Author Topic: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)  (Read 8334 times)

Offline Rain Frances

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #45 on: September 04, 2017, 11:37:27 PM »
Thanks Gregore :)

Offline Gregore

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #46 on: September 05, 2017, 03:27:57 AM »
I have yet to explore these types of cheeses , but my guess is that. The longer the cheese is aged the smaller the curd cut , the shorter the floc, and the higher the cook temp  any or all of the above .

Final ph will also effect the flavor and moisture to some degree.

Protein to fat ratio might have some effect also  but if so ,  that is for commercial makers or super geeky cheese making hobbyists.

Offline Rain Frances

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #47 on: September 05, 2017, 02:29:47 PM »
LOL @ "super geeky cheese making hobbyists". My goal was to make a Mozzarella that I could grate and melt on pizza. I think I've done it, but I'm just curious to see how it tastes and the texture of it once it's aged for a few extra weeks. I'm hoping it'll be less moist for better grating. So maybe I'm drying it more rather than aging it, to be more accurate!

Offline Rain Frances

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! UPDATE!!
« Reply #48 on: September 09, 2017, 05:55:02 PM »
Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to give you an update about the Mozzarella I made at the end of August!



Just to refresh your memory, I divided the cheese into 3 balls. The first one we ate immediately. The second one went into the freezer. The third I attempted to age.
Last night we opened up the "aged" Mozza and I defrosted the other one. You can see the difference in colour. The aged Mozza dried for about 6 days and aged in the cheese cave for a week. It was very firm, a little sharper in flavour and grated superbly for pizza! The one I defrosted tasted as though I'd just made it - fresh and creamy with a milder taste.



I was really happy with the results of the "aged" Mozza!! We mainly use Mozza for pizzas, strombolis, calzones etc...so the melty factor was really important to me considering I want to stop buying grocery-store "cheese food" Mozzarella for good.

My next challenge will be to see if I can make it again successfully (we all know how finicky that cheese is!)! I want to try to age it 2 weeks, 3 weeks and a month. It is possible I may have a sour ball of curd after the experiments...but I'm very motivated to see what can happen when a cheese not meant to be aged, is aged!!

And once again, I must thank everyone for all of their help and support during my learning curve! :)


Offline awakephd

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #49 on: September 11, 2017, 04:16:09 PM »
Well done - AC4U!
-- Andy

Offline Rain Frances

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #50 on: September 13, 2017, 06:31:29 PM »
Thanks Andy! :))

Offline Fritz

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #51 on: September 14, 2017, 01:43:54 AM »
Congrats Rain....I share your frustrated experiences...  I was chuckling at your repeated efforts and your determination to make it work... at all costs... (you may be a Capricorn like me) I chuckled not to be mean, but rather seeing myself in you, at the beginning of my cheese journey. To this day, I have a very high respect for anyone successfully making mozzarella.
I just read your whole thread in one shot (I've been away for a while) and knew right away in the first few posts that you were missing the most important tool; the pH meter.
You have the right tool now... use it often and learn well. P.S. I just jab the business end of the pH meter into the curd mass to test.. hold it for 30 seconds till it settles down for a reading. Keep it wet...Put it in a tall glass (to hold it upright) of warmish water about 1inch deep 1/2 hr before you need it and between uses during your cheese make. You should be able to find calibration test fluids to test it ... that factory calibration will only hold for a few months to a year... if you can't calibrate your pH meter, you may want to get one that does...

Congrats again and a cheese for you for your determination and frustrations and all the milk!

reg

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #52 on: September 15, 2017, 04:27:47 PM »
A heavy shot glass works perfectly to hold your ph meter, one shot of calibration liquid and you are good to go. 

You can also use it for other things ;-)

Offline Fritz

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #53 on: September 15, 2017, 10:57:09 PM »
oh yes.. another trick I use to help stretch mozza .. have a big bowl of ice water beside your stretching station... when your hands get too hot, and you can't stand it anymore, dip your hot gloved hands in the ice cold water for instant relief ... aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!  back to stretching your next piece...and repeat.....aaaaaahhhhhhh!  ^-^

F

Offline Rain Frances

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #54 on: September 18, 2017, 06:15:35 PM »
Hi Fritz :) Yeah...the PH meter saved the day! And thanks for the tip about keeping it wet, I didn't do that. I have yet to try another one, gunshy I guess, but I do want to try with some Lipase added this time to see what that does to the flavour!

And btw, I had a bowl of ice water too and it didn't help the burn! I got some heat proof gloves in my order last week so that'll help my motivation lol!

Offline Rain Frances

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #55 on: September 18, 2017, 06:16:14 PM »
I think that shot glass would have come in handy after attempt number five Reg lol... :)

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Re: Another Mozzarella Post! (Cultured and Non-Cultured Questions)
« Reply #56 on: November 12, 2017, 09:42:22 PM »
Hi Rain,
Thanks for the thread. I've just joined the cheese forum and have never made real mozzarella. That was truly inspiring to me! :)