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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Pasta Filata (Pulled Curd) => Topic started by: MrsKK on June 24, 2010, 02:56:00 PM
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I've cobbled this recipe together from other recipes, mostly based on Fankhauser's method. It turns out nicely for me every time and has much more flavor than the citric acid method.
5 gallons skimmed milk
2 cups yogurt or 1/2 teaspoon powdered thermophilic culture
1/8 teaspoon powdered calf rennet (or as recommended on your rennet package) I've also used 4 Junket rennet tablets
1/2 cup canning salt
Warm milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk yogurt until thin, then stir well into warmed milk. If using powdered culture, whisk into about a cup of warmed milk, then stir into the kettle of milk. Allow to ripen for 1 hour, maintaining 90* temp.
Dissolve rennet in 1/4 cup cool water (tap water if non-chlorinated, otherwise, use distilled water). Gently stir into milk, stirring for no more than 20-30 seconds. Allow to set, maintaining temperature, until clean break achieved. Usually 30-60 minutes.
Cut curd into 1/2 inch pieces, gently stir up larger pieces from the bottom and cut. Allow to set 15 minutes to allow curds to heal.
Without stirring, remove whey to level of curds (reserve whey in clean container). Add a gallon of cold water to rinse, then drain in cloth-lined colander, covering with a clean cloth or lid.
Allow to sit at room temperature (65 to 75 degrees) overnight to ripen the curd and bring it to proper stretching acidity.
Use Fankhauser's method for testing for proper level of acidity (taken directly from his website).
"Checking for proper acidity using the "spinning" technique:
a) Heat 2 c water to 85°C. (185 F)
b) Drop several chunks of curd in, stir gently with a fork.
c) Test for acidity by pulling and folding the hot curd. If it softens and draws into strings ("spins"), and appears glossy on the surface, it is ready. If it breaks when you pull it, let sit several more hours until it does."
Once the curd spins, heat one gallon of reserved whey plus 1 cup kosher salt (or 1/2 cup canning salt) to 175 - 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut cheese curd into chunks about 1 inch square (doesn't have to be exact). I use a fryer basket to contain my curd chunks, placing about 1-2 cups of chunks in the basket and submerge it in the whey. After about 30 seconds, remove a chunk of cheese and start pulling on it. The center may still be cool, so if it breaks, just mush it back together, then put it back in the whey and allow it to warm a bit longer. The curd should be hot, so you will probably want to wear a couple pairs of latex exam gloves to protect your hands.
When the chunks are warm enough to hold together, I knead them all into a soft-ball sized mass and start pulling the curd, like pulling taffy, stretching and folding. If it gets cool enough to break, I put it back in the whey to heat up again.
Continue with the process until the cheese becomes smooth and glossy. Some blisters may form on the surface as well. Then put into a bowl of cold water to set up the cheese and go on to the next batch of curd, until it is all stretched and has been cooled in the water bath.
Remove from the water and allow to air dry for a few minutes. You can blot any remaining water with a paper towel. Store airtight in the fridge for up to a week. This cheese grates and freezes well, too.
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You heat them in hot salty whey before you stretch it? I have been heating mine in hot water....... Then resting them in cold brine.
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Karen this is almost identical to the way I make my Bocconcini! You go girl!
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Yep, I use hot salty whey to heat up the curd for stretching. It gets the salt into the cheese where I want it. When I tried soaking the cheese in brine, it always got slimey, which really turned me off, so I came up with this solution.
The other nice thing about it is that you can make riccota directly from this whey and don't need to add any salt to that, as it is just the right amount straight out of the pot.
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I'm with Karen on the whey brine and the salt addition. Interesting that our processes are so close. Just made Bocconcini, string cheese and Scamorza Affumicata last night/this morning for a family party tomorrow. I don't think we have to much difference except that I used TA-61, I warm the milk to 104F degrees and I stretch at 170F degrees. The reason I stretch at a slightly lower temperature is that I find it makes for a some what softer cheese.
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Hmm well I got mine to the curd stage tonight (3 gallons of milk!!) and the curds seem softer and less squeaky and cleaner this time soooooo... I have hope for tomorrow!
