Mozzarella 

Steps

• Pour a gallon of whole milk from the fridge into a stainless steel pot.
• Mix 1 ½ teaspoons citric acid into ½ cup cool water. Pour mix into milk. If you use pasteurized and homogenized milk, you will likely need to add 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of lipase powder to 1/4 cup water and pour into milk. 
• Heat milk to 90˚F on low/medium heat.
• Mix ¼ teaspoon rennet into ¼ cool water (unchlorinated). Pour mix into milk and gently stir up and down while heating slowly to 100-105˚F.
• Remove from heat and allow curds to form. They should appear as a mass of yogurt, thick and shiny, pulling away from the side of the pot.
• Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and place them in a large glass bowl. Press the curds gently. Pour off whey. (you can save the whey to make ricotta, or feed it to the chickens/pigs).
• Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off whey. Gently knead the curds like bread. (you may want to use rubber gloves, like the ones Grandma used washing dishes).
• Microwave again for 35 seconds. Pour off whey. Knead as before. The cheese has to be almost too hot to handle so it gets stretchy like taffy.
• Add salt (1 teaspoon kosher) to taste. Heat again for 35 seconds.
• If curds break, the cheese is too cool and needs to be reheated.
• You can roll the cheese into balls and place in ice water to cool or just let it cool as a mass in the glass bowl.
• It tastes best warm, eaten with tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt.  Or you can cool it down and grate for use in pizza, etc.