Author Topic: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.  (Read 3087 times)

Datfreak

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New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« on: September 23, 2017, 10:01:04 PM »
I'm going to try and make mozzarella from beatrice 2% milk, was wondering if anyone used beatrice milk before and also all whole milk products where I live is homogenized.

Would adding  18% table cream to the 2% milk work for making a fatter tastier mozzarella?

Offline Fritz

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2017, 11:59:26 PM »
Hey, Datfreak... fellow Canuck.
So very familiar with Beatrice. First off, make sure it doesn't have UHT (ultra high temp pasteurization) or HTST (high temp, short time) or "ultra" pasteurization on the label anywhere... fortunately for us, mozzarella is not too picky about milk type... or even fat content for that matter. Because it's a fresh cheese and not expected to be aged or stored for a long time, the better quality milk will be better taste (with the right culture). You may get a different yield with different processes. Try to make a culture acidified curd vs the common citric acid method for better flavour. My recommendation if you have a bit of a budget, to go to a high end food store (like Whole Foods) or a nearby dairy and try to get "creamline" milk.. which is simply unhomoginized milk (cream will separate from the milk so shake before using) ... creameries in Ontario often suggest the offer "lightly pasteurized" milk and that's really what you seek. Remember, making cheese is to celebrate the freshness and deliciousness of farm fresh milk. Making cheese was originally used to preserve milk and convert it to a more stable state... with the event of 7/24 grocery stores... we are more "artisans" now vs survivors... make the effort of researching and making the journey for the best milk possible .... and there is a lot more out there than Beatrice for milk.

Good luck, have fun and share your cheese :)
F

Offline Fritz

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2017, 12:13:22 AM »
Sorry.. you had a second question to your post ...

I wouldn't go nuts on adding extra fat to the mozzarella make... you will find a lot of fat is released into the water and whey and until you get really good at making mozzarella and can manage that extra fat by making perfect curds to trap the extra fat without it leeching out. Stick to standard milk 3.25% will be fine if you can't find the cream line stuff I mentioned above.... and ya'... Beatrice will work too ;)

Datfreak

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2017, 12:47:12 AM »
Thank you so much for the response, but I looked all over already and there is no fresh milk no where around here, and all milk that is 3.25% is all homogenized milk. And the whole food store I have here use to sell milk but stopped because it wouldn't sell much so now you have to order it for 15$ for 4 liters.

I have a smith's here but there whole milk is homogenized also...... From what I learned so far, non - homogenized milk is illegal here in canaduh Ontario

Offline Fritz

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2017, 02:54:12 AM »
You are probably thinking about PASTEURIZATION... everything is pasteurized here ... The Gov doesn't care about homogenization..
I found even Foodtown and Sobeys and Metro carries non-homogenized creamline milk from local dairies like "Millers"... Where abouts are you?

Btw my nearby dairy charges 6$ per 2 Ltr jug for same day fresh creamline milk ... so yours isn't off by too much..
« Last Edit: September 24, 2017, 03:00:00 AM by Fritz »

Datfreak

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2017, 04:59:44 AM »
I'm in Sudbury, I'll check metro, never checked there,.

Can u maybe give me some name brands to look for that u have used before? I'll check for miller's.

Thx again

Offline Fritz

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2017, 05:38:41 AM »
Ya.. problem with dairies, they usually only deliver quite locally... so nothing I have here will help you ... way up there, you would be better off with Caribou, Moose or Yak milk.   Lol... just kidding. Keep looking, in the meanwhile, have fun with Beatrice. All of a sudden, $16 a gallon isn't so bad for the primo stuff :)

reg

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2017, 02:09:40 PM »
Sudbury EH  ;) You can also use skim milk and add in the amount of cream that you want. I have read in more than one article/book that homogenized milk was not the best for making any cheese because of the process, high pressure spraying through fine screens to homogenize.

I have had very good luck using skim and adding the cream for Alpine style cheese's that I make. I have STILL never made a stretched cured cheese that worked !

Offline Fritz

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2017, 05:45:10 PM »
For mozzarella, you can even make it with skim milk powder! .. not that I think I would ever try that, short of doing a science experiment.

Reg: Its getting close to soppressata season, Invite me down for the make and I'll bring a butt or two, vino, and the mozzarella fixins'  to make a batch while there... Mozza will be ready for lunch  ;)

reg

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2017, 12:12:12 PM »
I would be happy to show you how we make it here. I will email you

Offline Fritz

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2017, 02:51:32 PM »
Perfect, thx

Datfreak

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2017, 05:44:22 AM »
So I finally made mozzarella today, the  only mozzarella I ever ate was store bought brick mozzarella, this homemade mozzarella tastes nothing like that! My fresh mozzarella had no taste except a slight milky taste...... Is  this what fresh mozzarella tastes like? I decided to buy lipase and try it with lipase next time.

Offline awakephd

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Re: New to making mozzarella cheese and question about milk.
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2017, 04:04:00 PM »
Yep, that's pretty much it, especially if you made it using the citric-acid method. If you used culture, it will gain a bit more taste, especially after a couple of days in  the fridge. Lipase will add a bit more taste as well - nothing like what you would get with an aged cheese, but a bit of extra picquancy (is that a word??).
-- Andy