Say Cheese!

Remember when I tried making Queso Blanco (translated white cheese from the Spanish). Well, I just can't help myself, I guess. But this time, I was a little better researched about ingredients and such. And I had the proper additives, etc. Not to mention what is often called the bible of home cheese making.

So, I decided to give it a go again. I heated my milk (which was not ultra-pasteurized by the way -- a process that doesn't sound great for anyone including cheese makers in my opinion).

Then mixed in my additives -- mainly rennet, which is what makes milk become curds essentially.

You can already see the curds forming.

And there they are in all their glory...

Or at least in all their whey.

Once I get them out of the whey, it isn't terribly attractive looking.

But then I have to heat and knead, heat and knead. Mozzarella is a pulled curd cheese which is why the kneading.

Is it starting to look more like stretchy mozzarella? I guess not in the picture so much but in the bowl it sure did. I kept looking for pepperoni and pizza sauce under there.

Time to add a little of this....

Cheese salt is salt that doesn't have iodine mainly. It has other qualities too but that's the main thing.

And once it's all done and shaped, it looks just like those balls of fresh mozzarella in the deli section. Tastes pretty darn good too -- especially while it's warm.

I'm sure it will be pretty good on those chicken patties tonight too.

If it lasts that long.

You can go here if you'd like to get the recipe. They also have kits for 30-minute mozzarella if you're interested in trying it yourself. It's fun.

And I still haven't lost that sense of awe when the milk actually turns into curds. It just blows me away. Even if Hubby looks at me like I've had one too many fruit loops when I try to explain to him how amazing I think it is.