The urge to make my own cheese came last winter when I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Was it possible that cheese, my favorite food group, could be created by my mere mortal hands? In my very own kitchen? Barbara's lilting prose made it sound so easy - like anyone could do it.

I took the bait.

$25 plus (including shipping) and four days later, I had enough additives to make 30 pounds of mozzarella! The ingredients arrived with a recipe for 30 Minute Mozzarella. My confidence grew. All I needed was the milk.

My first excited attempt was a dismal failure; my 30 minute mozzarella was more like infinity mozzarella and refused to clump.

The milk is the key. Be sure it's "pasteurized" but NOT "ultra pasteurized". And even if the label says "pasteurized", the milk may still have been treated to too high a temperature. Unfortunately, the only way to figure this out is trial and error. If the curds stubbornly remain the consistency of watered down ricotta cheese and will not clump, try another brand of milk. Fortunately, I don't give up easily, especially when cheese is involved. Besides, I still had enough additives for 29 more attempts.

My second try (pictured below) was a success. As was my 3rd and 4th.

Homemade mozzarella is deliciously rich and surprisingly creamy. The taste is complex, unlike any mozzarella I've brought home from a store. Best of all, I can make a pound of fresh mozzarella in under a half hour and for half the price. With my fresh cheese I've enjoyed Caprese salad, mozzarella and tomato sandwiches with fresh basil, homemade pizza, and lasagna. I suspect my obsession will end when the fresh tomato crop does. Then it will be time for these cheesemaking hands to try a new variety. Stay tuned!

(My recipe for 29-Minute Mozzarella follows at the end.)

"Please let it clump, please let it clump, please...."

"Clumps!"

Not as pretty as the pictures shown with the original recipe.

"Looks like taffy!"

Note: gloves clearly marked to avoid confusing them with the ones I use to clean toilets.

Sliced and ready for action!

Insalata Caprese

Cost of Operation Mozzarella

Recipe for 29-Minute Mozzarella

(adapted from 30-Minute Mozzarella, Home Cheesemaking by Ricki Carroll)

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 tspn. citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
• 1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
• 1/4 tspn. lipase powder dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water (allow to sit for at least 20 minutes) (optional)
• 1/4 tablet rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water, unchlorinated
• 1 tspn. cheese salt (optional)

Preparation 

1. Put milk into a large stainless steel pot.
2. While stirring add citric acid and lipase solutions. Mix well.
3. Heat milk to 90F over low-medium heat. The milk will start to curdle.
4. Stir in diluted rennet with a gentle up and down motion. When milk reaches 105F, turn off the heat. The curds should be forming large, shiny clumps. The whey (the liquid the curds are floating in) should be clear. It will resemble a weak chicken broth. If it's milky, wait a few more minutes.
5. When the whey is clear, scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put them in a 2-quart microwavable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands and pour off as much excess whey as you can.
6. Microwave the curds on high for 50 seconds.
7. Put on heavy rubber gloves. Gently fold the cheese over a few times and drain off excess whey.
8. Microwave again for 25 seconds. Knead again to distribute the heat. The cheese will not stretch until it is too hot to touch with your bare hands. If your cheese isn't hot enough, simply return it to the microwave and zap it again.
9. Add cheese salt. Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic like taffy. Voila! If the curds break rather than stretch, the cheese is too cool and needs to be reheated.
10. Roll it into any size ball that suits you and eat it immediately. If you plan to use it later, drop the balls into ice water, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Yield: 1 Pound