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Let us know how it turns out for you, Minamyna.
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good luck Minamyna, I'm sue it'll turn out fine!
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Much better flavor, it got a little sour so I think I over did the ripening. I don't think I added enough salt to the whey mix, because they tasted great right after I made them, but a day later the fridge they were not salty enough. I was bummed because I had given them out and that had been mentioned to me they tasted "wrong." (They couldn't it was a salt problem, but as soon as I tasted it I knew).
If you put the salt in the whey, do you not soak them in water after? Or do you soak them in brine then in water?
Thanks!
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I just soak mine in cold water long enough to firm up the cheese balls, then remove them. I store them dry.
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I thought I took a picture of them after smoking but I can not find it, The kids like the strings of cheese and the adults seem to prefer the balls.
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Well I have narrowed it down to the mozz seems to get rubbery/ squeaky when I add the hot whey to stretch. I try to handle it as little as possible with the gloves, but although the curds get really stringy, they don't really stick to each other like they do in the youtube videos.
I try really hard not to over handle it, but it seem like I manage to everytime.....
Any advice?
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Nice work Deejay!
Cacio
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Thanks you Cacio. I think it took much longer to make all these little balls than it did for everyone to eat them!
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How are you smoking Mozz?
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In the smoker! I normally get 2 to 4 charcoal briquettes going and lay chunk of cherry or pecan on one and hickory on the other. If it's already warm out I just stick some chips in a clean can and stick a soldering iron in the can and place them in the smoker. Past few days has been way to hot to even carry cheese outside. Last Saturday was only in the low 70's.
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Minamyna, I really don't think you are overhandling your cheese and I'm not sure why it wouldn't stick back together, unless it isn't hot enough to stick back together. When I stretch mine, I take the chunks out and smoosh them around a bit, the centers are usually still kind of grainy as they still have unheated curd in them, so they go back in the hot whey. I smoosh a few more chunks, then go back to the first one. Eventually, the chunks are heated throughout and I work the chunks all together. I do enough that I have a ball of hot curd about three inches through the middle.
At this point, I am able to start stretching the cheese. If it starts feeling tough to stretch, it goes back in they hot whey (I keep the whey on the stovetop at a consistent heat so that it doesn't cool off). I stretch and fold the curd around on itself until it starts looking smooth and shiny, then I form it into a ball. There's always a "nub" on the bottom, so the ball goes back in the hot whey for about 30 seconds, then I take it out and put it on a flat surface for about another 30 seconds, then into cold water to help it firm up.
I'm obviously handling my mozzarella a lot more than you do, but it turns out good. Maybe you are not stretching and kneading it enough?
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You have a cow and you use raw milk correct?
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Mozzarella needs a good bit of stretching to get the pull apart almost stringy thing going.
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Yes, I do have a cow and use raw milk...sadly, I had to dry her off this week, so cheesemaking is at a standstill for me for the next two months.
Waaaaaah! I'm in withdrawal!
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It just comes out really stringy and chewy, whereas the curd is not stringy and chewy.... sigh. and you get like this layer of harder edge on the outside and softer on the inside.
I am sorry to hear about your withdrawal, I have some milk, you can come visit me!!! I will share!
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I'm sorry if our suggestions aren't helping with your cheese.
I'd love to come visit and try your cow's milk...I don't think you live anywhere near me, though. (West central Wisconsin) Thanks for the offer.
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Try turning the heating whey or water down a few degrees. I found it works best for me at about 170 and gives me a better texture - not rubbery but does take a bit longer to heat the curds for stretching.
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I tried it at 160 :(. I appreciate the help, there must be something obviously stupid that I am doing wrong.
:(
I have used all my thermophillic culture, I need to order some more.
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Try using plain, active culture yogurt as a thermophilic culture. I even use my Greek yogurt to culture mozz and I really like it a lot.
