30 Minute Microwave Mozzarella

Going to resurrect interest in this because I've recently found a source of unpasteurized milk. I'll let the forum know how it turns out!

My girlfriend and I made this tonight. Turned out fantastic.

We had really thought we messed up pretty bad as the curds and whey weren't seperating at all. Just a tip to all those who make it...keep going. The whey skimmed off pretty easily once we put it in the microwave for a minute. Looks pretty gross until the end.

Damn tasty. Can't wait to do the next couple of batches.

Looks interesting, might have to give it a whirl soon

Do commercial cheeses use rennet? Not that I am a vegetarian, but it just sounds gross... lol :cross:

Taipans said:

Do commercial cheeses use rennet? Not that I am a vegetarian, but it just sounds gross... lol :cross:

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Commercial cheese manufacturers use chemical rennet. There are a few small craft cheese makers that still use animal but it's pretty rare.

Nurmey said:

Commercial cheese manufacturers use chemical rennet. There are a few small craft cheese makers that still use animal but it's pretty rare.

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Can I use Chemical Rennet? I feel less of a man by asking that sorry. :cross:

Taipans said:

Can I use Chemical Rennet? I feel less of a man by asking that sorry. :cross:

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Wuss.



Vegetarian Rennets are extracts from plants, that would be my second choice after Animal Rennet, before Chimosin (or whatever that genetically engineered one is).

I personally am not bothered by Animal Rennet. Then of course, I am not bothered by Head Cheese, Blood Sausage, Steak Tartare, Lacto-Fermented foods, Molds, Sheeps intestines for Hot Dog casings, Hog Bungs for stuffing Liverwurst...etc. What makes me squeamish is the sociological response from people that I serve these foods to. Muahhahaha.

Zoebisch01, I think you may be way more evil than any of us suspected.
Vegetable rennet is the type most accessible to the home cheese maker. I'm not even sure where to get the chemical stuff other than a cheese manufactuer's suppliers.

zoebisch01 said:

I personally am not bothered by Animal Rennet. Then of course, I am not bothered by Head Cheese, Blood Sausage, Steak Tartare, Lacto-Fermented foods, Molds, Sheeps intestines for Hot Dog casings, Hog Bungs for stuffing Liverwurst...etc. What makes me squeamish is the sociological response from people that I serve these foods to. Muahhahaha.

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ACK! If only I knew right? I try not to think about things when I eat them. Although everything outside of mold and lacto fermented foods make me lose my will to live. :cross:

I love blue cheese! :rockin:

SuperiorBrew said:

...I was just going to do the whole pictorial again when I found this one already done. Ricki's 30 Minute Mozzarella Magic ...

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I tried to click on the link and it's "HTTP 403 Forbidden" to me... how do I go about checking it out. I have never made cheese before and this really caught my eye. I might even be able to find someone I work with for milk fresh from the cow. Maybe even a goat.... *evil grin* I want to goof off with a few easier recepies before making a really knock out bleu cheese and this one seemed to sound really almost too easy to be true. Only problem is I don't have any knowlage of how to make cheese. Anyone got a link to a beginners cheese thread and a link to this recepie from start to finish that isn't forbidded to me? Thanks in advance!!!!

Grimsawyer said:

I tried to click on the link and it's "HTTP 403 Forbidden" to me... how do I go about checking it out. I have never made cheese before and this really caught my eye. I might even be able to find someone I work with for milk fresh from the cow. Maybe even a goat.... *evil grin* I want to goof off with a few easier recepies before making a really knock out bleu cheese and this one seemed to sound really almost too easy to be true. Only problem is I don't have any knowlage of how to make cheese. Anyone got a link to a beginners cheese thread and a link to this recepie from start to finish that isn't forbidded to me? Thanks in advance!!!!

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http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/21.html

Nurmey said:

Zoebisch01, I think you may be way more evil than any of us suspected.
Vegetable rennet is the type most accessible to the home cheese maker. I'm not even sure where to get the chemical stuff other than a cheese manufactuer's suppliers.

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You can get the animal, vegetable and chemical here http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/c/26-Cheese-Rennets.html

Here's mine. It tasted great, though I think it was slightly better before the second microwaving. That seemed to dry it out a little more than I'd have wanted, but it was fun and easy to make, and I'll definitely do it again.



I also made some duck prosciutto (from Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing) ...



...and I thought they'd go well together on a sourdough pizza.

Sir Humpsalot said:

I'm from Chicago. Land of good pizza.

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Boston and New York with their GREAT PIZZA are in agreeance with the above statement :rockin:

Danek, that looks so good! We are now getting 1.5 gallons of fresh (unpasteurized) goat's milk a week. I'll make some chevre today, and mozzarella next weekend, maybe cheddar the following week.

Thanks for all of the pictures, Superiorbrew, wherever you are!

Is this the procedure?

Old links are dead

Recipe for Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

babalu87 said:

Is this the procedure?

Old links are dead

Recipe for Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

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Not sure about that link, but the one I used was:

Mozzarella Cheese Recipe

I just checked it, and it seems OK.

