I make fresh pesto from my garden basil. I use my garden tomatoes and mozzarella with red onion and my pesto. Make ciabatta bread, my husband goes crazy. But now with your recipe I can make homemade mozzarella to go with all the other homemade stuff.
A local cheese company visited our local grocery store and did a class on making fresh mozzarella. It was so much fun (much more work than your method though), and we came home with the goods. I'm looking forward to making your version.
Not bad but a lot of inconsistencies using methods like this. Technically it's not a mozzarella because of the use of vinegar but the ends products can come out akin to mozzarella. If you were to buy a little renet you would be using only two products again and the renet can either be meat or vege renet. The liquid stuff is better to portion and work out ratios with. Heat the milk to 34 degree Celsius add the renet stir for 20-30 sec gently with a whisk. Take of the heat and wait 45 min and you will have a beautiful curd to work with. With the left over whey add about 500ml milk and recook it. since it isn't a acidic whey you will get more cheese, when you get to 84 degree Celsius you will see ricotta come to the surface. Ricotta means re-cooked. It is real ricotta cheese too.
@@kathiewool4292 I got some vegetable renet for just a little over $5 and I'm able to use it 50 times if I do 2 gal batches so not really that expensive
@@adamfreeman5609 you obviously haven’t raised 4 kids alone. It’s still cheaper with vinegar for me. So yes I’ll still continue to use my way. It works just fine.
I use that same recipe to make homemade ricotta cheese. You cannot compare the taste of store-bought and fresh homemade ricotta cheese. The texture depends on how long I hang it to let the whey drip out. It is so delicious.
@@RexFuturi I make what I call ricotta. I just get out as much of the liquid and I can then I fluff it up so it isn't all compacted. I put it in an old cottage cheese container and give it a good shake then put it in the fridge. You can just follow this recipe. I only make two quarts at a time of milk and use a quarter cup and another tablespoon or two of white vinegar. This will yield about a cup and a half. But I am the only one who likes it so you may want to just follow his recipe. For mozzarella follow the steps he talks about. For ricotta follow the steps I mentioned. The first few times will just be a bit of an experiment. The cooking steps are all the same, it is what you do after the curds separate that will determine what you end up with. Have fun with it.
Fellow South Dakotan here. I just discovered your channel and just love it! This is also a great way to make paneer. The difference is really pressure which makes it more dense, and no salt used. I actually have a video on it I made years ago; not really a RUclipsr, but I have it, so it might be worth a look. I used raw milk in the springtime, so the paneer I made was kind of yellow, but the flavor of paneer made with raw milk is to me, preferable, as it has a mild buttery element to it and a creamy mouth feel.
@@SeriousKeto - Why do you have to make it a ball shape? Why can't you put those wet cheese curds under a rolling pin and make a flat planar sheet of cheese? (That could help it dry out sooner.) Then cut it into cheese slices. While mozzarella balls may be somewhat expensive, mozzarella slices are even more expensive. Finally, use this homemade cheese to make a nice keto sandwich or some keto pizza -- that's the real litmus test!
Add a little sodium citrate salt to some water and massage it in. The salt will dissolve down the cheese protein and let them link together better. Also, use your whey as a protein fortified water for dishes like soups, boiling noodles or making rice.
I think it's closer to 70%. You can get 1.5 pounds of mozzarella at walmart for $6. A gallon of whole milk at walmart costs $2.75 and makes about 1.5 pound of mozzarella. ...add another $0.25 for the vinegar - so $3 in materials for $6 worth of cheese. But it's still cool to know how to make it, because you could use milk that's 'almost' expired. Sometimes I make greek yogurt from the clearance organic milk that they sell for $0.5/gallon that usually sells for $6 gallon, or from milk that we have at home that's ..not exactly fresh but not yet rancid, it still works for yogurt or cheese. that's when it makes sense.
Dang, this is awesome. I havw a local grocery store that regularly has gallons of milk about to expire that they mark down to $1. Next time i see a gallom or two, i'm going to buy it and do this
@RexFuturi you saw how it was before he melted his cheese in his microwave? That's ricotta. Add 2 tbsp of cream to 1 cup milk for a richer taste. Yum. Chef John has a great recipe.
@@SeriousKeto - Haha, great pun! Genuinely made me laugh! Where I live, the cost of cheese and milk would be the same, based on the cheese yield you cited. So while I'm impressed by your results, and find the technique intriguing, I guess it wouldn't be a cost-saver for me. I'm always glad to hear of cost-saving tips from you, though.
Just getting my tomatoes planted and I hadn't heard about putting whey on them, that gives me a real reason to make mozzarella, so thank you for continuing my education. Looking forward to summer salads now.
Another thing I do is throw a couple of Tums and a quart cup of sugar in each hole before I transplant my tomatoes. The Tums (like the whey) help prevent blossom end rot and the sugar (I'm told) helps make the tomatoes taste sweeter (though this may be gardening urban legend).
Great video Steve! I make 2 gallons of kefir at a time using Ultra High Non-Homogenized, Ultra High Non-pasteurized, organic goat and cow milk, and I drink it everyday for gut health. I divide the 2 gallons into glass quart bottles, and every bottle I enjoy, I first scoop out several spoonfuls of the curd. Mmmm! Mmmm! ❤ I've heard one could make cheese from the kefir curds, and you made this look so simple. I'll definitely try it sometime. 😋 Thanks!
Yes! You can absolutely make cheese from milk kefir, I do it all the time! The best method I have found is to double ferment it first. Do the 1st ferment with the kefir grains, then strain them out and do a second ferment without the grains. That gives it a thick enough texture that you can then put it in a fine yogurt strainer, or fine cheese cloth. Stick it in the fridge and let gravity do it’s thing until the whey is no longer dripping out. You will end up with a VERY thick yogurt type of consistency. At this stage you can add all the same things in it as you would yogurt for a tart and healthy snack/meal (fruits, grains, etc). I like to mix some dried or fresh mint into my kifer cheese, then mix it with fresh berries, and this also goes amazingly well with grilled peaches! To make it even thicker, transfer your fine strained batch into a larger mesh strainer or cheese cloth to drain even more whey. This will give it the consistency like a cold brick of cream cheese. At this stage you can do all the same things as I mentioned, and even substitute it for ricotta in cooking/baking! I have used it in lasagna, it’s delicious!