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Dear Caciocavallo,
My name is Angelo Amara and I am Almac sales manager that follow in first person the Canadian Market. If you are looking for the moulding machine to produce both bocconcini and other kind of products, like: provolette and caciocavallo cheese, please contact me at the following address: angeloamara@almacsrl.it
We have a lot of customers in North America and in Canada, we have companies Like: Arla food Tre Stelle (Concord - ON), Galati Cheese (Windsor - ON), International Cheese (Toronto - ON), Silani Cheese Company (Ontario). While in US, we collaborate from a lot of years with the most important dairy companies, like: Sorrento Lactalis Group, Belgioso Company, Grande cheese, Park Cheese, Kraft Group.
I think I can help you for your technical need.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Have a great day
Angelo
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Would 24 hours be too long to leave the curds? I am following MrsKKs 2 day recipe and it calls for leaving the curds overnight but could I leave them until the next evening?
Perhaps popping them in the fridge overnight and then taking out to acidify tomorrow morning, ready for use tomorrow night?
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ancksunamun, I sometimes leave my curds in the refrigerator wrapped in cheese cloth and sitting in a collendar for 2 whole days. I have found it never really effects my finished product. I do use whole raw milk, cream and all and dont know if that makes any difference.
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Thanks Brentsbox
I left the curds wrapped in cheesecloth and sitting in the colandar and put them in the fridge overnight. I have got them out this morning to hopefully work tonight.
If it turns out this makes it quite a convenient cheese to make, without the time pressures (being able to leave the curds if required).
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Yep, just do a test of a bit of curd to make sure it "spins" before you get too gung ho on the whole mass. Mozz is really convenient, isn't it?
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I finished my Mozzarella off tonight and it went brilliantly! Fantastic stringy, glossy and smooth.
Excellent recipe MrsKK and so convenient!
Thank you.
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Mozz (and any cheese) is all about patience. The whole concept of a "30 Minute Mozzarella" is a setup for failure.
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Mozz (and any cheese) is all about patience. The whole concept of a "30 Minute Mozzarella" is a setup for failure.
I agree with Sailor. I cant see doing any cheese in the microwave. Heck, I really dont like to even cook anything in it.
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Agreed! The concept of microwaving it seems so wrong. Mind you, I don't own a microwave at all as I'm not a fan of cooking anything in them so I would say that.
As mentioned my Mozzarella seems to have turned out well but I do have some questions following this make.
1) Are there any guidelines as to how much you should work the curds to make the perfect mozzarella?
2) Is there a trick to making sure they stay soft rather than hardening?
I'm thinking on the fresh mozzarella I have had and while I am pretty happy with mine for a first attempt it is probably more reminiscent of the rubbery bulk mozzarella we have here than the fresh soft stuff I have eaten. It will though be perfect for pizza and other string cheese dishes.
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Time and patience and more time. If you give it the time it needs it's a fun easy cheese to make.
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I agree with Debi about time. I've found that when it is the upper end of two days, maybe even into three days when I stretch the cheese, that I get better results.
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I think part of the problem people have is they read about the 30 minute mozzarella then try to make the traditional style and expect it to happen in 30 minutes. I think the 30 minute variety is supposed to ease you into making cheese with little equipment of investment. This is good for places where you may not have a stove or maybe little kids. I always thought it was a simple cheese for newbies until I came here.
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I still occasionally make the 30 minute mozz when I absolutely need some of the cheese in a quick time. Never for fresh eating, though.
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Hey Karen,
I've used your recipe successfully a few times but had an "udder" failure the other day. I tested a small piece in water and it "spun" like it should have. But, when I heated up the whey and tried to stretch the rest, the curds just crumbled and wouldn't come together. They also lost loads of liquid into the whey, losing like 50% of their volume. I put the rest back into the fridge for a bit, then nuked them just to see what would happen. They stretched but weren't really that great texture-wise.
Any idea why they stretched in water, not whey, and why they lost so much liquid to the whey? I'm thinking it must be a similar action to feta dissolving in brine, but can't put the answer together.
I'm going to make curds tonight for another attempt but am feeling a bit gun shy!
Any help appreciated.
Pam
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Sounds like it got too acidic.
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That's what I thought but why did it stretch in water, and not lose volume?
