451954 Thu Oct 18 09:40:04 -0700 2007 4 31 Home Cooking 0 3046373 I made homemade mozzarella last night for the first time using a kit I got from www.cheesemaking.com ....the kit comes w/ citric acid, cheese salt, rennet, thermometer, cheese cloth and recipes. I also ordered lipase powder. Overall, it turned out really well! We followed all of the directions very carefully - used Strauss Dairy whole milk (not ultra pasteurized) and bottled spring water. We added about one heaping teaspoon of the cheese salt during the stretching process (which was a lot of fun). We also used some lipase powder to add flavor, and thus doubled the amt of rennet that we used (1/4 up to 1/2 tablet) Only complaint is that 1 gallon of milk does *not* make very much cheese. It only made a small plateful, which we easily devoured. The whole process took us about 45 minutes, but once you get the hang of it, I can see how it might only take 30 mins (as the recipe claims) Here's a link to my post on the SF Board about my meal http://www.chowhound.com/topics/451861 I definitely recommend the mozzarella/ricotta kit....would make a nice present for a cheese lover. Dave MP Thu Oct 18 09:40:04 -0700 2007 21930 Dave MP 1 3046816 I'm so glad to hear it worked for you. I just finished "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver (which I highly recomend), and she talks quite a bit about cheesemaking. But I was waiting to hear from a mere mortal before trying it myself (assuming you fit that bill... maybe not). Thanks for the tip! Thu Oct 18 11:25:28 -0700 2007 3046373 62469 happybellynh 2 3046889 Not only am I a mere mortal, but I also learned about making mozzarella (and the company I bought the kit from) from Barbara Kingsolver's book. I also really recommend this book - I loved it. Another great recipe from the book that I've tried is the Disappearing Zucchini Orzo. You should definitely give the fresh mozzarella a try. It was pretty easy and fun. Thu Oct 18 11:39:03 -0700 2007 3046816 21930 Dave MP 1 3047145 If you have access to mozzarella curd, you don't even need the kit. Just warm heavily salted water up to as hot as you can stand it (if you wear gloves, you can stand it a bit hotter). Break the curds up in a bowl and pour the water over. Knead the curd until it binds into one piece, incorporating some of the water, and then begin pulling and stretching it to make it smooth. That's all! Thu Oct 18 12:48:45 -0700 2007 3046373 87249 katecm 1 3047155 That's a great kit - I had tried it a few years ago, and kind of forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder... Thu Oct 18 12:50:40 -0700 2007 3046373 124908 jeanmarieok