Homemade Mozzarella

The other day I made homemade mozzarella! It was much easier than I thought it would be. Most homemade cheeses begin with milk, but this one was slightly different. It starts with fresh cheese curds. The process of making fresh mozzarella involves stretching fresh cheese curds. In order to do this, you have to pour hot water over the curds to make them pliable. I'm talking about boiling water, and then you need to use your hands to stretch the cheese out. So the entire process goes like this:

1. Place cheese curds in a bowl.
2. Boil a pot of water.
3. Pour enough water over the curds to cover. 
4. Use your hands to gather the curds into a pliable mass.
5. Have a bowl of ice water nearby. 
6. Dunk your hands in ice water as needed if the boiling water becomes too much. Go back and forth, back and forth.
7. When the water becomes cooler, drain it out and add fresh boiling water.
8. Keep stretching the curds until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball.
9. Wrap the ball is plastic wrap and chill. Then eat as desired! The cheese is ready to eat immediately, and can be sliced, grated, or melted. It is great on pizza. For a little more flavor, the cheese may be soaked in a brine for a few days. It should keep longer that way as well.