Video - how to plastic wrap fresh mozzarella

[Jackie Tran]

A friend from the forum sent me some fresh mozz from a deli in Manhattan.   It came tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and vacuumed sealed.   I really like the idea of plastic wrapping the fresh mozz and made a video of how to do it.  It's a pretty simple process for keeping the nice round shape of fresh mozz and adds a 2nd layer of protection when freezing. 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdw1-UD4H6s" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdw1-UD4H6s</a>

Chau

[chickenparm]

Hey thats a great trick! Looks like a perfect seal!
Thanks for showing us that video.
 

[pennygirl]

Awesome JT. Serious skills to add fresh mozz to your resume. Was wondering if there was a recipe or link that you found especially useful that you could share? I'd love to learn more and give it a try. Thanks.

Zak

[Jackie Tran]

Thanks Bill and Zak.  

Zak, I watched numerous videos I found on youtube and from a few members who sent them to me and borrowed a bit from each to find my own way.   Don't mess with making mozz from scratch unless you can source raw milk, and even then I have heard it's good but have not experienced it for myself.  

If you are near a restaurant depot, you may want to check them out and see if they carry any mozzarella curd or not.  It's definitely worth trying and you may want to find a friend to split the curd with as you will be buying in bulk.  

Here are a few videos that I found helpful.
Be sure to watch part 1 & 2
http://www.polly-ofoodservice.com/videos.asp

2 part video series as well

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJuq-OJuxM&amp;feature=related" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJuq-OJuxM&amp;feature=related</a>

http://www.dipaloselects.com/videos.php?page_image1_link=http://blip.tv/play/gYUSgb3rWAI

I made some more mozz today and it was fabulous.   Borrowing the idea of adding whole milk to the water from Mr. Roberto, I added about 4-5oz of heavy cream to about 1/2 gallon of salted water that I use for stretching the cheese.   Besides possibly making the cheese a bit creamier, it may also help decrease the lost of cream and butterfat into the water.   I was hoping this would offset the slight lost of creaminess when freezing and thawing the cheese.  Other factors that can help with making a creamier product are using a lower water temp and not overstretching the curd.  

Here's this afternoons batch.  Wrapped and ready for vacuum sealing.  

[chickenparm]

Wow,those look amazing Chau!

Nice work as always! You never cease to amaze me or anyone here!
 

Have you made any pies with the cheeses yet? If not did,you sample any and how did it taste?

[Ronzo]

Ehhhhhhhhhxcellent!

[dellavecchia]

Chau - Your technique is flawless. I am just floored at your execution of those balls of mozz. Would you consider posting a video of your curd stretching technique as well?

John

[Jackie Tran]

Thank you guys.  

Bill - I have been using cheese from stretched curd for awhile now, especially when I can talk friends into sending it.  It's not available locally so I don't always have access to it.  Member Nina advised me to start making my own mozz sometime ago for the experience and skill of it.  I have to say that it's been worthwhile looking into.  

This cheese is really good on pizza even if you don't make just right.  Here's a cheese secret to those who have had Di Palo Cheese and really love it.  It is made from Polly O curd.  Same stuff I used to make this current batch of cheese.   If you ask around you'll find that there are a number of famous pizzerias and Italian delis using cheese made from curd.  The great thing is that we can do it at home as well.

If I had my choice though I would love to be able to get cheese made fresh from a local deli right before making pizza.   Next best option (keeping cost in mind) is to make and freeze your own cheese if you are near a RD.   3rd would be a good imported buffala or store bought soft mozz.  

Chau

[Jackie Tran]

Thanks John.   I gave it some thought yesterday.   I have 10lbs of curd that needs to be turned into cheese this week sometime.  I'll ask my wife to dig out the cam corder and I'll try to find some time when the kids aren't around to see if we can't make a cheese making video.   It wouldn't be much more informative than the ones I posted up above.  Those guys are the "experts" and I a novice.  I no doubt will inject some personal observations of the process that may be helpful to others. 

This small video I made was done with my camera propped up on a cereal box.     Only so much I can do by myself.   

Chau

[Jet_deck]

Kind of a silly question but, is the curd edible in the form that it is in?

[Bobino414]

Jet_Deck

The curd is edible.  If you break it up, add some salt and let it dry 1-2 days you end up with Syrian cheese.  It tastes like dead mozz. IMO.

Bob

[Jackie Tran]

Gene, Bob is right.  It's edible but it's not very good.     Funny but true story.  When I first started on this forum I heard some good things about Polly O cheese.   So when making an order with PennMac I decided to order some.   Silly me, I accidentally bought Polly-O Mozzarella curd  instead of the cheese.    Well as you can imagine, I grated the curd and used it for pizza.  It was so flavorless and the texture was off, I deemed it the worse mozz I've ever had.     I felt cheated.   Imagine my surpise and the laugh I got months later when I realized that I had eaten curd and not mozz.  Turns out that Polly O curd makes awesome cheese.   

Chau

[Tman1]

I didn't think freezing fresh mozz was a good thing. I did read a blurb that said if you are using it on pizza after freezing it still works. Just curious as I know of a deal for buy one, get one right now at the grocery store.

[dellavecchia]

I didn't think freezing fresh mozz was a good thing. I did read a blurb that said if you are using it on pizza after freezing it still works. Just curious as I know of a deal for buy one, get one right now at the grocery store.

I do freeze mozz from time to time, and see little difference in the finished product - albeit with some degradation in the creaminess. But that is at WFO temps. I do not know what the outcome would be for bakes in the home oven.

John