Mozzarella turned out super rubbery
I recently tried making four batches of mozzarella, all of which turned out like a rubber band. The first three times around I used a one-hour recipe, but tried less rennet and a longer setting time for the curds the last time around. After that too turned out rubb(er)ish I was too dispirited to waste another gallon of milk.
Are there any classic pitfalls here? - too hot whey when stretching and folding - overworking the curds when straining them - overworking the melted curds - too much citric acid or rennet
Does either of the above (or something else) jump out at anyone as the more obvious perpetrator? From reading online I feel like the consensus seems to be that usually rubbery mozz is caused by overworking it during stretching/folding, but I thought I was being so careful the last time around.
Greatly appreciate any pointers, thanks
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Quick Answer about "Mozzarella turned out super rubbery"
The bright side: If your mozz is extremely rubbery and squeaky, you may be able to fry it or grill it for an awesome Halloumi-like treat. If you are using hot water or whey to stretch your curd, add warmer and warmer water to the curd in steps; I start with warm whey, then add water heated in a tea kettle bit by bit.Why is my fresh mozzarella rubbery?
Mozzarella is Dry and RubberyYou may have stretched the curds too much. Simply let the cheese fall on its self a few times and put it in your container. It loses a lot of moisture during the stretching process.Why is my mozzarella cheese so soft?
This is often caused by improper temperatures; either you used UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk or your curds got too hot when you were preparing for the stretching stage, or they didn't get hot enough. The temperature of the curds before stretching should be 160\xb0 to 170\xb0F.How do you make mozzarella less chewy?
Try nodini. Tying the rope of curd into knots rather than stretching it into balls is easier to do. You're not straining and twisting the fibers of the cheese as much, so you're more likely to get good results.Why is my mozzarella not stretchy?
My mozzarella cheese won't stretch! Jerri's answer Acidity is the key for the stretch in mozzarella. Not enough or too much acid will result in hard curd floating or disintegrating in the water. The pH of your slab needs to be between 5.0 and 5.2 for it to stretch well when kneaded in hot water.Homemade Mozzarella Cheese | EXPERIMENT!!!! WENT WRONG? | Olpers Milk
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