Making Agerola mozzarella

Take a look at the map of Italy, namely the southwest coastline. Just beneath the knee is the Bay of Naples and as you continue south you'll discover the peninsula of Sorrento and the Lattari Mountains. Tucked in amoungst the mountains above Positano and Amalfi lies the city of Agerola.

It is here in Agerola that you'll discover a particular breed of cow. In fact so particular is this breed, that the Agerolese is an endangered species.  So you can only imagine our delight to be able to meet a whole bunch of them and in doing so not only discover the wonderful fiordilatte produced from their milk, but also the history behind the Agerolese.

The Agerolese breed of cow can trace it ancestory to 1845 when General Paul Avitabile received a pair of pregnant Jersey cows from the United Kingdom as a gift for his military successes in India. Further breeding to obtain a strain of cattle that could survive in Campania region, resulted in the Agerolese which is lauded for both its meat and its milk.  Italian cuisine is so popular worldwide that is has suffered a deterioration.  On the face of it this may seem unimportant but what it actually does is harms Italian culture and Italian communities.  In an effort to protect the true taste of Italian traditional recipes, regions have moved to claim original recipes as their own.  When successful, these products are awarded a Protected Designation of Origin (D.O.P). In fact the milk from the Agerolese cow has won it a D.O.P. for the Provolone di Monaco it produces. The milk from the Agerolese is rich in fat, just like it's Jersey cousin.  This milk is combined with milk from the Friesian cow and unlike mass produced mozzarella where the milk is pasteurized and coagulation takes place in around 20 minutes, coagulation of the Agerola mozzarella takes up to 12 hours! Little wonder then that the coagulation process had already been taken car of before we arrived to learn how mozzarella is made in real life.

The milk used to make the Agerola mozzarella is very fresh.  In fact , in our experience it was a short 1 minute walk from the shop, where you can watch the whole process of cheesemaking for yourself from behind a huge glass window, to the cow shed where milk is being drawn. 

It may surprise you to learn that you too can make your own mozzarella.  That's right. From the comfort of your own kitchen using everyday whole milk from the supermarket. We have already provided the recipe for you to follow HERE but here is our simplified version:

	Ingredients: 1 gallon unpasturised, whole milk 1 teaspoon rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup distilled water Citric acid, dissolved in 1 cup of distilled water Cheese cloth Thermometre pH metre, if possible 30 grams salt

1. Heat the milk in a large stainless steel pot to 90 F / 32 C
2. Turn off the heat and slowly add the rennet and the citric acid.  Stir slowly and constantly
3. Place a tightly fitting lid on the pot and leave it somewhere warm (a regular temperature of 90F / 32 C is ideal), for 30 - 60 minutes until it has formed into one solid, white mass (curd)
4. When the curds have set, slice through them using a long knife. Cut them forming 1/2 inch (cm) squares.
   
5. Leave for 15 minutes
6. Using a large ballon whisk, slowly whisk to break up the curds into the size of small beans
7. Cover and place in a warm area at around 90 F / 32 C if possible and leave for a further 3 - 4 hours, or until the pH level has reached 5.  You can check it by dropping a teapoon or more into hot water (90 C).  It is ready when it becomes elastic to the point that you can stretch it into string-like lengths. While you are waiting, test it every 30 minutes in order to familiarise yourself with the process and discover what works for you.
8. When the curds are ready, drain them in a colander without them sitting in the draining whey, then into a cheesecloth
9. Give them a squeeze to release more of the whey, then leave them to continue draining for up to 20 minutes.
10. The curds will set into a solid. Slice the curds in thin strips into a large bowl (this is where our video begins)
11. Sprinkle with salt, cover with hot water at 90 C, then give everything a good stir until it starts to turn elastic
12. Remove half of the salty water, setting it to one side and allow it to cool, replacing it with fresh, unsalted hot water at 90 C / 32 F
    
13. Stir the mozzarella to form it into one, elastic mass - the water is very hot but it will require you putting your hands into the water to start forming the cheese
14. Raise the mozzarella onto a spatula and smooth it to remove air bubbles - there is a certain technique to this and it will take some practise
15. You are now ready to fashion the mozzarella into balls
16. As you create each ball, place it into the previously cooled salted water for storing
17. Leave the mozzarella to rest for up to 1 hour in the fridge before serving

When we arrived to make our mozzarella, we met the Agerola cows before making our way into the kitchens where the curds had already been drained and formed into a solid mass (No. 10 above).  Our video takes you from this point and this is what happened next:

Just like Mamma, Nonna and Nonna before Nonna used to make!