I love this! I make Ricotta cheese in a similar fashion but I also add heavy cream with the whole milk, not sure how the extra fat or protein would change the cheese from ricotta to mozzarella, but I agree it's how much whey is left in the cheese. I love your content you are definitely my Alton Brown of keto cooking! Thank you!
Chickens love the whey, also. Great tip for tomato plant. We have been using cheese cloth; only thing is you can wash the cloth just don’t put in dryer. The fibers tighten up. Let air dry. Thanks for sharing.
During tomato season here in MN (long time from now!) we have caprese with our dinner every evening . Looking forward to saving some $ this summer. Thanks for this recipe/idea.
We do caprese all the time here too with tomatoes and basil from our garden. That first tomato won’t show up until mid July here in neighboring Wisconsin.
I'm in Boston area and make Caprese every dinner in the summer months. I love Trader Joe's but it just lost a perennial fresh mozzarela buyer from now on! :o)
I've been thinking about making cream cheese. Years ago I made ricotta and it was so much better than store bought. I'm definitely going to try this. 😊
I just wanted to say thanks for making such helpful content. I'm just starting out and I was getting lost in the deluge of info and it was very "do this or be doomed!" and then your video came up last night and I've been going through your channel and bingo this is what i needed.
Most of the recipe's say not to use homogenized or pasteurized milk. But I used regular milk that was both homogenized and pasteurized and it turned out excellent.
Unless you're getting milk from an individual cow, it's going to be homogenized. Also, it seems that so long as the milk isn't ULTRA pasteurized, it works fine (as you've witnessed). Thanks for sharing your experience.
I LOVE soft mozzarella. I'm going to try this today. If it comes out well, this is going to be a game changer for me as I make my own pizzas from scratch and the cheese was the only ingredient that I had to buy every time. This is going to be my first time making cheese ever. Wish me luck! 🧀
Just to prep you: this behaves like mozzarella in cold applications (like caprese), when baked, the texture becomes like halloumi. It does not melt like real mozzarella. So I think you’ll be let down if you use this on a pizza.
@@SeriousKeto The reason it does not melt like real mozzarella has got to do with the fat content of the milk. If you have a 2.5% fat milk which is common, use some 35% cream to bring up the fat percent to around 5%-6%.fat. Now this will be perfect for meltability for Pizza. for example, to get 6% fat milk, use 400ml of 35% cream and 3600ml of your 2.5% fat milk. 400+3600=4Litres. The mozz will be richer and melts better.
Thanks Steve, my wife and I went to Italy a few months ago and we learned to make a couple dishes needing fresh Mozzarella. Expensive in the store for the good stuff so this is fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing !
Just to be clear (because not everyone reads the video description), this is not TRUE mozzarella. It works well as "mozzarella" in cold applications like salads, but it will not melt (like on a pizza). Baked, the texture becomes very similar to halloumi.
@@SeriousKetoSteve that is a great idea. Wonder what it would be with the cauliflower and the mozzarella ball stuffed inside the cauliflower. Kinda of like a turdunken. Looks like an experiment to me. Take care.
Thank you! It's been a long time since I have made this and ricotta cheese both easy to make. I used cheese cloth and you are right you have to get all liquid out. You save money by doing it yourself. Thanks for the tip for tomatoes.
Definitely trying this. I've been doing the citric acid/rennet method and dealing with scolding hot whey shaping the mozz. This seems much easier and less messy.
I'm new to the channel. I just tried making this recipe and it came out very nice. I followed the recipe exactly. The cheese was a touch sticky, but tasty. This was the first time I've ever tried making cheese of any kind. It was quite easy. A question for any experienced cheese makers out there: Since I have a tree full of lemons, could I substitute fresh lemon juice for the vinegar in this recipe and, if so, how much? Doing some searches said that lemon juices is between 10-20% less acidic, so would I try using 10% more lemon juice than what's called for in the recipe for vinegar? thanks.
I have a yogurt strainer I use to make Greek yogurt. I can’t wait to see how it works for making mozzarella. It will definitely get all the whey out of it. Thanks for this easy recipe Steve!
@@SeriousKetoI leave yogurt in the fridge several hours and it comes out in one solid clump. I don't know why mozzarella wouldn't do the same. We are going to find out!
I'm very excited to try this! I bought a cheese kit a couple of years ago (it contains the rennet and citric acid) but never made it - too time consuming. I also appreciate the tomato tip. I always put crushed Tums into the bottom of the hole when transplanting my seedlings but sometimes spray them +and my squash and eggplants) with a very watery milk solution which also helps. Well'p I'm off to Walmart to get some milk. I may try making an herb covered log. Thanks for another easy and practical recipe Steve!!
for a bag/cheese cloth I use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. I have several that stay in the kitchen. I use them for straining honey and cheese. to clean throw in the washer
Oh my, thanks so much for this video!!! I've wanted to make my own mozzarella but have balked at having to buy rennet. Also, THANKS SO MUCH for sharing your experience even when you don't feel like it's quite as successful. It helps me learn, too! And guide my experiments. THANKS STEVE!!!!!
Love this video. Thank you for sharing. My question is?? Won’t the salt in the whey hurt the tomatoes??? How long have you been pouring the whey on your tomato plants and also, what other plants would or would not benefit from the whey that you are pouring onto them. Thank you for your time and patience. God bless you and your family
First, I believe that most of the salt winds up in the cheese. The whey doesn't taste like salot or vinegar - in fact, it's slightly sweet. I do not pour it on the tomatoes, but rather in the soil near them. Any plant that likes calcium will benefit from the whey. Tomatoes, especially heirloom tomatoes, are susceptible to blossom end rot, and the calcium in the whey helps out with that a lot. Also, when planting tomatoes, I throw a couple of Tums into the hole before I transplant, so they can get a dose of calcium that way too.
