How to Make Goat Milk Mozzarella

Whether you live on a farm and milk dairy goats or if you simply love goat milk from the store, making goat milk cheese can be a satisfying way to use your leftovers, and mozzarella is one of the easier cheeses to make.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh goat milk
• Large stainless steel cooking pot
• Stove
• Straining spoon
• Cooking thermometer (sub 100 degrees F)
• Glass measuring cup
• Citric acid
• Rennet tablets
• Spatula
• Water, both hot and cold
• Microwavable bowl
• Kosher salt
• Small lidded container

Instructions

1. Place 1 gallon of goat milk, either skim or whole, into a large stainless steel cooking pot.

2. In a glass measuring cup, mix 1/4 cup cool water with 1 1/4 tsp. citric acid until it is dissolved, then pour the mixture into the milk.

3. Using the same glass measuring cup, mix another 1/4 cup cool water with 1/4 rennet tablet until dissolved. Set aside.

4. Turn the stove burner to medium heat and heat the milk mixture to 88 degrees F, stirring occasionally with a straining spoon or spatula.

5. Remove the pot from the heat and add the water and rennet mixture, stirring the heated milk mixture for about 10 seconds. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.

6. Cut through the curding mixture with a spatula in one direction and then the other until you have created 1 inch squares. The curd may not be firm yet, but the cuts should remain somewhat visible.

7. Place the covered pot in a bath of extremely hot water, either in a large bowl, a sink or a cooler for 35 minutes. Never allow the water to overflow into the pot.

8. Remove the pot from the hot water bath and, using the straining spoon, retrieve the clump of curd that should now have separated from the whey (greenish liquid). If the curd has not yet formed into a removable clump at the bottom of the pot, you may allow more time (15 to 30 minutes) to pass before separating it from the whey.

9. Place the clump of curd into a microwavable bowl and press the excess whey out of it using the straining spoon or spatula. Pour the whey back into the pot.

10. Add 1/2 to 1 tsp. of Kosher salt to the curd and gently fold it in.

11. Microwave the salted curd on high for 1 minute and then fold the curd again. At this point, the curd should be somewhat soft and begin to shine a bit. Pour off any remaining whey.

12. Microwave the curd a second time for 30 seconds and fold the curd again. You know you are done when the curd becomes very shiny and stringy, like you would expect melted mozzarella to be.

13. Place the mozzarella cheese in a lidded container and refrigerate. The cheese will cool and take on the form of the container.

Tips & Warnings

• This activity is a bit of an art. If the cheese doesn't turn out perfectly the first time, try again and modify the process slightly. Depending on the condition of the milk and curding agents, you may need a bit more or less curding time. Don't be afraid to check and modify as you go. You can make string cheese at the end of the microwaving process by pulling the final product like you would taffy. It's easiest to separate the curd into smaller pieces and pull several times and then place the round strings onto a cookie sheet, cover, and refrigerate. Later, you can cut into the desired lengths and enjoy. The whey can be discarded, fed to animals, or used in other recipes like ricotta cheese.

Resources

• Fias Co Farm