This morning for one of my classes, Mediterranean Diet, we woke up early to go to watch a local cheese maker make cheese. We were able to go into the kitchen area and watch them make mozarella and ricotta cheese. It was so cool and smelled delicious. When we first arrived the two men making the cheese were making mozzarella cheese. They had this large lump of 'proteins' and were cutting it into slabs and draining the water. Once this was completed the large mass of 'proteins' was chopped finer then placed into hot, not boiling water (80 C). We learned the size the mass is chopped is a great factor of the resulting cheese. For mozarella the slab is cut into chunks. Whereas a Parmesan would be a cut into finer pieces. As the protein (with added salt) is turned in the water it becomes more like the mozzarella which we know. It is then formed into balls or braided shapes and placed in cold water. The mozzarella we saw being made was going to be smoked using almonds.
Making ricotta is a little different, because it is not really a cheese. The protein is added to water and is then heated slowly in a large vat. As the mixture heats the protein accumulates into granules and will begin to float. Once the ricotta has floated to the top it is ready to be placed into slotted cups for formation. We were given small cups of it to try. It was delicious, but was weird at the same time. It had the consistency of a melted cheese, but had a flavor similar to scrambled eggs. The eggy flavor wasn't overwhelming, it was more of an undertone.
Squeezing the water out of the 'protein'
the serum that comes out... poorer people were allowed to keep this (they were prohibited to keep/eat the cheese, which was saved for the nobles) which is more valuable nutrition-wise... not cholesterol
Salted mozzarella, not entirely completed
The cheese man mixing the mozzarella
forming the mozzarella balls
stirring the ricotta
Jill looking for the rising ricotta granules
ricotta granules
ladling the ricotta into slotted shapers
Jill learning how to ladle the ricotta
Cait ladling ricotta
This is awesome! How long did this whole process take?
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWe got there at 6am... the younger men had been there since at least 3 am. Cheese man came around 630/7. I do not know how long making the proteins took, but releasing the water/serum, cutting and heating the mozzarella took less than an hour. The ricotta a little bit longer, we left around 7:40 and they had done 2 batches of mozzarella, and one of ricotta. The ricotta, as you can see, is a fairly large batch.
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