Not strict keto but try to low carb due to type 2 diabetes. One of my favorites to cheat is drinking hot whey with a sweetener and lemon. You can’t get more delicious. I’ve made paneer but will now have to try to warm it and make fresh mozzarella.
FYI, this is not how most mozzarella is made. Typically, mozzarella is made with some kind of rennet, whether that is made from vegetables, or comes from animals (cows specifically). Using vinegar is a great DIY alternative, and produces a pretty darn good result with just a slightly different taste (it’s a teeny-tiny bit sour because of the vinegar). The vinegar method is also a lot easier and more fool proof than trying to properly portion out rennet, which can be finicky to get right.
This is a nice method to learn. If times get hard and rennet is impossible to find we can still make mozzarella. TY. Also adding a tablespoon of whey to homemade mayonnaise will significantly lengthen the lifespan of your mayo.
I love making cheese. Can't wait for good tomatoes in Wisconsin! Thank you Steve. Always good content! You and terry have a great weekend! Love the blossom rot tip also. Great info.
Excellent. I have a. Italian recipe which is somewhat different, but I’m definitely keen to try yours as your recipe is more user friendly with ordinary milk.
As I state in the video description, this isn't true mozzarella. It's quite a bit easier to make, though, and it works as a substitute in recipes that use cold mozzarella. This cheese will NOT melt and when baked, it takes on a texture like halloumi.
🤗 Hi Steve, OH MY GOODNESS I am so excited about this 😁 Mmmm Pizza crust made with ground chicken, homemade marinara sauce, fresh basil and 😁fresh mozzarella ❤ Yes Please! I didnt know how EASY it is. Thank You for your awesomeness👍 Grace, Peace, Prayers, Big Tight Hugs,Much Love❤ & Holy KiSseS to you all ❤
Pro Tip: BBQ Guys use simple cotton gloves under Nitril gloves to create heat protection. I use it all the time when I'm smoking or grilling, or even when carving up a chicken or turkey.
Super interesting! Ive made Paneer using the same process, but you usually press as much liquid out while it's in the cheese cloth for a few hours. BUT if I put on my wannabe-scientist hat, I think the melting and working of the cheese is what gives it that smooth mozzarella texture, probably something about realigning proteins and fats. Seems like it's time to do conduct a few experiments...
I was just following the recipe of another content creator. It shouldn't make a difference (aside from a slight flavor difference) what type of vinegar you use.
I've tried a coupled times by other methods, and never managed to get great results... but that microwave tip is gold, real gamechanger. Thank you for sharing such an amazing lesson.
Sandwich idea for you. Make a balsamic vinegar marinade for some chicken. Then make a grilled chicken sandwich, I'd recommend ciabatta for the bread, and then lettuce, tomato, this fresh mozzarella, and ranch for the sauce on the bun. Also maybe some fresh basil.
My husband has wanted me to make mozzarella, perfect timing. What is the composter you have, I don't like mine it is too difficult to empty. Thank you.
That is beautiful! The raw milk might have had a higher fat content that kept it from sticking to the bag. Whey is also great to use in place of buttermilk for baking or brining/batter for fried chicken!
Just to be clear, the one that didn't stick to the bag as much was also pasteurized, homogenized, store-bought whole milk. It was just a cheaper store brand. The cheese that Courtney and I made with raw milk, citric acid and rennet was a lot more firm prior to cooling, so there's that. Good call on the whey for brining! Thanks!
@@SeriousKeto Sorry, I misunderstood about which batch of mozz was the "first" one. In the southeast there is a grocery store chain called Publix that has the best fried chicken ever, It's brined in buttermilk and spices, then double-dredged in seasoned flour. It. Is. Divine. I have found the spice blend recipe online and reproduced it in my air fryer. It's not quite the same, but very close. Also, I got some baking-with-buttermilk tips from Alicia at Keto Upgrade!
I can buy mozzarella at the store for $3.50 lb, a gallon of milk is $3.60 (you can get 1 lb-1.25lb of mozzarella out of a gallon of milk), you may get better tasting mozzarella but save no money.
I’ve got my own sheep and goats, which I milk. Spoiler alert - this probably won’t save you money either, unless you have enough land to support your animals without buying hay, but it’s much more fun. I also already make cheese with vinegar and salt, but the texture is nothing like mozzarella. I’m looking forward to seeing how he achieves this.
I made whey once with lemon juice instead of vinegar for cream cheese. Not sure if this would work when making it with vinegar, but the whey i was left with worked great for a yoohoo-style chocolate drink.
Thank you for this! I would like to use citric acid instead of vinegar (here, we use it for many things including cleaning purposes!) - How much citric acid would you recommend using for 4 litres of milk? Thanks in advance!
Interestingly, I tried making real mozzarella yesterday with citric acid and rennet. THAT is quite a bit more involved and time consuming than this recipe. So the timing of this question is perfect. I found that 1 TB of citric acid (approx 15g) dissolved in 1/4 cup (60mL) of warm water was what it took to get all of my curds to form.
@@SeriousKeto Wow, thank you for the speedy reply! - Just to clarify: I'd be using the citric acid instead of the vinegar, without using rennet as well? The reason for my question is that I don't like the taste of vinegar, and as I have citric acid in the cupboard, I thought I could use this instead. I guess I'd be dissolving the powder in just less than the quantity of water as is given for vinegar, to help it mix in?
@@nilcarborundum7001 While I haven't tried it for this recipe, I believe it would work. So you would use the citric acid dissolved in water in place of the vinegar and you would not use rennet.
