Generality
There mozzarella cheese it is a dairy product, that is an unseasoned derivative of milk that retains measurable quantities of lactose. More specifically, mozzarella is a fresh stretched and soft curd cheese which lends itself to IMMEDIATE CONSUMPTION.
The best known types of mozzarella are the buffalo mozzarella (the bell is the only one that also possesses the trademark of origin on deposit), the mozzarella fior di latte (or cow's milk mozzarella), that mixed is that smoked; there burrata it is quite similar but, due to the typical very fatty composition, it cannot be superimposed on any mozzarella. There are also mozzarella of various shapes: spherical (round), with the head, in morsels or cherry, braid etc., as well as of different chemical composition: light mozzarella, low water content mozzarella (for pizza) etc.
Historical notes on mozzarella: mozzarella is a typical food of the Mediterranean basin; the warm climate of these areas has induced its inhabitants to exploit the rapid acidification of the milk and its coagulation for the production of mozzarella.
Some argue that mozzarella, initially produced only from buffalo milk, has origins far before the birth of Christ; the finds are difficult to interpret but it seems that the first buffalo farms were introduced by the Greeks. Others attribute the advent of these animals to ethnic groups such as the Lombards or the Normans; what is certain is that the massive spread of mozzarella in the area can be traced back to the twentieth century, with the spread of peninsular farms (although mainly in the south) and " export of dairy technology abroad.
The "classic" mozzarella is undoubtedly the buffalo mozzarella from Campania, an area in which it has acquired a "further gastronomic value as a fundamental ingredient of the" pizza margherita ". Currently, in Italy, mozzarella is produced largely in the south on an artisanal or semi-industrial scale, while in the northern regions there is an "important industrial production; similar cheeses are also produced and exported in other countries. Fortunately, from some years mozzarella has been awarded the certificate of typicality (TSG, EEC) based on the description in the UNI 10537 sheet.
Production
The mozzarella production cycle is typical of stretched curd cheeses.
To produce mozzarella it is possible to use raw or more commonly pasteurized milk; in the first case the food already has the lactic microorganisms necessary for acidification, while in the second case it is necessary to resort to a graft (addition of lactic acid bacteria or residual acidified whey from a previous cheese-making). In general, however, the use of raw milk is avoided, both for reasons of microbiological safety and for the variability of the intrinsic microbial flora and the consequent impossibility of predicting and standardizing the duration of the production phases and the uniformity of the product.
PLEASE NOTE: to obtain mozzarella starting from pasteurized milk, it is essential that raw milk is subjected to SLOW pasteurization (70 ° C for 3-5 minutes); in fact, at higher temperatures, the caseins undergo such alterations as to compromise the spinning of the cheese. This explains why the homemade production of mozzarella with whole milk purchased at the supermarket is almost impossible.
Homemade Mozzarella
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Classic artisan production of mozzarella with lactic ferments
The pasteurized whole milk is brought to a temperature of 33-36 ° C and subjected to biological coagulation and acidification by adding:
- rennet (typically calf, titer 1: 10,000, if solid in doses of 0.35-0.4 g / L, if liquid in doses of 30-35 ml ml / hl)
- and a microbial trigger (lactic bacteria, typically strains of Streptococcus thermophilis, or acidified residual whey) *.
After this phase the milk is left to rest for the time necessary to coagulate (about 30 minutes). This is followed by a first cut (breaking) of the curd into cubes, a rest period of about 5-15 minutes, and a second cut into smaller cubes (hazelnut). The remaining mass is then partially separated from the whey and left to mature (acidify) first under the remaining whey and then on drainage tables at a controlled temperature for 3-6 hours and in any case until reaching a pH between 4.9 and 5.2 (essential for the mozzarella to be spinable). The duration of the maturation period varies according to the acidifying activity of the microbial starter used and the conditions in which it works (type of milk, temperature, humidity, etc.); in the case of raw milk, the time required to obtain sufficient acidification could extend up to 48 hours. During maturation, the activity of starter lactic bacteria (or those naturally present in raw milk) leads to the formation of metabolic products which, in addition to the acidification of the curd, enhance the organoleptic characteristics of the product.
