glass bowl, a non-reactive pot and a kitchen thermometer
You can order rennet tablets online. If you'd rather keep it vegetarian, look for vegetarian rennet (Amazon).
The first steps
- Dissolve the rennet tablet in the 1/4 cup of distilled water.
- Pour the milk into a non-reactive pot (not aluminum or cast iron).
- Stir in the citric acid and raise the milk's temperature to 88°F. The milk begins to curdle.
- At 88°F, pour in the rennet solution and stir gently until the temperature reaches 105°F. Then take the pot off the heat.
At this point you have cheese curds. What makes mozzarella is stretching them. The stretching and finishing steps are in the full recipe.