Just be aware that this is not TRUE mozzarella. It works in cold applications, like caprese salads, but when heated, it's more like Halloumi in that it doesn't melt.
Thanks for the recipe, Steve! I’ve made ricotta cheese in a near identical way, just didn’t strain so it stayed creamier. I wish we could get (legal) raw milk where I am in Minnesota, or over the bridge in Wisconsin. If you know a guy (black market dairy farmer), let me know!
@@SeriousKeto you’re right, about a six hour drive. having grown up in Wisconsin, I forget how big our state is until I google map how far of a drive it is from the northwest to southeast corners of the state.
@SeriousKeto Oh! Awesome 👌 Hope to see how it works out in another video. Great idea! I don't have an air fryer, but I might try this in the oven. I'm planning to try your mozzarella recipe tonight. Hope it's as simple as you make it look!
From other comments here, it looks like you can use ACV, but it will add a different flavor. The white vinegar is more neutral in flavor. I plan on trying it with organic ACV since white vinegar can be made from GMO grains.
Easy cheese. Thanks for the video. Have you thought of making yogurt, and using that for the cheese? We've used buttermilk as a starter, as well, for hard cheese. No vinegar is needed. Ranchero, tho, calls for lemon juice.
I really like how you included the footage of the "too much liquid" version rather than just refilming to make a perfect video. Super helpful video.
I make fresh pesto from my garden basil. I use my garden tomatoes and mozzarella with red onion and my pesto.
Make ciabatta bread, my husband goes crazy.
But now with your recipe I can make homemade mozzarella to go with all the other homemade stuff.
Yum! Sadly, I’m 3 months away from garden fresh tomatoes here in SE Wisconsin. 😕
A local cheese company visited our local grocery store and did a class on making fresh mozzarella. It was so much fun (much more work than your method though), and we came home with the goods. I'm looking forward to making your version.
Not bad but a lot of inconsistencies using methods like this. Technically it's not a mozzarella because of the use of vinegar but the ends products can come out akin to mozzarella. If you were to buy a little renet you would be using only two products again and the renet can either be meat or vege renet. The liquid stuff is better to portion and work out ratios with. Heat the milk to 34 degree Celsius add the renet stir for 20-30 sec gently with a whisk. Take of the heat and wait 45 min and you will have a beautiful curd to work with. With the left over whey add about 500ml milk and recook it. since it isn't a acidic whey you will get more cheese, when you get to 84 degree Celsius you will see ricotta come to the surface. Ricotta means re-cooked. It is real ricotta cheese too.
Thank you!
Anyone can find vinegar very easy, finding renet is not that easy for some people
Rennet is expensive compared to a gallon of vinegar. I’ll take my chances.
@@kathiewool4292 I got some vegetable renet for just a little over $5 and I'm able to use it 50 times if I do 2 gal batches so not really that expensive
@@adamfreeman5609 you obviously haven’t raised 4 kids alone. It’s still cheaper with vinegar for me. So yes I’ll still continue to use my way. It works just fine.
I use that same recipe to make homemade ricotta cheese. You cannot compare the taste of store-bought and fresh homemade ricotta cheese. The texture depends on how long I hang it to let the whey drip out. It is so delicious.
Same here.
I guess I'll have to look up how to make ricotta, then. Making mozzerella and ricotta myself would save a fortune.
@@RexFuturi I make what I call ricotta. I just get out as much of the liquid and I can then I fluff it up so it isn't all compacted. I put it in an old cottage cheese container and give it a good shake then put it in the fridge. You can just follow this recipe. I only make two quarts at a time of milk and use a quarter cup and another tablespoon or two of white vinegar. This will yield about a cup and a half. But I am the only one who likes it so you may want to just follow his recipe. For mozzarella follow the steps he talks about. For ricotta follow the steps I mentioned. The first few times will just be a bit of an experiment. The cooking steps are all the same, it is what you do after the curds separate that will determine what you end up with. Have fun with it.
Fellow South Dakotan here. I just discovered your channel and just love it! This is also a great way to make paneer. The difference is really pressure which makes it more dense, and no salt used. I actually have a video on it I made years ago; not really a RUclipsr, but I have it, so it might be worth a look. I used raw milk in the springtime, so the paneer I made was kind of yellow, but the flavor of paneer made with raw milk is to me, preferable, as it has a mild buttery element to it and a creamy mouth feel.
Stretching the cheese is a necessary step in getting a true mozzarella consistency. Love your videos.
Do you feel that pulling it like taffy stretches it more than kneading it?
@@SeriousKeto Yes I do. In the cheese making videos I've seen they all stretch it like pulling taffy.
@@SeriousKeto - Why do you have to make it a ball shape? Why can't you put those wet cheese curds under a rolling pin and make a flat planar sheet of cheese? (That could help it dry out sooner.) Then cut it into cheese slices. While mozzarella balls may be somewhat expensive, mozzarella slices are even more expensive.
Finally, use this homemade cheese to make a nice keto sandwich or some keto pizza -- that's the real litmus test!
@@imtired20 plus 1 for this comment. All the videos l've seen stretch the curds, it's what makes the 'strings'.
The american Mozzarella is much harder than the european. The european is melting in the mouth.
Add a little sodium citrate salt to some water and massage it in. The salt will dissolve down the cheese protein and let them link together better. Also, use your whey as a protein fortified water for dishes like soups, boiling noodles or making rice.
How long does whey keep in the fridge?
@@Kimreynolds-t5s I would just freeze it and thaw it as needed. I wouldn't use it after more than a couple days unless you plan on fermenting it.
You had me at “This costs 20% of the cost of buying fresh mozzarella in the store.” 👍🏻 Yes, please. Never knew it was so easy to make! Thanks!