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I'm guessing that the pH was just a little low - right on the borderline. Putting it in water helped reduce some of the acid on the surface. Just enough to allow it to stretch. Turning a 24 hour moz into a two or 3 day moz can definitely allow the bacteria time to create too much acid, even at refrigerator temperatures. Think spoiled milk. :o
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Sailor is probably right. I've never had that happen myself. Sorry!
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OK, thanks for the info.
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Thanks you for the recipe.
I'd like to try it for just 1 gallon of milk, is it just a matter of cutting all the ingredient by 1/4?
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I have a question about this recipe... it calls for skim milk. What is the difference between leaving the cream in the milk or skimming it?? Can someone explain that to me :)
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I use skimmed milk for making mozzarella because I want the cream for making butter or mascarpone. You can certainly use whole milk for this recipe and will get a higher yield than what I do. I get about 3/4 lb of mozz per gallon, plus about another 2 cups of ricotta from cooking the whey.
I mostly came up with this recipe because I needed something to use all the skimmed milk for and don't use enough parmesan to warrant making a wheel of it every other week or so.
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LOL- I thought it was because of some special property... I could have started the cheese today... oh well! haha tomorrow I'll start and make ice cream with the cream...
Thank you so much :D
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I have a question about this recipe. I noticed some, if not most here are using their own Cow's milk. If I use pasteurized store bought milk will I have to add Calcium Chloride to the recipe to get it to work right? I also read somewhere that using whole milk instead of 2% butterfat might cause the cheese not to spin properly. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks
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Well I've tried this five times and all I get is cheese the consistency of cottage cheese. Any thoughts?
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What kind of milk are you using? If store-bought, have you tried changing brands? I'm asking because I'm wondering if the milk you are using is high temp pasturized - they don't have to say it on the label.
Anything else that you are doing differently from the recipe?
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Store bought, all the brands I bought replied to me via email and claimed they weren't UHP. Most said around 171*. I'm thinking they probably bring it up high for a short time and then at that temp for longer. Five different brands and yes plants. I use the "where did your milk come from?" website for dairy products. You can find store brand products cheaper that are made by the same major label manufactures at their plants.
I'm getting some fresh cow's milk this weekend and will try again. I need fresh home made cheese to watch the Pack in the Superbowl ya know!!!!!!!!!!!
GO PACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Just to follow through for Cheezpleez.
Where is my milk from? (http://whereismymilkfrom.com/)
This is a very interesting site that allows you to identify the commercial source for any milk bottled in the USA.
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So have you tried using Calcium Chloride? I've never made cheese with pasturized milk, so that is the only thing I can really think of at this point.
So your curd is staying small and cottage cheese-like even after it sits at room temperature overnight? Just trying to figure out what is going on here...
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Yes, I've tried with calcium chloride and without. I've tried recipes that call for heating after the curd break. I get a beautiful curd break. Cut it up real nice, it's after this that it just disintegrates it seems, won't stick back together.
Still tastes ok though ;) Just not the consistency I'm looking for.
I want good old string cheese like you could get twenty years ago around here. Heavy strings with a thick rind, not the soft processed junk made today. That's my goal with the mozzarella. I'll get there, just will take some time I guess.
I've made four other cheese's and they came out nice. Will start on harder stuff once I get my string cheese perfected.
Thanks for the reply's.
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Curd crash is generally a milk problem. Classic symptoms - everything looks great, nice clean break, good curd cut. Then the curds shatter into small pieces. This is more of a problem with citric "quick" Mozz and usually doesn't occur with true cultured. Best remedy is to change milk.
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Success :D :D :D :D :D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got some fresh cows milk from a friend yesterday afternoon. Did the first phase last night, let it set out over night, just got done stretching it. Beautiful!!!!!
No I hadn't tried any "quick" recipe, that's not how I do things. Three Christmas's ago an in-law gave me some BBQ equipment including a bottle of liquid smoke. The bottle is in the frig and hasn't moved or been open since I put it in there. I'm not into short cuts.
Thanks for the support from you guys and gals. :)
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This is very similar to Debra Amrein-Boyes recipe, and it turns out wonderful every time I make it.
