At the peak of summer, local tomatoes burst with juicy, sweetness. Their bright acidity calls out for the rich, creamy taste of fresh mozzarella. Now-a-days, you can find so many varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes at the local farmers’ markets and kitchen gardens – and when they are truly vine-ripened, they have a wonderful texture and chin-dripping juiciness. It almost doesn’t matter what variety you pick – they are all delicious! Taste around and pick your favorite. I prefer lower acidity and sweeter flavor.
Why can’t you get a good tomato in February, even if they’re labeled “vine ripened”? Tomatoes go through several phases of development and ripening. Once the fruit has formed behind the flower they go through the green stage, when the tomatoes have a matte sheen and the ripening state when the skin has a more shiny gloss. Tomatoes picked in the green stage will never ripen. On a commercial level, these green tomatoes are treated with ethylene gas to commence the ripening process. Unfortunately, the USDA does not regulate the definition of “vine-ripe” and many commercial producers of tomatoes use the term at their marketing convenience. Because tomatoes are shipped across the country and around the world, producers rely on these tricks to stabilize tomatoes for shipment and increase overall shelf-life. And this is why a February tomato is sometimes referred to as No-mato and can be used in a game of baseball (see video on this page – it’s funny and sad!)
Now that we’re in peak tomato season, I’m savoring them in all sorts of preparations… sauces, pasta and a quintessential summer caprese salad. To do justice to these fine summer jewels, I made my own mozzarella cheese. Sort of. I purchase the curd and then pull it by hand.
Mozzarella curd can be purchased at Armenian markets or through a restaurant wholesale distributor. If purchasing in bulk, I recommend cutting the curd down into 1 pound blocks, wrapping it tightly in plastic and freezing it. The curd will last for 2 years this way.
Mozzarella
mozzarella curd
milk
salt
1. Bring large pot of heavily salted water to a boil
2. Break curd apart into small pieces in a stainless steel bowl.
3. When water is just below a boil (about 190-200F), pour water over curd to cover.
Stir just a little, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Keep remaining water hot.
4. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice, milk and water. The milk bath will be the final storage place for the freshly made mozzarella. The ice will quickly cool the cheese so that it will hold its shape. The milk will keep a balance of flavor in the cheese so that the flavor doesn’t leach out into the storing liquid. The ice bath is all crucial for your hands – to help cool them before stretching the hot curds.
5. Drain water off mozzarella curd. Cover a second time with hot water.
6. Using wooden spoons to grab the curd, pull it out of the water and let it stretch back in… this will smooth out the curds.
7. When there are just a few lumps left in the cheese, grab about a ¼ pound lump and stretch it into a ball. As you’ll be using your hands at this point, it helps to briefly cool your hands in the ice water before grabbing the cheese.
8. When the balls are smooth and round put them in the ice bath to cool and store. Slice and serve.
Thanks to Wes for taking the action shots.
My cooking group had such fun when you taught us to make mozzarella! Sadly, I haven’t done it since then, but these photos are reminding me that it’s easy and so satisfying to make your own.
So ironic to read this post tonight. We had caprese salad tonight with tomatoes and basil from our garden. My husband said how much he looks forward to our homemade produce, too bad we don’t make homemade mozarella.
Great post, we may just have to give this a try.
This is SO on my list to do! Your pics are great and really give a comfort level for taking it on! My daughters and I luv your blog! Check us out – we featured you on a list of blogs we recently discovered and want to recommend! Thanx for the great blog!
Oh my. That looks so cool to do, Julia, and so delicious. I just started enjoying fresh mozzarella last year. I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner.
Re. tomatoes. I would say that tomatoes are the thing I most value in season and most try to avoid out of season. I spent a good 30 years of my life thinking I didn’t like tomatoes, all because I never had one when it was “right.” Out of season, “put ’em in stores because people demand them” tomatoes… man, the taste and texture are horrible. The chemical practices to put them into our stores year round are horrifying and the labor practices to accomplish that task are despicable. I don’t get into food politics much – I confess to caring more about taste of foods I buy than the stories behind them sometimes – but with tomatoes, it finally struck me as insane to buy them anytime but mid to late summer. And now that it is their time, I am enjoying them immensely.
Sorry to ramble. I’m passionate about those little red beauties. 😉
Great post Julia! We took a cheese making course a few years ago, but I thought it would be too much work (for me) in my home kitchen. Starting with the curds is a great time saver. I’m going to make burrata, thanks for the inspiration. BTW- I posted a caprese salad appetizer too.
LL
Lydia — I think I need to make another batch for myself, too!
Julie — So great you already have tomatoes! Mine are still a week or two away from ripe.
Melissa — I’m with you — I care most about taste! But there’s so much politics behind sourcing the best tasting food.
Lori Lynn — I still need to try making my own curd. I have not done that part yet.
Great post, I am actually looking for a curd distributor, and suggestion.
Melinda – are you based in the Boston area? You can call Paul Marks (wholesaler) or check out Arax in Watertown.
My tomatoes didn’t do particularly well this year. I think they were basically bullied by the squirrels. I’m going to have to make some changes for next year.
The mozzarella looks good — I’ll have to see if there are any Armenian stores in my city.