I think it's closer to 70%. You can get 1.5 pounds of mozzarella at walmart for $6. A gallon of whole milk at walmart costs $2.75 and makes about 1.5 pound of mozzarella. ...add another $0.25 for the vinegar - so $3 in materials for $6 worth of cheese. But it's still cool to know how to make it, because you could use milk that's 'almost' expired. Sometimes I make greek yogurt from the clearance organic milk that they sell for $0.5/gallon that usually sells for $6 gallon, or from milk that we have at home that's ..not exactly fresh but not yet rancid, it still works for yogurt or cheese. that's when it makes sense.
@@eventhisidistakenYour math is out! $2.75 + $0. 25 is $3 not $4
Dang, this is awesome. I havw a local grocery store that regularly has gallons of milk about to expire that they mark down to $1. Next time i see a gallom or two, i'm going to buy it and do this
Is easy to make a quick ricotta or start of a boursin type with that milk, too.
@@deannealbrecht774 I'm curious how to make ricotta. That would save a lot of money.
@RexFuturi you saw how it was before he melted his cheese in his microwave? That's ricotta. Add 2 tbsp of cream to 1 cup milk for a richer taste. Yum. Chef John has a great recipe.
@@deannealbrecht774 Oh, I love chef John, haven't seen his ricotta recipe yet, going after it right now. Thank you for the info!
Whey to go, Steve!
This is the whey
Damn….your pun fu is stronger than mine 😂
😂😂😂😂
Grate a cheesy joke😂😂
@@SeriousKeto - Haha, great pun! Genuinely made me laugh!
Where I live, the cost of cheese and milk would be the same, based on the cheese yield you cited.
So while I'm impressed by your results, and find the technique intriguing, I guess it wouldn't be a cost-saver for me.
I'm always glad to hear of cost-saving tips from you, though.
Can’t wait to try this. Your videos are always so clear and concise. Thanks for all you do!
Just getting my tomatoes planted and I hadn't heard about putting whey on them, that gives me a real reason to make mozzarella, so thank you for continuing my education. Looking forward to summer salads now.
Another thing I do is throw a couple of Tums and a quart cup of sugar in each hole before I transplant my tomatoes. The Tums (like the whey) help prevent blossom end rot and the sugar (I'm told) helps make the tomatoes taste sweeter (though this may be gardening urban legend).
@SeriousKeto sugars help feed the soil microorganisms, a healthy soil equals healthy plants!
Great video Steve! I make 2 gallons of kefir at a time using Ultra High Non-Homogenized, Ultra High Non-pasteurized, organic goat and cow milk, and I drink it everyday for gut health. I divide the 2 gallons into glass quart bottles, and every bottle I enjoy, I first scoop out several spoonfuls of the curd. Mmmm! Mmmm! ❤ I've heard one could make cheese from the kefir curds, and you made this look so simple. I'll definitely try it sometime. 😋 Thanks!
Yes! You can absolutely make cheese from milk kefir, I do it all the time! The best method I have found is to double ferment it first. Do the 1st ferment with the kefir grains, then strain them out and do a second ferment without the grains. That gives it a thick enough texture that you can then put it in a fine yogurt strainer, or fine cheese cloth. Stick it in the fridge and let gravity do it’s thing until the whey is no longer dripping out. You will end up with a VERY thick yogurt type of consistency. At this stage you can add all the same things in it as you would yogurt for a tart and healthy snack/meal (fruits, grains, etc). I like to mix some dried or fresh mint into my kifer cheese, then mix it with fresh berries, and this also goes amazingly well with grilled peaches!
To make it even thicker, transfer your fine strained batch into a larger mesh strainer or cheese cloth to drain even more whey. This will give it the consistency like a cold brick of cream cheese. At this stage you can do all the same things as I mentioned, and even substitute it for ricotta in cooking/baking! I have used it in lasagna, it’s delicious!
@@WolfsToob Thank you! I always double ferment my kefir. 😋
I love this! I make Ricotta cheese in a similar fashion but I also add heavy cream with the whole milk, not sure how the extra fat or protein would change the cheese from ricotta to mozzarella, but I agree it's how much whey is left in the cheese. I love your content you are definitely my Alton Brown of keto cooking! Thank you!
Chickens love the whey, also. Great tip for tomato plant.
We have been using cheese cloth; only thing is you can wash the cloth just don’t put in dryer. The fibers tighten up. Let air dry.
Thanks for sharing.
You’re the second person to mention chickens. I wish I could have some.
Thanks for the tip on using the whey liquid for the tomato plants. I will definitely be using it
Heirloom tomatoes are far more susceptible to blossom end rot, so they really benefit from the whey.
During tomato season here in MN (long time from now!) we have caprese with our dinner every evening . Looking forward to saving some $ this summer. Thanks for this recipe/idea.
We do caprese all the time here too with tomatoes and basil from our garden. That first tomato won’t show up until mid July here in neighboring Wisconsin.
I'm in Boston area and make Caprese every dinner in the summer months. I love Trader Joe's but it just lost a perennial fresh mozzarela buyer from now on! :o)
I've been thinking about making cream cheese. Years ago I made ricotta and it was so much better than store bought. I'm definitely going to try this. 😊
Thanks. Awesome video. I've made it using rennet, but my bottle is old. Much easier to use vinegar.
I just wanted to say thanks for making such helpful content. I'm just starting out and I was getting lost in the deluge of info and it was very "do this or be doomed!" and then your video came up last night and I've been going through your channel and bingo this is what i needed.
Glad to help!
Very helpful video, thank you for posting. I like the difference between batches as well. Different uses for the output of the same process.
Most of the recipe's say not to use homogenized or pasteurized milk. But I used regular milk that was both homogenized and pasteurized and it turned out excellent.
Unless you're getting milk from an individual cow, it's going to be homogenized. Also, it seems that so long as the milk isn't ULTRA pasteurized, it works fine (as you've witnessed). Thanks for sharing your experience.
I LOVE soft mozzarella. I'm going to try this today. If it comes out well, this is going to be a game changer for me as I make my own pizzas from scratch and the cheese was the only ingredient that I had to buy every time. This is going to be my first time making cheese ever. Wish me luck! 🧀
Just to prep you: this behaves like mozzarella in cold applications (like caprese), when baked, the texture becomes like halloumi. It does not melt like real mozzarella. So I think you’ll be let down if you use this on a pizza.
