(Serves 8-10)
Ingredients:
- 12.5-16 cups of whole milk, unhomogenized if possible
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions:
- Place milk in a large pot on the stove, heat on medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Heat the milk until it turns lukewarm. The temperature of the milk should be approximately 113-115°F.
- Once your milk reaches the desired temperature, turn it off, remove from the burner and add ½ cup vinegar.
- Stir for exactly 25 seconds. Do not over stir as the curd formed may break.
- Cover and rest for 20 minutes or until the curd is formed and whey separates completely.
- Drain the curds over a colander and pot, and squeeze gently.
- Take the whey water collected in the pot and add 1 tbsp salt. Stir well so it blends.
- Heat the water well, but do not boil. The temperature of the water should be approximately 175°F.
- Turn off the stove once the whey reaches 175°F and lower in squeezed curds. I like to use a large metal skimmer ladle.
- Stir and dip in hot whey water for seconds. Squeeze gently removing excess water.
- Again, dip in hot water for 5 seconds and stir. Squeeze to remove excess water..
- Continue this step until the curds turn cheesy and smooth.
- Lightly stretch your cheese until smooth and form into a ball but do not over stretch as the cheese will turn rubbery.
- Dip the cheese ball into an ice bath and let it rest for 2 minutes. This helps to set the cheese completely.
- Remove the ball of mozzarella from the ice bath and wrap the cheese in cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Finally, your mozzarella cheese is ready to use and can last for 1 week when refrigerated.