homemade cheese?

Question

I messed up trying to make some mozzerella, I found the recipe online and have used it before, with varying successes. This time it came out badly, almost a cream cheese paste type texture, really sticky and not at all like mozzerella. Has my vegetable rennet gone bad, or did i over or under cook it? It doesnt taste bad, I flavored it with garlic salt anyway, and the small amount ive eaten hasnt killed me yet. This is one of the quicker and easier recipes ive found, and as i said its worked better before.

Answer 1

30 Minute Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Recipe

Ready in: 30-60 minutes
Serves/Makes: 12 ounces
Categories:
Dairy Recipes
Cheese Recipes

Ingredients:
***Materials needed:***
1 nonaluminum pot that will hold a gallon of milk
1 measuring cup or bowl to dissolve the rennet (see note below)
1 spoon
1 candy thermometer
1 large slotted spoon, or small sieve
***30-Minute Fresh Mozzarella***
1/2 rennet tablet
1/4 cup cool, chlorine-free water (most bottled waters are chlorine-free)
1 gallon milk (2%, 1%, or skim)
2 teaspoons citric acid (see additional note below)


Directions:

Crush the rennet into the water and stir to dissolve. Pour milk into a nonreactive pot (no aluminum or cast iron). Place over medium heat. Sprinkle the citric acid over the milk and stir a few times. Heat milk to 88 degrees. Milk will begin to curdle. At 88 degrees, add the rennet solution and continue stirring slowly every few minutes until the milk reaches 105 degrees. Turn off the heat. Large curds will appear and begin to separate from the whey (the clear, greenish liquid).

With a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, scoop the curd into a large glass bowl. (If it's still too liquid, let it set for a few more minutes). Press the curds gently with your hand and pour off as much whey as possible. Microwave curds on high for 1 minute, then drain off all the excess whey. With a spoon, press curds into a ball until cool. Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and continue to drain the whey and work cheese into a ball. In the meantime, place the whey over medium heat and let it heat to about 175 degrees. When cheese is cool enough to touch, knead it like bread dough until smooth. When you can stretch it like taffy, it is done. You can sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons salt into the cheese while kneading and stretching it. The cheese will become stretchy, smooth and shiny. If it is difficult to stretch and breaks easily, dip it into the hot whey for a few seconds to make it warm and pliable. Then pick it up again and stretch it into a long rope. Fold over and stretch again. Dip in hot whey as needed to make the cheese pliable. When the cheese is smooth and shiny (this takes just a few minutes), it is ready to eat. Shape it into a log or golf-size balls, then store in a solution of 2 teaspoons salt to 1 cup water

Answer 2

Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk
1 quart cultured buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt


Directions:

Pour milk and buttermilk into a large pan and suspend the thermometer in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the termperature reads 170 degrees.

Keep the mixture on the heat and the temperature of the milk between 170 and 175 degrees. After 30 minutes, the mixture should start to separate into curds (the lumps) and whey (the liquid). Line a strainer with several layers of moistened cheesecloth and set it inside a large bowl. Then lift the curds from the milk mixture and lay them in the cheesecloth. Pour the remainder of the whey through the cheesecloth and save the whey for other recipes (buttermilk). Let curds drain at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours.

Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and place in blender with the salt. Blend until creamy. Store the cheese in small containers with tight fitting lids and refrigerate.

The cheese can also be frozen, thawed and then beaten again in blender until creamy.

This recipe for Homemade Cream Cheese serves/makes 1

Answer 3

temperature and Quality of cream can change from one setting to another. I've made cheese a little but do more with butter and it can change easy

Answer 4

Why not contact your web site again and see if the answer is there.