Succesful mozzarella taste?

[Zoey]

I'm thinking I should try a mozzarella. But the thing is, I've only eaten rubbery, tasteless, slighly sour, non-salted, non-fresh-tasting mozzarella that they sell in the stores in Finland (seems they don't sell mozzarella that tastes good). So how can I make good mozzarella if I don't know what I'm trying to achieve?

So I was thinking, this "mozzarella" sold in Finland is probably just a sorry excuse for a mozzarella, not the real thing I am aiming towards. So now I wish someone could tell me what it's supposed to taste like, so I know when I succeed.

I find it hard to believe I could possibly ruin a batch so completely that it would taste worse than those store-bought ones. We'll see.

[riha]

Not to put you down or anything, but it's completely possible to ruin your batch. I tried the famous 30-minute version and ended up with a rubber ball. I was just reading mozzarella threads and plan now trying again with MrsKK's recipe http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1452.msg10890.html#msg10890

For the taste, I like el cheapo mozzarella they sell here Granted, you get what you pay for, I think the price/quality ratio is still ok.

For the better stuff, there is some mozzarella di bufala sometimes also to be got from markets in Helsinki. (Don't know if you can replicate that without buffalo milk) You should also try Stockmann. They should have some good stuff.

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

Hi, in my humble opinion mozzarella is fairly bland- I love it for its stringy melting texture- we had some I made from Mrs kk's recipe again tonight, it was wonderful how it just stretched right out and stuck to our chins! My next job is to find an easy way to grate it- we tried the food processor tonight while it was half frozen, was not easy.
My ex hubby used to run a pizza cafe, he always bought a pizza mix of half mozzarella half colby. He said Colby was for taste mozzarella was for melting and texture

[Zoey]

I had some curds left from making blue here: http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2169.0.html

So after letting them stand in the fridge for about a day, I decided why not try stretch them. So I poured some hot water (no idea of the temperature) onto them, and whoa, they stretched. So I formed two fist-size balls and put them in brine. Seemed easy, and the end result was better than the el cheapo mozzarella. whee!

I'm sure this doesn't qualify as "real" mozzarella, since the curds used were blue cheese curds (with p.roq added in), and I didn't follow any mozzarella recipe, but I was really happy to see it can be done.

So next time, I'll try a real mozzarella recipe. With great expectations.

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

Thats really interesting zoey, I must try that one day

[DeejayDebi]

If you want to try flavoring you mozzarella try basil, sundried tomato or even dill. Fenel makes a nice flavor if you add it to your sausage.

[Michelle]

Hi Zoey,
Mozzarella, by it's nature, is a fairly mild tasteless cheese, that's the way it's supposed to be.  There are two types that are usually sold:

1. The traditional fresh, white, soft, milky mozzarella usually made from buffalo milk (but you can use cow's milk).  It should taste milky, slightly sweet and quite bland (but in a good way).  It's more about the texture and the milky freshness, not a strong flavour.  It's great simply sliced with tomatoes and basil.
2. The other stuff they sell in the supermarkets and put on Pizza Hut pizza's.  This is more aged, yellow, rubbery and melts & stretches on your pizza.  It has slightly more flavour but I would still only use this in cooking where you are after that stringy cheese effect.

Both cheeses are not really made for strong flavours, if you want that try an aged cheddar or the like.

And Waitawa Farm, not to critisise your ex husband...but colby is one the most blandest boring cheeses around!  And he used that as the flavouring!   

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

  Yes but colby made in new zealand----

[Zoey]

OK, I can understand the bland taste, but the el cheapo mozz sold here in Finland is simply a bit sour tasting rubber. Nothing worth praise in there.

I'm not necessarily after seasoning or anything. I'm simply trying to find out what I'm aiming towards. Since I'm positive that the Finnish store-bought mozz is not it (or maybe I just haven't found a quality product, in which case pointers are welcome).

To avoid doubt, I didn't add p.roq into the mozz for taste, I had added it to my curds to make blue cheese. Only afterwards I got the idea of using leftover curds to try mozz, since I didn't have any other use for them.

I'm hoping the blue won't bloom because of the heat + salt brine in which I keep the mozz. Planning to eat it tomorrow too, just to make sure the blue doesn't have time enough to get a hold on it.

[DeejayDebi]

Hmm blue mozzarella you may have just created a new cheese.

[Zoey]

We ate some of the mozz-clone yesterday.

A baguette with pesto, tomato slices, mozz slices and some ham.

It was delicious. It melted better than the el cheapo mozzarella, so I'm switching to home made from now on.

No trace of blue taste in it. Wonder why.

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

Congratulations!

[DeejayDebi]

Good show Zoey! I'm glad you enjoyed it.