YooperBrew said:

Thanks for all of the pictures, Superiorbrew, wherever you are!

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Hi Yoop,

I'm still here just been real busy getting the site done and a couple other non homebrew related projects going.
Whats new un the UP?

SuperiorBrew said:

Hi Yoop,

I'm still here just been real busy getting the site done and a couple other non homebrew related projects going.
Whats new un the UP?

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Good to "see" you! We're talking about having a "Brew Camp" at my cottage this summer- I'll keep you posted as to when, just in case you can make it.

I've got a source for raw fresh goat's milk now, so I've been making cheese with really great results. I'm going to try some Monteray jack cheese this week.

Otherwise, all the same. Hockey, hockey, hockey and work, work, work. I am temporarily working full time, to pay for college tuition for next year. I'll be done with the full-time in May, though, just in time for summer.

My mozzarella came out kind of like ricotta, real small loose curds. This this a milk problem or a process problem?

Superior, I might have to block the cheese forum. This and the chedder thread are about all I can handle. I gotta make some cheese.


I swear I have to find a hobby that is not going to make me weigh 400 lbs.

Jif said:

My mozzarella came out kind of like ricotta, real small loose curds. This this a milk problem or a process problem?

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It could be either, but it sounds like the milk was Ultra Pasteurized. That milk just will not form a good clean break, or good curds.

I just made 30-min mozzarella this evening. It was quick, easy and very good. The curds looked like ricotta until I started pressing them together. I think you really need to avoid the temptation to stir the pot much. Just keep your heat low so the curds warm slowly. I may have screwed up but I only heated the curds for 1min in the microwave, kneaded them, then heated for an additional 35 sec. At that point I was able to knead them a few minutes then stretch them a considerable amount. I didn't heat them a 3rd time as recommended as the cheese looked really good by that point.

Now I am seeing if I can make whey ricotta and what it tastes like if I can.

<edit> Well I made ricotta, but not much. The result was about 1/2 cup of ricotta. The ricotta was pretty good, but different than the whole milk ricotta I usually buy at the store. It was very easy, heat the whey to about 200F, let sit for 5min then pour through a fine cheese cloth. Then hang to dry for 15min. However it took another hour to heat the whey slowly and drain the cheese. Its not really worth it for that much ricotta. If I make a 3+ gallon batch of hard cheese I will try again, perhaps with the addition of some whole milk to increase the yield.

Craig

Hmm I have tried to make mozzarella before using a different recipe and it never turned out very good so I tried this recipe. I tried this one and I think I need to get a better quality milk because it did not form a very good curd.

CBBaron said:

I didn't heat them a 3rd time as recommended as the cheese looked really good by that point.

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Good call. I heated mine a third time, and TBH I think it made it slightly worse than it was before the third heating. I think it's easy to overcook it.

SUCCESS!! I tried this recipe again using Raw Milk, and it turned out great. I think the key (at least for me) was to let it sit longer than it said to let it form the curdle. I will post pics later if I don't eat it first!

Had my first success today! Whole Foods 365 whole milk. I added 1/4 tsp of lipase powder and about 1 tsp (eyeballed it) of calcium chloride to mine. Very tasty so far, though unfortunately I horked up my pizza crust so it's sitting in the fridge waiting for a serving vessel.

After the second microwaving it is nice and soft like what you get in a tub of fresh moz at the store. I kept going for the third microwaving/pull since I wanted it a little dry for pizza. Came out perfect.

Is cheesemaking.com the best place to get this kit? I always bulk when shipping is 50% of the cost of what I'm buying. Is there any chance of buying it at a local store, or even just the ingredients? I'm in Denver, CO.

Been watching this forum and decided to take the plunge since I'll be making pizza dough tonight anyway. Wish me luck, great thread.

Found some ingredients at my LHBS (Beer at Home, for Colorado people). Did it peicemeal, since they didn't have the mozzarella kit, just the hard cheese one, and only paid about $15. Now to go find some milk that works...

Cheese Making, Homemade Cheese, Cheese Making Supplies, Cheese Making Equipment, Cheese Making Kits, Cheesemaking, Cheesemaking Supplies, Cheesemaking Equipment, Cheesemaking Kits is where I got my cheese making supplies, for other cheese recipes and tips CHEESEFORUM.ORG Cheese Making Forum, Recipes, Reviews, Pictures . . . is a really good site

SuperiorBrew said:

It came out of the icewater bath at the 45 minute mark & was ready to eat.
I was just going to do the whole pictorial again when I found this one already done. Ricki's 30 Minute Mozzarella Magic This saved me enough time to make another whole batch

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so eek.. the link doesn't work anymore. does the recipe live somewhere else?
its a 403 error...

Oaky said:

so eek.. the link doesn't work anymore. does the recipe live somewhere else?
its a 403 error...

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Try here:

Mozzarella Cheese Recipe

Danek said:

Try here:

Mozzarella Cheese Recipe

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awesome ty