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I'm glad you found success, Cheez! Raw milk is just wonderful, isn't it?
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I'm glad you found success, Cheez! Raw milk is just wonderful, isn't it?
Yes, at least you know where you stand when starting.
Now being a life long curing/smoking of other food expert (even my wife agrees ;D) I decided to try something a little different with getting the salt into the finished cheese. First I used a liquid brine, terrible slime mess. Second I used Karen's add salt to the heated whey for stretching. That worked very good. Third, I used a dry rub for around six hours and then rinsed under cold water and patted dry prior to smoking. A little better.
Fourth, the one I found that worked best for what I wanted (thick rind, heavy sting cheese). I dry rubbed and then put the pieces into a food saver vac canister. Vacuumed out the air, waited about 2 hours, rinsed, dried and then cold smoked for one hour. YES, exactly what I was looking for.
I used canning salt for each trial, won't do the brine again, although I will use the cheese in cooking recipes from that batch.
A question, has anyone tried using a true curing salt? I know most are made for meat, poultry, and fish? But technically you are infusing the salt into the proteins and fats and I would think cheese would qualify. I'll probably try some on a small portion of the next mozz I make and see what it does.
Thanks.
Cheez
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I don't have an answer for you on the curing salt, but am bumping this up in the hopes someone in the know will see it.
Thanks for sharing the results of your salting experiments.
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I have been out of touch for a while, but my mozz still is not right, but I am using whole milk and when I stretch some parts stretch really well, and some don't? Do I have some kind of uneven ripening? Is there anythign special you do with the fresh curds?
Also I end up with this like creamy white (I am assuming the good tasting stuff) ends up in the stretching water or whey depending on what I use. :( ?
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How long are you ripening the curd? And are you ripening at room temperature at least 10-12 hours?
I cut my curd into approximately 2 inch cubes to stretch it, then put several cubes into a basket in the whey to heat. It takes several immersions to get all of the curd hot enough to stretch, so I take it out and pull it around, then back into the hot whey to get the middle part hot enough. If I leave it in the hot whey long enough for the center of the curd to be stretchable, it would all just melt right through the basket and I'd lose all the curd.
The whey does end up rather white, so does lose some of the cream, etc., during the stretching phase. When I'm done stretching the mozz, I pour the whey through a fine sieve to remove any stray pieces of mozz and then reheat the whey to make ricotta. That way, I recycle what was lost from the mozz.
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Minamyna you may not be texturing your curd well enough after draining and before putting in the fridge overnight or waiting for it to acidify at room temperature. That can cause uneven stretching and also proper texturing may help with the loss of cream during the stretching phase.
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What do you mean by "texturing your curd"?
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After draining the curds, I flip the curd slab or redress every 15 minutes or so and then cut in half and stack again flipping a couple of times and changing position, over warm whey so that the individual curds knit together.
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That sounds like cheddaring to me and I've never done anything like that with mozzarella, yet have had near 100% success with the recipe I have included with this thread.
My curds do knit together while they are draining overnight in the colander.
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Well I think that it is a bit like 'cheddaring' but my experience is that it helps the acidity and the curd to knit by removing the whey, which is why 'cheddaring is done I guess. :D I find that this helps both with wheying off into the stretching water and the stretch itself. I too make mozz over two days :) just do it this way and have found it to be a help.
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Mrs. K (et all) I let it sit at least 2 days at room temperature. I have even done it where I try it at 12 hours, 1 day and 2 days. My curds meld together in the in the colander and then they go straight into a ziplock to ripen. It is so dry here in Wyoming that everything dries out really quickly. Maybe I shoudl try texturing?
I would also like to know, how do they get the "blocks" of mozz for shredding? Also I never have managed to get provolone to turn out right......to me it seems like the recipe is just aged mozz? Shaped into a cylinder?
Thanks again
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I wouldn't put it into a ziploc bag, as that would hold in any residual whey and might be making parts of your curd too acidic. I leave my colander sitting over the kettle that catches the whey and put a lid on the colander. It keeps the curd from drying out at all and I think would be the solution for you as well.
