My first (failed) mozzarella

That's not really what mozz is supposed to look like. Hmm.

Not everything works the first time

I followed the directions, I swear. Ricki Carroll writes good recipes, and she won't steer you wrong. But, some things just don't work the first time. I learned a few things.

ONE: Organic Valley gallons are sold as pasteurized. But I'm betting they are actually ultra-pasteurized, because of this:

The curd is supposed to look like custard. Not ricotta.

TWO: I used apple cider vinegar instead of citric acid powder. This has never caused problems in making whey ricotta, and it shouldn't (theoretically) in making mozzarella either. But I did stray from the recipe.

THREE: I kept going anyway. It works ok on a pizza, as long as you are willing to break out the cheese grater.

The resulting cheese is firm and dry. It didn't stretch the way I think mozzarella is supposed to. I never achieved "smooth and satiny" although I got it to stretch at least well enough that the curds didn't break.

Next time I'll try just plain milk from Country Fresh or something. No fancy organics. Sigh. At least making cheese from conventional milk will cost less than buying the cheese itself.

Yield: 13.8 oz plus some terrible ricotta from the whey (runny and too acidic)

Novice cheesemaker

My cheesemaking journey began simply, turning milk from Hilhof Dairy into yogurt and kefir. I knew, even then, that I wanted to wander down the dairying path. Here is my first experiment with something that resembles cheese (read: requires setting a curd, cutting it, and cooking and rinsing).

Cottage cheese
Adapted from/inspired by recipes from Ricki Carroll and Mother Earth News

Equipment

• Stainless steel pot big enough to hold all the ingredients. You want one that has a lid that fits.
• Thermometer. It's awesome if it's the kind that can clip on to your pot. Mine does not, and I survive.
• Glass/pyrex measuring cup
• 10-inch kitchen knife

Make sure everything is clean when you start. I didn't sterilize, but if you have trouble with contamination, that'd be one thing to try.

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon skim milk (thanks to Hilhof Dairy)
• 1/4 cup cultured buttermilk (the kind you buy in the store)

The milk I buy is pasteurized (but not ultrapasteurized). If you start with raw milk, everybody says it's best to pasteurize it so that you are starting with a bacterial culture that you pick (from the buttermilk). That's between you and your buttermilk. 

Step 1: Setting the curd

• Bring milk to room temperature by heating or just by sitting out in a pan while you get distracted by other chores. You're aiming for about 75 degrees. 
• I let the buttermilk sit out for a bit too, to bring it up to room temperature.
• Stir the buttermilk into the pot of skim milk. Cover, and place in a warm spot (70-75 degrees).
• Let it sit for 16 hours (at least), probably closer to 24. You want it to resemble custard.

Note: For weekday cheesery, I do this at 7 or 8 p.m., so that when I get home from work the next day, I can check it first thing. If it needs a few more hours, I am still ok to finish the cheese before bed. On weekends, or in my daydream farm life, I'd do it at 9 or 10 in the morning.

Tomorrow evening, I'll move on to step 2...

Step 2: Cutting the curd

Step 3: Cooking/heating to separate

Step 4: Draining and washing