@@SeriousKeto Oh, I see! It's OK; this will be just the first step into the wonderful world of cheese making. 😁
@@alastairblake that was my intent with this video. I see it as a low investment way for people to dip their toe into the world of cheese making. 🙂👍🏻
@@SeriousKeto Just finished the cheese and it came out gorgeously creamy! This will make a wonderful sandwich! Thank you for the video!
@@SeriousKeto The reason it does not melt like real mozzarella has got to do with the fat content of the milk. If you have a 2.5% fat milk which is common, use some 35% cream to bring up the fat percent to around 5%-6%.fat. Now this will be perfect for meltability for Pizza.
for example, to get 6% fat milk, use 400ml of 35% cream and 3600ml of your 2.5% fat milk. 400+3600=4Litres. The mozz will be richer and melts better.
Thanks Steve, my wife and I went to Italy a few months ago and we learned to make a couple dishes needing fresh Mozzarella. Expensive in the store for the good stuff so this is fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing !
Just to be clear (because not everyone reads the video description), this is not TRUE mozzarella. It works well as "mozzarella" in cold applications like salads, but it will not melt (like on a pizza). Baked, the texture becomes very similar to halloumi.
I’ve never tried fresh mozzarella. This looks really good.
Steve very interesting. Will have to try this. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Have a great rest of your day and week.
I can tell you that the next time I make the bacon weave meatloaf, this is going in place of the cauliflower. 😉👍
@@SeriousKetoSteve that is a great idea. Wonder what it would be with the cauliflower and the mozzarella ball stuffed inside the cauliflower. Kinda of like a turdunken. Looks like an experiment to me. Take care.
Thank you! It's been a long time since I have made this and ricotta cheese both easy to make. I used cheese cloth and you are right you have to get all liquid out. You save money by doing it yourself. Thanks for the tip for tomatoes.
Definitely trying this. I've been doing the citric acid/rennet method and dealing with scolding hot whey shaping the mozz. This seems much easier and less messy.
Rennet and citric acid is a pretty time consuming process, at least in my experience.
I'm new to the channel. I just tried making this recipe and it came out very nice. I followed the recipe exactly. The cheese was a touch sticky, but tasty. This was the first time I've ever tried making cheese of any kind. It was quite easy. A question for any experienced cheese makers out there: Since I have a tree full of lemons, could I substitute fresh lemon juice for the vinegar in this recipe and, if so, how much? Doing some searches said that lemon juices is between 10-20% less acidic, so would I try using 10% more lemon juice than what's called for in the recipe for vinegar? thanks.
Thank you for this video and giving measurements in Metric and Celsius! 🇦🇺 Looking forward to giving this a go
One of these days, I hope to be able to do the conversions in my brain and not have to look them up. 😉
I have a yogurt strainer I use to make Greek yogurt. I can’t wait to see how it works for making mozzarella. It will definitely get all the whey out of it. Thanks for this easy recipe Steve!
I’m not sure how the Greek yogurt maker will work if you want it to get past the cream cheese phase. Please let me know how it works out.
@@SeriousKetoI leave yogurt in the fridge several hours and it comes out in one solid clump. I don't know why mozzarella wouldn't do the same. We are going to find out!
Is your strainer one that has a spring loaded pusher on it? Interested to hear how it turns out!
Great, interesting and informative video. Very useful and can’t wait to try this recipe.
I'm very excited to try this! I bought a cheese kit a couple of years ago (it contains the rennet and citric acid) but never made it - too time consuming. I also appreciate the tomato tip. I always put crushed Tums into the bottom of the hole when transplanting my seedlings but sometimes spray them +and my squash and eggplants) with a very watery milk solution which also helps. Well'p I'm off to Walmart to get some milk. I may try making an herb covered log. Thanks for another easy and practical recipe Steve!!
Great recipe! My flock of chickens love whey.
for a bag/cheese cloth I use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. I have several that stay in the kitchen. I use them for straining honey and cheese. to clean throw in the washer
That works too.
Oh my, thanks so much for this video!!! I've wanted to make my own mozzarella but have balked at having to buy rennet. Also, THANKS SO MUCH for sharing your experience even when you don't feel like it's quite as successful. It helps me learn, too! And guide my experiments. THANKS STEVE!!!!!
Love this video. Thank you for sharing. My question is?? Won’t the salt in the whey hurt the tomatoes??? How long have you been pouring the whey on your tomato plants and also, what other plants would or would not benefit from the whey that you are pouring onto them. Thank you for your time and patience. God bless you and your family
First, I believe that most of the salt winds up in the cheese. The whey doesn't taste like salot or vinegar - in fact, it's slightly sweet. I do not pour it on the tomatoes, but rather in the soil near them. Any plant that likes calcium will benefit from the whey. Tomatoes, especially heirloom tomatoes, are susceptible to blossom end rot, and the calcium in the whey helps out with that a lot. Also, when planting tomatoes, I throw a couple of Tums into the hole before I transplant, so they can get a dose of calcium that way too.
Waaaaay cool Steve! Thanks!
Wow, Steve, this is greatly appreciated 👏 ❤
I tried it, really good...thank you. Question how long does the way last as a fertilizer? Thanks Steve!!
I don't fully understand your question. I just split the whey between my tomato plants whenever I have some.
WOW so cool...going to try making cheese...THANKS!
Really excited to try this. I have made ricotta before, this is just a couple more steps. Thanks Steve for this video
Not strict keto but try to low carb due to type 2 diabetes. One of my favorites to cheat is drinking hot whey with a sweetener and lemon. You can’t get more delicious. I’ve made paneer but will now have to try to warm it and make fresh mozzarella.
I’ll definitely have to try that after my next batch.