I'm guessing that the blocks at the store are either formed that way (maybe they use molds) or they have huge wheels of cheese that are cut into the block form for store packaging. Rather than putting balls of mozz into cold water to firm up, you could put the warm, stretched cheese into a rectangular plastic container and set it in the fridge to firm up, then just pop it out for use. Wa-la, a block of mozz!
I've never made provolone, so don't have any info on that for you. You may want to start a new thread to ask about that.
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Provolone needs the addition of lipase, which of course is added to the milk at the start. Once the curd is stretched I shape it, then age it for 6 weeks minimum. It is a favourite here.
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I just happened across the cultured mozz recipe from Jim Wallace on the New England Cheese- making site. It's pretty similar to Karen's recipe but has some good pics.
I've been making quite a bit of mozz lately. A couple of times, after 2-3 days in the fridge, when I couldn't get around to stretching, I put the curds in the freezer. After thawing, they stretched great! A good thing to know when my schedule gets in the way.
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Thanks for your recipe, Karen!
Unfortunately, I don't have any raw milk available, it's not available in Michigan unless you by shares; can't afford to go that route.
so, i've resorted to buying whole milk and adding calcium chloride. I followed your recipe, but added the calcium chloride, and it has been draining for 6 hours now (i, too, put it in a colander which fits inside a catch pot, with the pots lid over the cheese). this is the first time i've used the calcium chloride and the first time i've used your recipe, but one of the two has given my actual curds. previously, all my curds looked like ricotta. despite looking like that, they did stretch once melted in the microwave.
unfortunately, i didn't read the part about rinsing before draining. :/
we'll see what happens. Thanks!
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it's been 30 hours, and no stretch :(
still waiting
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I hope this worked for you, Salty. Sorry to take so long to reply - I;ve been away from the 'Net for awhile.
I've never had any luck getting curd formation, even with calcium chloride, so you are ahead of me there. I was trying veggie rennet, though, so I think that may have been a big part of my troubles.
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MrsKK, in your recipe you list the following culture.
2 cups yogurt or 1/2 teaspoon powdered thermophilic culture
Is it just TA61 you use for the Thermo culture or do you use 50/50 TA61 and LH? I know that the mixture is just when making hard Italian cheeses?
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Sorry, Ellen, it has been about 3 years since I used powdered cultures, so I have no idea of what kind it was.
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Not a problem :) Just gives me a chance to experiment.
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First I must say that I absolutely love this recipe, I have come very close to what I would consider the perfect Mozzarella. I do have a few questions though. When I strain the curds my curd mass is very inconsistent some parts being quite firm and others being mush the firm parts make great cheese but the the mush just either mixes in my hot water and disappears or sinks to the bottom and refuses to stick together with the rest of it. I am using raw jersey milk, my homemade yogurt for starter (this blew my mind at how well that works) and fromase rennet tablets.
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First I must say that I absolutely love this recipe, I have come very close to what I would consider the perfect Mozzarella. I do have a few questions though. When I strain the curds my curd mass is very inconsistent some parts being quite firm and others being mush the firm parts make great cheese but the the mush just either mixes in my hot water and disappears or sinks to the bottom and refuses to stick together with the rest of it. I am using raw jersey milk, my homemade yogurt for starter (this blew my mind at how well that works) and fromase rennet tablets.
I have been away from the forum for a very long time, so I'm sorry I didn't see your question.
My guess is that you are not getting consistent curd size when you cut the curd - the mushy parts (do they look like barely set egg whites?) were probably quite a bit larger than the curds that end up firm.
The way to correct this is to stir the curd gently once it has been cut. Use a skimmer to bring the curds up from the bottom of the kettle as you stir and use a knife to cut the larger curds so they are more consistent in size with the rest of the curd.
If that isn't what you meant - if what you are seeing is kind of a Cream of Wheat consistency, it is most likely because the culture didn't get fully incorporated into the milk. You can correct that by putting your culture into a quart sized jar with about a cup of warmed milk, put a lid on and shake it up until the culture is liquid. Then stir it gently but very thoroughly into the warmed milk in the kettle. That will keep the heavier culture from settling at the bottom.
I hope this helps.