Making Mozzarella...

So this recipe is a bit more complicated than MANY of my recipes, but it is an excellent use for powdered milk. There are just a few things I feel I should mention. First off, Rennet tablets can be purchased at Walmart next to the ice cream toppings area of the grocery store... And regular milk can (of course) be used in place of powdered milk. Also, don't expect this recipe to be successful the first time you make it. It is a tricky thing making cheese...

3 qts. reconstituted powdered milk, chilled 1 pt. cream 1/4 c. cold water 2 tsp. citric acid 1/4-1/2 Rennet tablet 1-2 tsp. salt (optional)

Pre-measure all ingredients and have them set out so you don't have to worry about it during the cooking process. Crush rennet tablet in cold water and stir to dissolve. Place your large pot on the stove and pour milk and cream into it. Make sure that all the froth and bubbles are gone, skim them off if necessary. Turn the heat to medium. Sprinkle citric acid powder into the milk and stir gently. Heat to 88°. You will start to see your milk curdle. At 88°, add your Rennet solution and continue gently stirring occasionally until the milk reaches 105 degrees. Turn off the heat (If you have a gas stove, turn the heat down, but don't turn it completely off). Leave the pot on the hot burner and continue to let the cheese curd (without stirring) until the temperature reaches 110°. Don't let the temperature go over 110°. You now have a mass of curds, clearly separated from the whey. Scoop the curds out with a slotted spoon into a microwaveable bowl. Microwave the curds for 1 minute on high and drain off the excess whey. Work the cheese into a ball until cool. Microwave two more times at 35 seconds each. Continue to drain the excess whey and work your cheese into a ball. If too hot to touch wear rubber gloves. Knead the cheese quickly like bread dough until it stretches like taffy. If you like, sprinkle it with the salt while kneading. When the cheese is smooth and shiny it is ready to eat.

Note: The whey you drain off can be saved and used as liquid in bread. It is very nutritious. Certain high quality powdered milks (such as Morning Moo and Country Cream) are whey based and can’t be used to make cheese. Cannery brand milk is best. Don't be surprised if you fail a few batches before you are successful with this recipe.