I never knew how mozzarella is made so this was a great learning experience. Thanks for sharing, Steve!
FYI, this is not how most mozzarella is made. Typically, mozzarella is made with some kind of rennet, whether that is made from vegetables, or comes from animals (cows specifically). Using vinegar is a great DIY alternative, and produces a pretty darn good result with just a slightly different taste (it’s a teeny-tiny bit sour because of the vinegar). The vinegar method is also a lot easier and more fool proof than trying to properly portion out rennet, which can be finicky to get right.
This is not mozzarella.
This is a nice method to learn. If times get hard and rennet is impossible to find we can still make mozzarella. TY. Also adding a tablespoon of whey to homemade mayonnaise will significantly lengthen the lifespan of your mayo.
Great tip. 👍🏻
I love making cheese. Can't wait for good tomatoes in Wisconsin! Thank you Steve. Always good content! You and terry have a great weekend! Love the blossom rot tip also. Great info.
Sadly, we're still several months from tomatoes here. I'm itching to start planting, but the danger of frost is still lurking...
Hello! Any suggestions if we don’t have a microwave?
Thanks!
Great video!
I’d make a sort of double boiler, placing a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Excellent. I have a. Italian recipe which is somewhat different, but I’m definitely keen to try yours as your recipe is more user friendly with ordinary milk.
As I state in the video description, this isn't true mozzarella. It's quite a bit easier to make, though, and it works as a substitute in recipes that use cold mozzarella. This cheese will NOT melt and when baked, it takes on a texture like halloumi.
@@SeriousKeto in that case the possibilities have widened. Thank you so much!
🤗 Hi Steve, OH MY GOODNESS I am so excited about this 😁 Mmmm Pizza crust made with ground chicken, homemade marinara sauce, fresh basil and 😁fresh mozzarella ❤ Yes Please! I didnt know how EASY it is.
Thank You for your awesomeness👍
Grace, Peace, Prayers, Big Tight Hugs,Much Love❤ & Holy KiSseS to you all ❤
Thank you, Steve. I am definitely trying this recipe 😋
Pro Tip: BBQ Guys use simple cotton gloves under Nitril gloves to create heat protection. I use it all the time when I'm smoking or grilling, or even when carving up a chicken or turkey.
Good idea.
If you add the salt after you cool the cheese, it will help with the texture. Great video!
I love that Steve did this.
Love this recipe!! Definitely gonna try this!
Great recipe video... thanks Steve!
I use the whey in mym soups. It adds a great taste and consistency to them!
Good to know!
Great receipe! Thanks for the video.
Super interesting! Ive made Paneer using the same process, but you usually press as much liquid out while it's in the cheese cloth for a few hours. BUT if I put on my wannabe-scientist hat, I think the melting and working of the cheese is what gives it that smooth mozzarella texture, probably something about realigning proteins and fats. Seems like it's time to do conduct a few experiments...
may be a new video with that paneer cheese?
Does it have to be distilled vinegar or can we use a different type, like regular vinegar? Thank you
I was just following the recipe of another content creator. It shouldn't make a difference (aside from a slight flavor difference) what type of vinegar you use.
Almost 300k! Love that you can use the whey for food growing.
It's also supposed to be great for brining chicken (a suggestion I'm testing today before throwing half a chicken on the smoker).
@@SeriousKeto Hmmmm, can't wait to hear how that comes out. I am making chicken bone broth, wonder if that would be ok to add in?
I've tried a coupled times by other methods, and never managed to get great results... but that microwave tip is gold, real gamechanger. Thank you for sharing such an amazing lesson.
I will definitely try this for Passover.
This looks delicious! Thank you for showing us how to make it! 😊
Interesting video! I might just have to try making some myself.
Good to see you. For some reason you have not been coming up in my feed. But I’m glad you are back.
I never went away, but it's good to have YOU back. 😉
@@SeriousKeto ❤️
❤ Wonder if I could use the same strainer I use for draining the whey from my yogurt I make. I just pour it in and refrigerate over night. 🤔
If you try it out, please let me know how it works out.
Looks delicious! Maybe I'll finally cook something.
Wow! Thx Steve! Awesome.....I will definitely try it!
I have made cream cheese but not yet mozzarella, I am going to try, it will be perfect with some olive oil, salt and fresh tomatoes
Interesting. Great recipe. Thank you
Sandwich idea for you. Make a balsamic vinegar marinade for some chicken. Then make a grilled chicken sandwich, I'd recommend ciabatta for the bread, and then lettuce, tomato, this fresh mozzarella, and ranch for the sauce on the bun. Also maybe some fresh basil.
Sounds great!
Wow the value in this video wow!
Thanks Steve, looks like a fun one to try!
My husband has wanted me to make mozzarella, perfect timing. What is the composter you have, I don't like mine it is too difficult to empty. Thank you.
This is a wicked recipe. Cant wait to try it! (and thanks for the metric conversions :) )
That is beautiful! The raw milk might have had a higher fat content that kept it from sticking to the bag. Whey is also great to use in place of buttermilk for baking or brining/batter for fried chicken!
Just to be clear, the one that didn't stick to the bag as much was also pasteurized, homogenized, store-bought whole milk. It was just a cheaper store brand. The cheese that Courtney and I made with raw milk, citric acid and rennet was a lot more firm prior to cooling, so there's that.
Good call on the whey for brining! Thanks!
@@SeriousKeto Sorry, I misunderstood about which batch of mozz was the "first" one. In the southeast there is a grocery store chain called Publix that has the best fried chicken ever, It's brined in buttermilk and spices, then double-dredged in seasoned flour. It. Is. Divine. I have found the spice blend recipe online and reproduced it in my air fryer. It's not quite the same, but very close. Also, I got some baking-with-buttermilk tips from Alicia at Keto Upgrade!
I had no idea it is that easy! I'll try it!
Something about making your own cheese is pretty cool, in my opinion I hope you enjoy it.
