I have this strange habit of checking out at what people check out at the grocery store and wondering what they are like based on their food purchases.
It’s mainly just curiosity combined with boredom. And,honestly, it’s not meant to be judgey… although, I would be lying if there weren’t times that I didn’t size up someone’s nutritional habits based on what I saw on the conveyor belt.
Yeah, whatever. Bad me. You know you have done it too.
The thing is, you could very easily make some assumptions based on what I purchase. And, honestly, they wouldn’t be great ones.
Half of the year, I have a booming garden. The other half? I am trying to get through all the vegetables in my freezer that I have preserved.
What is typically on my grocery list? Three things.
Wine. Duh.
Dark chocolate. Obviously.
And, cheese.
Lots of cheese.
(Coincidentally, this was my exact diet when I studied abroad in Switzerland for a summer. What wasn’t a coincidence? The fifteen pounds I gained that exact same summer. #worthit)
Parmesan, goat, Gouda, blue and mozzarella are pretty standard around here.
But, even mozzarella is falling off my shopping list because I have learned to love to make it from scratch. I love it because it’s seriously so good. There are very few joys in my life on the level of mozzarella that is still warm from it’s creation process.
Not to mention, it only takes about thirty minutes. Milk to cheese. Seriously.
I follow this process from The Kitchn; but, have learned a few tricks along the way to make sure it comes out right.
- Use Rennet Tablets vs. Liquid: I am not really sure why, but with liquid it just never worked. We got our Rennet Tablets from The New England Cheesemaking Supply Company and they keep for three years in the freezer.
- Use Raw Milk: Pasteurized milk will not separate into curds and whey. Raw milk can be a little tricky to find (and it’s actually “illegal” for human consumption in Indiana), but it is the only way we have found success in making mozzarella. I also kind of love that it makes me feel like a little rebel… see the clip at 11 and 28 seconds below. It’s funny because it’s true.
- Use a Non-Reactive Pot: I actually use a stainless bowl on my burner not a pot. It works great. (My normal lid actually fits well in the bowl too!)
- Don’t Over Work the Mozzarella: It’s hard to find the right amount of stretching and folding, but you will know right away when you have done too much… Still tastes good though!
Blah. Over worked mozz.
Here are some of our favorite homemade mozzarella moments!
It’s always fun to do with friends, too!
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