Making mozzarella and ricotta (ingredients, baking, best, cheese)

[Dirt Grinder]

If you have never made your own mozzarella or ricotta cheese you have to try it - the results are fabulous.

I received the ingredients for making mozarella and ricotta as a gift (salt, citric acid, rennin tablets) and tried the recipe. I purchased a gallon of milk (not ultra-pasteurized) and followed the directions. The whole process took about an hour and the mozarella was great. I made string cheese sticks with part of the batch by stretching the cheese several times. With the rest of the batch I made typical fresh mozzarella balls.

The process is incredibly easy and makes an exceptional product - the best part is that you control the creaminess of the cheese (I used whole milk but you don't have to). You can even heat the curds in a microwave to stretch the curds into cheese or traditionally in the heated whey.

Ricotta is even easier to make.

Your lasagna recipe will really shine with home-made mozzarella and ricotta.

[Emeraldmaiden]

Oooh, sounds wonderful! I've always wanted to try making my own cheese, and these sound like good starter cheeses.

[antiquesmountainapache]

I was just reading something about making cheese the other day. Where do you buy the rennet tablets?

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by antiquesmountainapache

I was just reading something about making cheese the other day. Where do you buy the rennet tablets?

Just do a web search for the ingredients you'll need - rennet tablets are readily available from many vendors. You might even find a local source near you. I also found sources for the citric acid and cheese salt.

You can also search for mozzarella cheese kit.

You have to try this the results are terrific.

[Dirt Grinder]

I'm making a batch of Ricotta cheese tonight to use in lasagna tomorrow. You just can't beat homemade lasagna made with fresh homemade cheese.

[puginabug]

Funny this thread has popped up.....my daughter is making pizza tonight, wants to do it entirely from scratch. So we are planning to try making some mozzarella this afternoon to go on it!

I've made ricotta before, it is very simple, and very good. I always thought it was a difficult process to make mozz, though. But we'll try it!

The dough is already rising, we're gonna get some san marzano tomatoes to puree and make the sauce from.

Yum.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by puginabug

...So we are planning to try making some mozzarella this afternoon to go on it!...

The fresh mozzarella was sold-out at the grocery store so I had to make a batch of mozzarella also - just finished it. It's not much more difficult than the ricotta but you do need rennet with mozzarella.

[puginabug]

Yeah, we couldn't find rennet. So we bought the fresh mozzarella and used that.

Pizzas came out pretty good!

[momtothree]

Originally Posted by puginabug

Yeah, we couldn't find rennet. So we bought the fresh mozzarella and used that.

Pizzas came out pretty good!

Rennet tablets are often next to the Knot's unflavored gelatin boxes in the baking aisle. The three or four grocery stores here has them on the top shelf somewhat near the yeast.

[puginabug]

Originally Posted by momtothree

Rennet tablets are often next to the Knot's unflavored gelatin boxes in the baking aisle. The three or four grocery stores here has them on the top shelf somewhat near the yeast.

Wow, thanks! I'll check there next time.....