MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Recipe:

 1: measure out 1/4 cup of water. Stir in the citric acid until dissolved.

 2: pour the milk into the pot. Stir in the citric acid solution. Set the pot over medium-high heat and warm to 90∞F,  stirring gently. 

 3: them measure out 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl. Stir in the rennet until dissolved. 

 4: now  Remove the pot from heat and gently stir in the rennet solution. Count to 10 seconds. Stop stirring, cover the  pot, and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

 5: after 10 minutes, the milk should have set, and it should look and feel like soft. If it is still liquidly, re-cover the pot  and let it sit for another five minutes. Once the milk has set, cut it into uniform curds: make several parallel cuts  vertically through the curds and then several parallel cuts horizontally, creating a grid-like pattern. Make sure your knife  reaches all the way to the bottom of the pan.

 6: now Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and warm the curds to 105∞F. Stir slowly as the curds  warm, but try not to break them up too much.

 7: cover and let it rest for further 5 to 1o minutes, remove it from the stove.

 8: now remove the crud and place it in a sieve, strain the water as much as possible.

 9: microwave the curds for one minute. Drain off the whey. Put on your rubber gloves and fold the curds over on  themselves a few times. At this point, the curds will still be very loose and cottage-cheese-like.

 10: microwave the curds for another 30 seconds and check their internal temperature. If the temperature has reached  135∞F, continue with stretching the curds. If not, continue microwaving in 30-second bursts until they reach  temperature. The curds need to reach this temperature in order to stretch properly.

 11: sprinkle the salt over the cheese and squish it with your fingers to incorporate. Using both hands, stretch and fold  the curds repeatedly. It will start to tighten, become firm, and take on a glossy sheen. When this happens, you are  ready to shape the mozzarella. Make one large ball.

 12: mozzarella can be used immediately or kept refrigerated for a week. To refrigerate, place the mozzarella in a small  container. Mix a teaspoon of salt with a cup of cool whey and pour this over the mozzarella. Cover and refrigerate.

 13: enjoy.