Mozzarella Mayhem!

Ok....maybe it wasn't quite mayhem. Actually, it was remarkably easy--dare I say, idiot-proof? I bought my cheese making kit from The New England Cheesemaking Supply Co. The 30 minute mozzarella kit has enough ingredients to make 30 batches (!) of cheese. In the kit is a package of rennet tablets, a bag of citric acid, cheese salt, cheesecloth, a thermometer, and directions.

First step, add the citric acid to one gallon of milk and heat to 90 degrees (I used Snowville Creamery, whole milk). You cannot use ultra-pasteurized--ultrapasteurization kills all the little bacterias you need to make your cheese work. While that's heating, you dissolve 1/4 of a rennet tablet in 1/4 cup water. Step two, turn off the heat, and gently mix in the rennet solution for 30-60 seconds. Then, step away from the pot (pour a glass of wine, munch on some olives, whatever--just leave the pot alone.) In three to five minutes, the milk will develop a custard-y consistency, and the whey and the curds will have separated:

Once it's firm, use a long knife that reaches the bottom of the pot to cut the curds (the solids) into 1 inch squares.

Gently stir the curds to break them up:

Remove the pot from the heat, and drain the whey (liquid) from the curds. Pour the curds into a microwave-safe bowl and heat the curds up in 30 second increments. After each of the heatings, drain off any additional whey. I used two wooden spoons to start "pulling" the curds together (or, more accurately, my mom did):

The cheese should get to about 135 degrees, and at that point, you can knead it almost like bread until it's super stretchy. Then you can either split it into pieces and braid it, form it into tiny balls, or just shape it into one big blob:

If you put said blob into an ice bath, it will cool down the cheese and help it to keep it's shape.

Finally: Manga!