Hello to all our lovely readers, we hope you are all well. We are back this week with another recipe blog sharing with you a delicious recipe on how to make Mozzarella. We are back with Bampfield Farm in North Devon for this recipe and we hope you enjoy it.
Bampfield Farm
Bampfield Farm is home to both a working farm and two stunning self-catering cottages called The Haven and The Old Granary. Both boast gorgeous living areas filled with character features. The Granary sleeps up to 8 people while The Haven will sleep up to 6 people.
The Recipe
Bampfield Farm’s free-range cows produce creamy milk (butterfat & protein) which is perfect for making cheese. Incidentally, most of their milk is sold to Arla which is a farmer-owned co-operative. Their milk is processed in Devon at the Taw Valley creamery. The cows spend 8-9 months in the field grazing the lush grass. During the winter months they are indoors and are fed silage.
Lynda and Neil decided to make cheese in November after collecting warm milk from the dairy. Their family have been drinking chilled milk straight from the cows for years and used to deliver milk to neighbouring villages. They still have a few bottles remaining to store their own milk for the breakfast table.
Farmer Neil decided to make mozzarella as it is the quickest cheese to make and everyone loves the taste.
Here is the recipe which makes 600g.
Utensils:
1- a large saucepan
2 – slotted spoon
3 – long knife
4 – thermometer
5 – cheesecloth
6 -colander
7- bowl
Ingredients:
1- 4 litres whole milk
2 – (2 micro spoons)1/4 sachet rennet
3 – 1 tsp cheese salt
4 – ½ tsp citric acid
Step 1. Dissolve the citric acid in 250ml water and separately stir rennet into 60ml water until dissolved.
Step 2. Add citric solution to milk and warm gently stirring until it reaches 32 degrees. Immediately remove from heat.
Step 3. Add rennet solution to milk and stir for 30 seconds. Replace lid and leave undisturbed for 5 mins. The curds should have formed. Check if they cut cleanly, if not wait and try again.
Step 4. Cut the curds parallel 3cm apart then in a perpendicular direction to form a grid. Ensure you cut to the base of the pan. You should have even “cubes” of curd.
Step 5. Heat the curds gently to 41 degrees, stir constantly and slowly, trying not to break the curds. Move off the heat and stir for 5 mins.
Step 6. Scoop the curds into a muslin lined colander and drip dry for 5 mins ( keep whey for later use).
Step 7. Place the curds in a large bowl of very hot water at 70 degrees. Leave until it resembles melted cheese and can easily be stretched. It should drip off the spoon when hot enough.
Step 8. Add salt to taste then gently fold and stretch the curds until they are shiny. Form into balls.
Cool the balls as soon as they are made. Eat your mozzarella fresh.
We also tried making Halloumi cheese, the children said it was the best they had tasted.
Cheshire cheese was the next sample, this tasted delicious as a cream cheese with salmon.
Cheesemaking activities have been delayed at present as the cows are all having their calves. Bampfield Farm is a spring calving herd and the farmers are busy day and night on midwifery duty.