The acidification process of the curd and the pasta is essential for a good production of mozzarella, as it allows the subsequent spinning. In order to be able to spin, in fact, the starting paste must have a certain degree of acidity, which can be obtained by fermentation by micro-carnisms (traditional technique, see above), by adding citric or lactic acid (industrial technology, see beyond), or with mixed systems.
After 10-30 minutes of maturation in whey (up to pH 5.6-5.8), the acidified paste is poured onto drainage tables (room temperature 20-25 ° C) and eventually cut into pieces and turned over to favor its separation from the whey while maturation is completed. Once the desired pH has been reached, the actual spinning is anticipated by cutting the pasta into pieces and subsequent immersion in hot water (80-85 ° C for the vaccine, 92-95 ° C for the buffalo), which infuses a temperature to the heart of the dough equal to 58-62 ° C; with hot dough, spinning and forming are much easier.Before starting the spinning of the pasta, beyond the pH control, it is essential to carry out an empirical spinning test; it consists in finely crushing a handful of curd with your hands and throwing it into a ladle containing water at a temperature of about 85 ° C; the curd is then melted with a wooden stick and stretched until a continuous thread is obtained (here the skill and experience of the dairyman come into play: indicatively, the test is positive if 10 grams of curd give a one meter long thread) . Spinning essentially consists in stretching the curd paste, softened by immersion in hot water, until it turns into a silky, shiny and soft, but above all plastic and formable braid of dough, from which rounded pieces can be detached which, once “Cut off”, ie detached from the braid by twisting, they are molded into the desired shape and made to consolidate by cooling them in water. Mozzarella, in particular, are consolidated by immersion in cold running water (which must be kept at 8-10 ° C) for 30-60 minutes, eventually placed in brine and packaged with the preserving liquid (improperly called "buttermilk" ).
A "traditional" mozzarella on the label will therefore contain only four ingredients: milk, lactic ferments, rennet and salt. It will also be poorer in lactose, as it is consumed by the microorganisms of raw milk (or those grafted) compared to the industrial counterpart.
Industrial production of mozzarella with citric acid
* On an industrial level, a particular type of mozzarella obtained by additive acidification (and not organic, therefore without starter) by adding citric acid, which accelerates (and above all standardizes) production times and limits costs. In fact, with the addition of citric acid (1.1 / 1.3 grams per liter of milk placed in a 6-10% aqueous solution.) To cold milk (15 ° C) under stirring up to pH 5.6- 5,8, the paste that has come out of coagulation is almost ready for spinning (the 3-6 hours of maturation seen above are not needed). cold (8 ° -16 ° C) organic acid (citric and / or lactic and / or gluconodeltalactone) is added, slowly heated up to a temperature of 33-35 ° C, rennet (typically calf, title 1: 10,000 in doses of about 0.35-0.4 g / L) and left to rest for 30 minutes. The curd is broken and, after leaving it for a few minutes to settle and acidify, as soon as it begins to bind it is extracted by letting it drain from the excess whey for a few minutes before going directly to the spinning process, which takes place at a slightly higher pH than the traditional process (5.6 - 5.8).
PLEASE NOTE: instead of citric acid you can use lemon juice, calculating that it naturally contains about 5-10% (you will then add the filtered and cold juice of 1 - 1.5 kg of lemons per hectolitre of milk In this way you will get a mozzarella with a lemon aftertaste that not everyone likes.
This "industrial" mozzarella is recognized because in the "list of ingredients there is the presence of an" acidity regulator ", which as we have seen can be: citric acid and / or lactic acid and / or gluconodeltalactone acid. It is typically richer in lactose, therefore sweeter but less digestible, has a less intense aroma (more anonymous flavor), a less soft consistency and is kept longer. The quality is therefore lower even if the acids used, such as citric, are however "natural", being abundantly present in nature (for example in lemons and oranges).
