Fresh Mozzarella - Raw Materials??

Hey folks - Any guidance on where I can find the following supplies in the area?

Mozzarella Curd - Lots of Pasta told me they only sell it in 25lb containers - the way they buy it... if I can't find that, then I believe I would need:

Citric Acid
Rennet
Whole Milk - Any idea if buffalo milk is available (long shot I am sure)

Any advice/guidance is appreciated. Thanks.

I got my rennet from Rainbow Blossom and my citric acid from Amazing Grace. Rebekah Grace whole milk will work because it's not ultra-pasteurized. Also, I had some problems with the water -- I think it must be chlorinated. Used distilled water.

Lastly, if you catch the Lotsa Pasta cheese maker on the day he's making cheese, he may part with some curd in a smaller amt. I think that they don't like to open up a container unless they are going to use the whole thing.

These pictures should be helpful:
http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/21.html

Best of luck!

Anthony,

Here's info from my own Mozzarella making adventures last year:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/hotbytes/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=976&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=mozzarella+milk


Definitely follow the recommendation on using distilled water and make sure you are using a non-aluminum pan. Any more questions, just post them- I'll be glad to help.

Good reminder that I need to start thinking about making it again- fresh mozzarella sounds so yummy when it's warm outside.

Deb

You folks are great - this forum is great! Thanks! Will report back...

Deb, I need to revisit making mozzarella again, too.

A couple of questions for you -- did you use gloves? I could barely handle the cheese it was so hot, so I wasn't able to stretch it as much.

Also, I felt like it got hard quickly. How do you store it after making it?

Thanks in advance!

Nicole,

I have a set of playtex gloves designated solely for this purpose- you are right, it gets really hot and you need to work it relatively quickly!
Mine didn't get hard quickly- more like taffy. Maybe because I was working it while it was still really hot??? I store mine made into large ball in a tupperware type container covered with wax paper. But don't expect it to keep more than a couple of days. Like store-bought fresh mozzerella it doesn't keep long once exposed to the air. I've thought about using the whey to store it, but haven't actually tried it.

Deb

UPDATE:

Yesterday was the big day... procured my Rennet and Citric Acid from Rainbow Blossom. BTW - only the St. Matthews store sells Rennet and the citric acid is available in bulk. I used Nicole's link and halved the recipe. Using 1/2 gallon of Rebekah Grace Milk (which was excellent BTW), and distilled water, I yielded one 4 to 5 ounce ball. Once finished, I stored it for 2 hours in a brine solution of 1 quart water, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 whey (not sure why they recommend this). Overall, it was good for a first attempt. Here is what I think I need to do differently and I would appreciate any feedback.

1) Curd that formed was very loose/soft and actually formed all the way to the bottom of the pot, not yielding a distinct separation between curd and whey. I ultimately had to take the milk to over 100 degrees to get it to form, after not getting minimal curd at 90 degrees. It was so mushy that it kept clogging my strainer. I suspect if I take it to 100 faster, it will firm up more???
2) The final product was tough, probably because I stretched it a bit too much.
3) The final product needed a bit more flavor, so I will add 1/2 tsp salt to the curd next time.
4) I was surprised that I did not get more cheese curd out of the 1/2 gallon of milk. Has anyone achieved a better result using different milk?

And a big thank you to Deb and Nicole for the links and advice !

Anthony-

I had a similar experience with the temperatures and the curds. I chalked it up to the tap water, but maybe not? I felt like I had to warm the milk more than I was supposed to and that the curds didn't form as quickly as they should have.

PS. When I found the curds too loose (they were not in any way "cut-able" as I was told, I upped the rennet by another half and let it sit for double the time. That worked so that's what I have stuck to.