Recipes like 30 Minute Mozzarella make it even more appealing, especially for those who are time poor but want to get involved in home cheese making and experience the thrill of creating their own cheese products.

But, while this recipe is quick and simple and caters to that need for instant gratification, it often causes new cheese makers the most frustration and questions about how to master the delightful stringy cheese they imagined creating.

For Mozzarella to stretch well it needs two things – the right amount of heat to soften the curd, and acidity (pH of approximately 5.2).

The heat part is usually easy enough to work out (aim for about 80 degrees Celsius or 180 degrees Fahrenheit) but the acidity part can cause some real problems.

Acidity is increased either over time or with the addition of cultures or acidic ingredients. The 30 Minute Mozzarella recipe made famous by Ricki Carroll includes citric acid to create the acidity. More traditional recipes use the time element.

What Can Cause Mozzarella Not Stretching

What can cause problems is that sometimes you might need both elements, depending on the your milk. Yet, if you are following the 30 Minute Mozzarella Recipe, it doesn’t advise you on lengthening your ripening time. And some traditional recipes don’t mention it either and yet it can make all the difference for a successful Mozzarella make.

Before you think that to get good Mozzarella you are going to have to spend a lot more time in the kitchen check out my Mozzarella Recipe, which I always use and never have any problems with.

To get the acidity required, you leave the curd for a 24-48 hour ripening period which means you can make the curd then leave it until you have more time somewhere in that time frame then go back and finish it off! There’s really no more extra time spent on the make, just a bit of pre-planning required.

I usually test my curd at 24 hours but have always had the best stretch at nearly 48 hours so now I tend to just work with that.

Note though that I am using fresh, raw milk so you would need to do the spin test to figure out what your timing is, depending on your milk source.

BTW: Did you also know that Mozzarella freezes well so you can make more and store it up for use later.

Of course fresh is always best but if you use Mozzarella for pizzas etc, frozen is just fine.

How To Stretch Mozzarella Cheese Video

If you are struggling to get a good Mozzarella give my recipe a try and please, let me know your thoughts, or any problems you have and I will do my best to help you over at the Curd Nerd Forum.

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What Is Calcium Chloride (CACI2)?

Calcium Chloride (CaCI2) is a salt solution, which is used in cheese making to restore the calcium balance of milk.

When Should You Use Calcium Chloride In Cheese Making?

If you use store bought, homogenized and pasteurized milk for cheese making you will more than likely need to add Calcium Chloride.

It is required to re-balance the calcium content of milk as the manufacturing processes of pasteurization, heating and rapidly cooling the milk, and homogenization decreases the amount of calcium in the milk and can affect the clotting properties.

This will be noticeable by a slower coagulation of the milk after adding the Rennet, a softer, less stable curd and in some cases where the calcium levels are extremely low, no coagulation at all.

Adding Calcium Chloride to your milk brings the calcium content back into balance and will result in a firmer curd, that you will find much easier to cut and work with.

But it’s not just store bought milk that can benefit from Calcium Chloride. If you are using Goat’s Milk for cheese making, particularly when making hard cheeses.

You may need to add Calcium Chloride to get a firm curd as Goat’s milk goes through a natural homogenization process in the animal’s body and without CaCI2 it may produce a curd that is too weak to cut properly.

And Calcium chloride is often also used with raw cows milk as well, as different feeding conditions; for example winter feeding, and the health of the animals can affect the calcium levels of the milk.

Ultimately, whether you do or don’t need Calcium Chloride for fresh, raw milk will depend purely on the quality of milk.

I personally don’t or haven’t needed to add CaCI2 to the raw milk I use but if you find you are getting a weak curd from your milk supply, and you know your Rennet is still viable, you can try adding Calcium Chloride to remedy the problem.

Some friends have used the brand below and have had no issues. It is globally shipped from Amazon. Check the price.

Adding Calcium Chloride To Cheese

It is important to add exactly the right amount of Calcium Chloride so that the curd firms up enough but is not compromised by too much CaCI2 to the point of being unusable.

The recommended measure is ¼ teaspoon per gallon of milk. Calcium Chloride is normally added to the milk before you start with your cheese making.

Some cheese makers even prefer to add the CaCI2 to the milk in the stockpot the night before a make so that it has plenty of time to do it’s work re-balancing, before starting the cheese making process.

To add Calcium Chloride, simply dilute your CaCI2 in ¼ cup cool, distilled water, the same way you would with your Rennet, so it can then be stirred in evenly through the milk.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, and in previous posts, Calcium Chloride can also be used in your brine solutions to balance the calcium levels between brine and cheese, which can prevent your cheese ‘melting’ or going slimy when it is being preserved.

This is a reasonably common issue and the addition of CaCI2 to the mix is usually a reliable solution as it establishes an even balance and stops the calcium from being leeched from the cheese into the brine, causing the cheese to soften and melt.

Food Grade Calcium Chloride is available in our shop, at your local home-brew store or at the chemist.

Do you have any questions or comments about using Calcium Chloride in your Home Cheese Making? Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum. We would love to hear from you!

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Ok, so perhaps that’s a bad play on words but it’s what comes to mind EVERY time I’m waxing my cheeses.

Anyway, let’s move on from that terrible start and talk about one of the methods of preserving your aging cheeses – waxing.

A lot of people shy away from waxing their cheese because the whole process can seem a little technical and messy. But once you give it a go a few times it becomes a lot easier and the benefits start to outweigh the effort.

Cheese Wax

Cheese Wax is a speciality wax used for preserving cheese. Unlike 100% paraffin based wax it remain soft and pliable even when set and can easily be peeled away from the cheese without the wax cracking or crumbling in brittle pieces.

