why do some cheeses not melt.

[T-Bird]

I made queso fresco yesterday with the recipe from fiasco farms the description stated it was such a poor melter that you could fry it. Why?

[linuxboy]

ph too high is the bottom line for queso fresco meltability.

[T-Bird]

thanks, I made 30min mozz. flocculated with citric acid, did the whole heat and stretch thing , rolled it into little balls , put it on pizza, it also didn't melt. Is that for the same reason? It was great sliced and eaten.

[linuxboy]

If the mozz actually had a good stretch, yet did not puddle or stretch upon re-heating, then most likely it lost too much fat during handling. It's not a single-cause issue. pH is the biggest one, but that's because it points to casein degradation. Fat also has a large role when pH is less obvious of a possible issue.

[T-Bird]

thanks linuxboy, I did the mozz in the microwave heating technique.I stretched it after heating(recipe in RC's book) and it stretched well. Come to think about it, I may have used 2% milk. I don't remember- that might help account for fat issues. If I heat the cheese in 175 deg. water, like some recipes call for, is it easier not to lose butterfat? I would like to make the 30 min mozz alot for homemade pizza, but I would like for it to melt.