Mozzarella, 6 failures

After taking a cheesemaking class at the Angelic Organics in Caledonia, IL, I was highly motivated to make homemade mozzarella. Using the Angelic Organics recipe, the 30-Minute Mozzaralla recipe from cheesemaking.com, and Barbara Kingsolver's mozzarella recipe from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I've now failed 6 times. Each time, the recipe seemed to be proceeding fine until the last step, when you heat and stretch the curds, and they become shiny, pliable mozzarella. Mine became incohesive, ricotta-like curds, or hard, cratered, nonstretchy curds.

I wrote to cheesemaking.com, where I bought my cheesemaking supplies, asking for advice, but no response.

Milk that is pasteurized at too high a temperature can cause curd failure. Is it possible that all the costly milks I've used were overpasteurized? Doubtful, but maybe. For the record, these are the failed milks and recipes:


1) Organic Valley Whole Milk, Barbara Kingsolver's mozzarella recipe from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
2) Organic Valley Whole Milk, Angelic Organics Quick Mozzarella recipe
3) Oberweis Dairy Whole Milk, 30-Minute Mozzarella Recipe
4) Fair Oaks Whole Milk, 30-Minute Mozzarella Recipe
5) Milk made from Similac Nonfat Dry Milk Powder plus Dean Foods Light Cream, 30-Minute Mozzarella Recipe
6)Similac plus cream again.

Dried milk is supposed to work fine, according to the Cheese Queen Ricki. Also, I think the cheesemaking class at Angelic used Organic Valley milk. What, oh what, am I doing wrong?

Mike has acquired the highest quality possible milk--some Whole Foods offering billed as nonhomogenized, gently pasteurized, and local. Four dollars per half gallon. Dare we try again? I think I have to.

Ruined mozzarella is still edible. Once we made pizza with it. The cheese didn't melt, but still tasted good. I also used it to make ice cream (tasted like cheesecake) and crustless pumpkin pie.

Ruined Mozzarella Crustless Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. ginger powder
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
pinch cloves
3 eggs
1 1/3 c. milk or cream (I used a mixture of soy milk and light cream)
your ruined mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375°. Food process ingredients until smooth. Pour into buttered pie pan. I used a ceramic one. Bake for 40-45 minutes until custard is set. The result is a cheesecake-like pumpkin custard.