This is a guest post from Sami Bolton Shreve. She’s sent me lots of great info (try her shrimp tacos) and her husband, Barry Shreve, is probably best known for the fantastic can pantry he built behind a settee on their former boat (see pictures and read about it here).
This is one of the most rewarding and simple things to do. The rennet and citric acid are cheap and last forever. I use whole fresh milk but have been told that powdered milk works well with the added bonus that it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. You will need a cooking thermometer. If you get a cheesemaking kit online one will come with it.
I used www.cheesemaking.com and think its great. This is their “30 Minute Mozzarella and Ricotta” kit, which cost $25 and will make 30 batches. You get plenty of everything you will need and good instructions for making the kind of cheese you like. Below are general directions just to show how easy it is, but follow the exact directions in the kit.
My kit makes mozzerella or ricotta. The ricotta is even easier! It makes a GREAT thing to take to pot lucks and is a much appreciated thank you gift.
I figure each batch costs about half of what it costs in the grocery store and if you are in the Bahamas or most cruising destinations the savings are even greater. Save the whey to make bread with. Just replace the liquid your recipe calls for with the whey. It makes really great crust and yummy soft bread inside. Whey freezes but you will have so much left from each batch, you will want to share it unless you make lots of bread.
Make Your Own Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 1/4 rennet tablet
- 1 1/4 cup cool chlorine free water divided
- 1-1/2 teaspoon citric acid
- 1 gallon milk
Instructions
- Dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet into 1/4 cup of cool chlorine free water. Be sure it’s completely dissolved. Set it aside.
- Mix 1-1/2 teaspoon citric acid into 1 cup cool chlorine free water and pour it into your pot. Add 1 gallon milk and stir vigorously. Heat to 90 degrees F while stirring.
- Remove from heat and slowly stir in the rennet solution with an up and down motion for about 30 seconds.
- Cover and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Check for curd which should look like custard with clear separation between the curd and the whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky let it set for a few more minutes. Be gentle.
- Cut the curd into squares with a long knife that reaches the bottom of the pot. Heat the pot back up to 105 degrees F. while slowly stirring — this will make a firmer cheese. Take it off the heat and stir for another 2 to 5 minutes or longer for a firmer cheese. This takes a little experience to get the texture you want but soft or firm its all wonderful.
- Pour off the whey and save it for bread!!
- Ladle the curds into a microwave bowl and again drain off as much of the whey as you can.
- Heat in the microwave for one minute — if you don’t have a microwave, use a water bath.
- Remove and drain off whey again……add salt at this point ….I use about 1 teaspoon….microwave again to about 135 degrees F. so it will stretch properly. Put on some rubber gloves if your hands are tender and stretch it like taffy ’til it’s smooth and shiny. The more you work it the firmer it is…feel free to taste!
Notes
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
Immo Weichert on Facebook says
Hi, even easier, make Paneer : 8 cups of milk that is just coming to boil + stir in 60 mls of lemon juice. Strain with the cloth and squeeze together when the curds have formed. No rennet needed.
Anne Ellingsen says
I’m gonna try it.
Cyndy Carter says
wow! thank you!
Rose says
Awesome! Thank you all for this great info! Gearing up for crossing the pacific, so the cost will be WAY cheaper than Tahiti, that’s for sure! I just need to figure out how much we will go through and plan accordingly. Once I have the starter kit, does anyone know if I will be able to buy the basic supplies in the bigger Mexican centres?
Behan - s/v Totem says
Rose – good news: in Tahiti, French cheeses are subsidized- brie is actually pretty cheap! But everywhere else in the south pacific… yeah, this will come in handy. 😉 Carolyn, I’m hoping we have a visitor this year who can bring me a kit. We love our pizza and mozzarella is hard to find in Asia.
Marta Crichlow says
Thanks for the info. I just ordered rennet tablets to use with my gallon of powdered milk for our 5 month trip to Alaska. Also make yoghurt (from your book), sprout seeds for salads, and make most of the bread we use. Mozarella is a natural add to the menu
Byn Always says
Omg. I love you so much! We’ve been don’t for some cheese. With no fridge, it’s just not happening… But now I can make it! Thank you for sharing!
Angie says
Is this shelf stable after its made or do you have to refrigerate it?
Carolyn Shearlock says
Mozzarella has to be refrigerated, as do most soft cheeses without a rind.