Cheese kit arrives!

For my birthday I asked for Leener's Delux Cheesemaking Kit. It arrived this week! Thanks Dad and Barb! It includes everything to make the following cheese: Mozzarella, Ricotta, Yogurt Cream Cheese, Lemon Cheese Spread, Neufchatel, Queso Blanco, Large Curd Cottage Cheese, Queso Fresco, Farmhouse Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Yellow Colby, Traditional Cheddar. All I have to do is add milk and follow the directions in the booklet.

They start us out with Mozzarella. Here I have set out the five things needed to mix in the milk to make the mozzarella. Incidentally, in the background is some sauerkraut I made.

Heating the milk. The instruction booklet is on the counter.

The cheese has separated into curds and whey.

After draining the whey, which will be used to make ricotta, I am to microwave the curds and knead them with a spoon.

After microwaving and kneading a somewhat miraculous transformation happens and I am suddenly holding mozzarella cheese.

Which I formed into balls and a bigger piece. It was delicious.

If you don't want to go whole hog for the deluxe cheese kit, you can purchase just a mozzarella/ricotta cheese kit. They are both very easy and fast cheeses to make. If you like mozzarella cheese, I highly recommend it.