Mozzarella is so easy and quick to make, I recommend homemade mozzarella as the first cheese you try to make from farm-fresh milk.

Either cow's milk or goat's milk work to make mozzarella.  Unfortunately, these days most milk you buy at grocery stores is ultra-pasteurized.  This extra-hot heat treatment of ultra-pasteurization affects the proteins in the milk such that they won't hold a curd shape.  If you're certain you can find a milk that has been simply pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized or ultra-heat treated), then go for it.  Otherwise, try to find local milk from a small dairy near you.  Here's a place to start your search:  New England Cheesemaking Supply Company.

As more non-dairy milks such as soy, almond, oat and coconut become in higher demand, regular ole cow's milk is slower to move off of the shelves.  To combat this sluggish pace, suppliers ultra-heat treat the milk, making it able to sit on the self safely for weeks longer than pasteurized milk.  This has no significant change for consumers of store-bought cow's milk, but it's wreaked havoc on home cheese makers.

The great thing about making homemade mozzarella, is from the moment you realize you have a surplus of milk until the cheese is ready-to-eat takes less than an hour!

If you're still not convinced, consider this:

• mozzarella can be sliced and eaten like a hard cheese on crackers
• mozzarella can be shredded and added to quiche, pasta dishes, pizza, potatoes, and more
• homemade mozzarella is soft enough to eat as the main-ingredient in a sandwich paired with fresh tomato and basil
• goat's milk mozzarella has a much more complex and pleasant flavor than the more bland store-bought Kraft-style mozzarella
• In short, it is the quickest, easiest, and most versatile cheese there is to make.  So why wait!

Here's how to make a quick batch of gloriously stretchy homemade mozzarella in a jiffy:

INGREDIENTS / SUPPLIES:

1 gallon milk.  (not ultrapasteurized)

1.25 tsp. citric acid dissolved in ½ c cold unchlorinated water

¼ rennet tablet or 1/4 tsp. liquid Rennet in ¼ c cold water

1 tsp. salt

Gloves to protect hands from heat - I recommend 2 pairs

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1:

With milk in pot, add dissolved citric acid, stirring well, and heat to 90^oF .  Remove from heat.  Add rennet, stirring for 30 seconds.

Cover pot and leave undisturbed for 5-30 minutes.

Check the curd: it should look like custard with a clear separation between curd and whey.

STEP 2:

Cut curd N-S, E-W.

Place pot back on stove & heat to 110^{o F} while slowly moving curds around with your spoon.  Once up to temperature, take off burner, and continue stirring 2-5 minutes .  Pour off floating whey (or save for the next step).  Squeeze out excess whey.

STEP 3:

Heat smaller pot of water or wheyto 185^oF.  Dip curd (on a slotted spoon) into the hot whey.  Fold the curds until they start to become elastic & stretchable.

STEP 4:

When it is stretchy, remove curd from liquid and stretch like taffy.  Heat if not pulling easily.    Add salt.  Work salt into cheese, stretch until smooth & shiny.

Submerge in ice water for 10 minutes.  Refrigerate.  Or eat!

For more step-by-step instructions, watch our youtube video below, or check out Ricky Carol's website, New England Cheesemaking Supply Company | Cheese Making - click "learn" and then "30-minute mozzarella".

You've got this!  And next thing you know, you'll be making pizza from scratch with your homemade mozzarella and impressing your friends and family :)