14 Mozzarella Recipes That'll Leave You Wanting More (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with a lot of mozzarella? ›

It is possible to freeze mozzarella cheese; however, because it is a softer cheese you will have the most success when the mozzarella is shredded. Whereas a hard or semi-hard block of cheese will stay fresh in your freezer up to 6 months, fresh shredded cheeses such as mozzarella will last around 3-4 months.

Excess Moisture Content

Another possible reason why your cheese is not melting in your pizza is that you're using fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella does not melt well because it is stored in brine. Because of the high moisture content, fresh mozzarella releases water when it melts.

With proper storage in a refrigerator, mozzarella cheese can last for up to one to two weeks. In a freezer, mozzarella cheese can last longer, up to approximately three months. If you find any change of shape, color, taste, and aroma of any part of the cheese, cut and throw away that part.

Freezing mozzarella can impact the texture slightly. Any moisture in the cheese or trapped on the surface of it (such as condensation) could expand and contract as it's frozen and thawed, giving you a more crumbly type of texture.

Mozzarella is used for most types of pizza and several pasta dishes or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Caprese salad.

You can also use the cheese frozen: For example, frozen shredded mozzarella can go right on a pizza—it'll melt in the oven.

But the shelf life of dairy products can be short, and if you're trying to cut costs by buying bulk or reducing delivery frequency, then you risk ingredients reaching their use-by date before you've got to them. The good news is that many dairy products, including mozzarella, freeze incredibly well.

Cheese frozen at –20°C melted more after frozen storage than cheese frozen at –196°C. Cheese stored at 4.4°C melted more than frozen cheese. Thawing temperature by itself had no effect on either stretch or melt. Stretch was greatest in Mozzarella cheese frozen at –196°C, shredded, and held for at least 21 d.

Kneading cheese like bread during the stretching phase will result in too much moisture loss, making cheese tough and chewy.

Why is my homemade mozzarella rubbery? ›

There are two possible causes for rubbery cheese. First, this can happen when an excess amount of rennet is used. Use a bit less rennet next time. It can also happen if cheese is overworked or overcooked, and all the butterfat runs down the drain.

The thin and uniform shape of shredded cheese will melt more quickly, easily and evenly than a whole block of cheese, so it's important to take the time to shred your cheese before starting to melt it.

One gallon of milk will make 1-1.25 lbs. of mozzarella. The following recipe is for one gallon (3.78 liters) of milk. Follow the usage rates for any ingredient you place into the milk listed on the ingredient.

Jess: Most cheeses, with a few specific exceptions, are made with whole milk. This can mean pasteurized milk from the grocery store, or raw milk fresh off the farm. The only milk that should not be used for cheesemaking is ULTRAPASTEURIZED milk.

Too much rennet was used or too much butterfat, left your cheese during the process. Rubbery cheese can happen when an excess amount of rennet is used, too much rennet equals a rubber ball, too little, soup!

A fresh cheese, like fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese, should be eaten very soon after production and is best served at room temperature. Because it has a high water content, freezing fresh mozzarella can ruin its texture. When the water freezes, the cheese becomes less creamy and soft.

The short answer is that fresh mozzarella typically lasts for about 5 to 7 days in the fridge. However, there are a few factors that can affect its shelf life. One of the main factors is moisture. Fresh mozzarella is a high-moisture cheese, which means that it is susceptible to mold growth and spoilage.

If you make fresh mozzarella or buy pre-packaged mozzarella from the grocery store, store it in the refrigerator. Store the mozzarella in an airtight container, immersed in cold water or olive oil for up to five days. Shredded mozzarella usually has a lower water content than fresh mozzarella.

Store unopened packages of mozzarella in the freezer for 3 months. If you haven't punctured the vacuum seal of your cheese, store it in the freezer before you eat it. Thaw it in the fridge for 1 day before you use it. Don't store opened mozzarella in the freezer.