It is coloured with food grade colouring and commonly comes in Red, Yellow and Black. The colour doesn’t matter but a lot of people prefer the yellow as it obviously has less colouring in it.

Wax Coated Cheeses

Typically hard cheeses are wax coated to protect them during the aging process.

Benefits Of Cheese In Wax

As I mentioned, waxing your cheese preserves it while it is aging. It prevents mold from growing on the surfaces and it also helps to retain the moisture in the cheese. Once you have waxed your cheese there won’t be any mold washing or worrying about anything other than turning the cheese regularly, keeping it in the right conditions and eating it when it is ready.

Waxing is best suited to hard, drier cheeses. Attempting to wax a softer, moist cheese can end in disaster so don’t assume ALL cheeses can be waxed.

Step By Step – How To Wax Cheese

Before you start, make sure your cheese has been chilled if it has not come straight from the fridge. This will help the wax stick and set.

I use the direct heat method for melting wax but if you are nervous about melting your wax on a direct heat you can use the double boiler method (one pot inside of another pot with boiling water).

It is definitely safer because you remove the risk of the wax or vapors igniting but it can be difficult to get the wax up to temperature this way and often molds will grow under the wax shell.

Do what feels most comfortable for you. If you opt for the direct heat method please exercise caution, do not overheat the wax, stay alert and NEVER leave your wax unattended. Flash fires do happen.

Use old pots or buy cheap pots that can be kept for use for waxing only.

Heat the wax to approximately 120 degrees Celsius. You need it hot enough to kill any bacteria on the cheese surface but not so hot it explodes.

Turn the heat off as soon as the wax has reached temperature. This can often be spotted by the wax going quite clear.

Use a natural bristle brush (synthetic will frizzle up) and starting on one side, brush the wax onto the cheese evenly until the cheese is completely covered.

You will need to do 2 or 3 coats (letting each layer harden between coats) to make sure all parts of the cheese is sealed and no air holes are left. Be generous with your painting.

Or

Get pots that are large enough in size to let you dip your cheese right into and again, can be used only for cheese waxing.

Very carefully (wearing sanitised rubber gloves) dip your cheese into the wax, top then bottom surface, then roll the cheese edge through the wax half way, let it set then roll the other edge through half way.

Again, 2 or 3 coats will make sure all of the cheese is sealed and no air is available for mold growth and I normally hold my cheese under for 4-5 seconds so the mold spores are properly killed off.

Once you have coated the cheese, write or print a label out with the cheese type and the make date on it and, using the wax, stick the label onto the cheese.

The paper will stick to wet wax and if you paint another sealing layer over the label it will allow you to identify what the cheese is without any problems later on.

Extra Cheese Waxing Tips

If you have a large block of cheese and don’t think you’ll eat the whole thing in a week, cut your block up into wedges before waxing so you have sizes that you can enjoy fresh and don’t end up throwing away a larger block when it goes off.

Lay down wax paper or tin foil when waxing. Wax makes a heck of a mess and can be difficult to get off surfaces.

Take precautions to keep the hot wax off your skin. Wax holds its temperature when it sticks to something and will make a nasty burn if it is in contact with your skin.

Dipping the cheese definitely makes for a more aesthetically pleasing cheese but it does take more wax to do it since you need enough to submerge the cheese half way down.

Make sure your cheese is sufficiently dry before waxing. It should have a slightly hardened rind and be a darker yellow than when it was first pressed. It should be dry to the touch.

How To Reuse Cheese Wax

When you are ready to eat your cheese, remove the wax and rinse it off. Then melt it down and strain through a piece of fine cheese cloth to remove any hangers on. As long as it is brought up to the right heat next time any nasties will be killed and the wax will be fine for reuse.

In future posts I will talk about other methods of preserving and protecting your cheese including bandaging, oiling and vacuum packing.

Do you have any questions or comments about Cheese Waxing? Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum. We would love to hear from you!

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You’ve followed the instructions and put it in a salty brine. A few days later, it starts to soften, go slimy and ‘melt’ in the solution.

Why does your Feta brine solution make your Feta melt?

When your Feta melts in it’s brine during storage, it is often due to either the brine having a lower calcium level, which causes the calcium to leech out of the cheese and change the structure.

Or the pH level of the cheese is too high which means you basically don’t have enough acidity and again, calcium leeches and the cheese goes slimy and melts.

How Do You Prevent Your Feta From Melting?

• Use your whey, with the salt added, instead of water to make your brine. Your whey should have the correct pH and calcium balance for your cheese.
• Add a little Calcium Chloride (CaCI2) to your brine to balance the calcium levels.
• Add vinegar or citric acid to your brine, but not too much!
• Age your cheese at room temperature for at least 3 days after dry salting so that the surface of the cheese toughens and the acidity is high enough to withstand the brine.

If you really can’t get your brine balance right and your Feta melts every time don’t get too stressed about it. Simply change your storage method and keep it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a mason jar instead.

I sometimes do this for a change anyway and add a mixture of Garlic and Rosemary, which is lovely! I then reuse the oil for salads or cooking afterwards.

This is also a good storage method for those who don’t like their Feta too salty since there is obviously no extra salt take up from the Olive Oil.

Feta Cheese In Brine How Long Does It Last?

How long does feta cheese last in brine is a common question that we receive. As long as the feta stays submerged in the brine it should have a shelf life of 6 months. But, with how delicious it is I doubt it will last anywhere near that long.

Brine Solution For Feta

A brine solution for feta can be found on our post Using Saturated Brine Solution In Cheese Making

Do you have any questions or comments about Home Cheese Making? Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum. We would love to hear from you!

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