VideoRecipe - Homemade Mozzarella with Citric Acid
There are also mixed methods in which the acidification of the curd is obtained both by adding chemical (citric acid, etc.) and biological (microbial starter) additives.
Powdered milk mozzarella: there is a type of mozzarella obtained by recombining milk-based raw materials, that is, by rehydrating the milk powder and emulsifying the fat component, followed by the normal cheese-making process). In a study, Garem et al., by:
- The solution of dehydrated and microfiltered caseins (to the detriment of those of the whey, discarded upstream of the manufacturing process)
- The addition of lipids (only milk cream or with the use of anhydrous fat and butter oil)
- Reaching a temperature of 40 ° C (which allows you to melt the aforementioned fats more)
have obtained a mozzarella cheese with higher yields than those of fresh milk (12.7% vs 11.8%).
Hygienic aspects and nutritional characteristics
Food safety of mozzarella: packaged mozzarella offers good hygienic guarantees; those from pasteurized milk are obviously healthier but even mozzarella from raw milk does not involve major risks of contamination, thanks also to the spinning that requires medium-high temperatures (in any case lower than those of pasteurization). Any unwanted microbiological proliferation manifests itself with yellowing of the mozzarella and the formation of surface patinas and bad smells.
Loose sale of mozzarella today is no longer allowed; moreover, it would always be advisable to consume it within a few days of production or possibly, only for those placed in aseptic conditions, up to 2-3 weeks.
The intentional additives that may be present in mozzarella are: lactic acid, citric acid And gluconodeltalactone, important - as we have seen - to accelerate the acidification process.
The composition of mozzarella is quite variable; the Italian fior di latte is richer in water (52-60%), while the American mozzarella or Pizza Cheese it is more concentrated (only 45-52% of water); buffalo mozzarella is fatter than mozzarella and other small differences are observed between the various types available on the market.
Nutritional properties of mozzarella: mozzarella is one of the least fat cheeses on the market; excluding burrata and buffalo mozzarella (more fatty, therefore caloric), cow's milk mozzarella has an average of 250 to 290kcal per 100g of edible portion.
Proteins, mainly casein, are present in variable quantities and appear to be greater in cow's milk mozzarella; the prevalence of amino acids is in favor of: ac. glutamic, lysine and aspartic acid, while the limiting amino acid is TREONINE. On the other hand, fats - mainly saturated - and lactose are higher in buffalo mozzarella, which is also richer in casein than cow's milk. Cholesterol It is NOT excessive.
From the saline point of view, a good but not excellent content in calcium and phosphorus is evident, while sodium (although it is a cheese) is well present but in moderate quantities. As far as vitamins are concerned, excellent concentrations of riboflavin (vit. B2) and retinol (vit. A) are evident.
Mozzarella is one of the few cheeses that can be contextualized in the low-calorie diet (provided NOT seasoned with oil), low-sodium (therefore against hypertension) and against hypercholesterolemia, even if the portions and the frequency of consumption must be at least moderate.
Mode of consumption: mozzarella is mainly consumed on pizza, in the typical "caprese" dish, in "carrozza" (ie on slices of bread) and fried battered. Mozzarella does not lend itself much to the combination with wine or beer, except if present on pizza.
Vegan Mozzarella
In the video our personalcooker shows how to prepare the vegetable alternative to animal mozzarella, similar in appearance and texture but quite different in flavor, however pleasant.
Vegan Mozzarella - Cholesterol Free Vegetable Mozzarella
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Nutritional composition of mozzarella - Reference values of the INRAN Food Composition Tables
Nutritional composition for 100 grams of edible part of Fior di latte, buffalo mozzarella, cow mozzarella:
Bibliography:
- Atlas of cheeses - G. Ottogalli - Publisher Ulrico Hoepli Milan - page 205: 210
- Microbiology and dairy technology. Quality and safety - G. Mucchetti, E. Neviani - New techniques - pages 389-390
- Food residues, additives and contaminants - G. Cerutti - New Techniques - page 154.
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