One Hundred Dollars a Month

I originally shared this recipe last summer, and thought I’d share it again for those of you who are interested in learning how to make your own mozzarella cheese. It’s really a fun family activity and tastes good too!

A long, long time ago I bought a cheese making kit off of Amazon.  And as The Girl and I were cleaning out the kitchen cupboards the other day we came across the box and peaked inside.

Holy Canolies… everything was still in it.

So we she made cheese! Yay!

If you have never made homemade cheese before, not freak out.  It’s really not that hard.  If a teenager can make it all by herself, than so can YOU!

First of all, I would totally recommend buying a kit. That way all you have to do is worry about buying a gallon of milk and following the printed directions.  But if you are a rebel, here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon milk{I used 2% – Make sure your milk is NOT Ultra- Pasteurized}
• 1 1/4 cups cool water {chlorine-free is recommended}
• 1 1/2 tsp. citric acid
• 1/4 rennet tablet
• 1tsp. salt

Supplies

• 1 gallon stainless steel pot
• dairy thermometer
• slotted spoon
• colander
• knife
• glass bowl

Step 1 – Dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet into 1/4 cup of cool chlorine free water and set aside {FYI – we just used tap water}.

Step #2 – Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid into 1 cup cool water and pour into your pot and stir like a crazy person.

Step #3 Pour milk into a large stainless steel pot and heat to 90 degrees while stirring.

Step #4 – Remove the pot for the stove top, add the rennet mixture  and stir for about 30 seconds.  Then cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes undisturbed.

Step #5 – After 5 minutes your mixture should look like floating cottage cheese that has separated a little bit. You will then cut the curd with a knife {like into strips}.

Step #6 – Place your pot back onto the stove top and heat to 105 degrees while slowly moving the curds around with a spoon.

Step #7 – Take the pot off the burned and continue to stir the curds for 3 -4 minutes.  Pour off the floating whey and using a slotted spoon to transfer your curds into a large glass bowl {you don’t want a bunch of excess liquid}.

Step #8 – Microwave the curds {in the glass bowl} for 1 minute.

Step #9 – Remove the bowl from the microwave, drain any excess liquid, shape into a ball and add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Step #10 – Place the cheese ball back in the bowl and microwave for another 30 seconds.  Drain, stretch cheese {it must be 135 degrees to stretch properly} a few times and form into a log or ball.

Step #11 – Place your cheese ball in cool water and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then place the cheese ball in ice water and let it sit for an additional 15 minutes to cool down.

Step #12 – Eat fresh or wrap in an airtight container {or saran wrap} and place it in the refrigerator for later.

Yum! Yum! Yum!

To get your own Cheese Making Kit, head on over HERE to Amazon and snatch one up before they are all gone.