Aloha from where a gallon of milk can run ya $8…. some places, it just makes more sense to buy the cheese. But I love learning how to do this!
I can buy mozzarella at the store for $3.50 lb,
a gallon of milk is $3.60 (you can get 1 lb-1.25lb of mozzarella out of a gallon of milk),
you may get better tasting mozzarella but save no money.
I’ve got my own sheep and goats, which I milk. Spoiler alert - this probably won’t save you money either, unless you have enough land to support your animals without buying hay, but it’s much more fun. I also already make cheese with vinegar and salt, but the texture is nothing like mozzarella. I’m looking forward to seeing how he achieves this.
😮 that’s crazy! But I know milk has to be shipped there.
It's pretty expensive in Canada too, even though it's all Canadian milk. 4L is 5.68Cdn, or $4.15US. Still not $8 though!
@@TracyKMainwaring depends on where you are. I live on Vancouver Island, and milk here is around $9/4 liter.
Awesome video, One question, I don't have a microwave, can I gently heat up the curds on the stove when I'm forming the cheese ball? Thank you!
I'd do a makeshift double boiler with a glass bowl resting on a pot of boiling or simmering water.
Thank you Steve, I'm going to try this. Can the whey be used for all plants or just tomatoes?
I think all plants (including houseplants). The benefit tomatoes get is that the calcium helps prevent a lot of diseases, like blossom end rot.
How do you salt it? At what point? Much appreciated!
Step 5 listed in the video description. 🙂
I made whey once with lemon juice instead of vinegar for cream cheese. Not sure if this would work when making it with vinegar, but the whey i was left with worked great for a yoohoo-style chocolate drink.
Oops I meant yoo-hoo, not yahoo lol
Thank you for this! I would like to use citric acid instead of vinegar (here, we use it for many things including cleaning purposes!) - How much citric acid would you recommend using for 4 litres of milk? Thanks in advance!
Interestingly, I tried making real mozzarella yesterday with citric acid and rennet. THAT is quite a bit more involved and time consuming than this recipe. So the timing of this question is perfect. I found that 1 TB of citric acid (approx 15g) dissolved in 1/4 cup (60mL) of warm water was what it took to get all of my curds to form.
@@SeriousKeto Wow, thank you for the speedy reply! - Just to clarify: I'd be using the citric acid instead of the vinegar, without using rennet as well? The reason for my question is that I don't like the taste of vinegar, and as I have citric acid in the cupboard, I thought I could use this instead. I guess I'd be dissolving the powder in just less than the quantity of water as is given for vinegar, to help it mix in?
@@nilcarborundum7001 While I haven't tried it for this recipe, I believe it would work. So you would use the citric acid dissolved in water in place of the vinegar and you would not use rennet.
@@SeriousKeto I'm willing to try this, certainly, and will tell you how it turned out!
Thank you for your recipe
I will do it ,I live in Buenos Aires
Awesome video, thank you for sharing this!
What a great video. Thank you!
Great video. Thanks for the know-how. I have just bought a pizza oven so this will come in handy.🇭🇲
Just be aware that this is not TRUE mozzarella. It works in cold applications, like caprese salads, but when heated, it's more like Halloumi in that it doesn't melt.
Definitely going to try this Steve, Thank you 😊
Thank you much. I will be making cheese. Do you have a recipe for feta cheese?
I do not, but now I'm curious as to how it's done. I suspect I'd probably need a cheese press for that.
I’m wondering if my greek yogurt strainer would work as well instead of the bags. I think it would be less messy. Have you tried it possibly?
I have not.
Thanks for the recipe, Steve! I’ve made ricotta cheese in a near identical way, just didn’t strain so it stayed creamier. I wish we could get (legal) raw milk where I am in Minnesota, or over the bridge in Wisconsin. If you know a guy (black market dairy farmer), let me know!
The farmer Courtney gets hers from is in Lake Geneva, so not exactly right across the border….
@@SeriousKeto you’re right, about a six hour drive. having grown up in Wisconsin, I forget how big our state is until I google map how far of a drive it is from the northwest to southeast corners of the state.
Great recipe Steve!
You think heavy whipping cream will yield a good cheese?
I haven't tried it. I'm not sure how the fat content would impact this. It would definitely be WAY more expensive.
I hear you. Thanx for what you do brother!
Can't wait to try this! 😊 Thank you.
Today, I'm going to try breading some slices and air frying them. This may wind up being this Friday's video if it turns out. 😉
@SeriousKeto Oh! Awesome 👌 Hope to see how it works out in another video. Great idea!
I don't have an air fryer, but I might try this in the oven. I'm planning to try your mozzarella recipe tonight. Hope it's as simple as you make it look!
Great video, thanks. I always have ACV on hand. I wonder if it can sub for DWV? which I usually don't have.
I can't say on that....
From other comments here, it looks like you can use ACV, but it will add a different flavor. The white vinegar is more neutral in flavor.
I plan on trying it with organic ACV since white vinegar can be made from GMO grains.
Easy cheese. Thanks for the video. Have you thought of making yogurt, and using that for the cheese? We've used buttermilk as a starter, as well, for hard cheese. No vinegar is needed. Ranchero, tho, calls for lemon juice.
I’ve made yogurt but never for cheese.
I tried making yogurt the other day….it is thick like cream cheese. Not my finest moment 😂😂😂 thanks Steve ❤
I had that once. I used my hand mixer on it first with beaters, then the whisk attachment. It wound up being super creamy (and still very thick).
@@SeriousKeto I’ll try that! Thanks
You can add back (whisk, stir, etc) some whey to get back to your preferred thinner consistency.
Thanks for another excellent video.
I don't have a microwave...was wondering if warming in an Instantpot with the Sous Vide setting somehow might work instead ?
I’d probably just put a glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water.
@SeriousKeto great suggestion, thanks
Does it melt the same way as store bought mozzarella? Such as on top of a keto pizza. Thanks.