Goat milk mozzarella

Stir 1-1/2 teaspoons citric acid (or lemon juice) into 1/4 cup water. (Look for citric acid in the health food section of the grocery store, or with canning supplies.)

Add this to 1-1/4 gallons of goat milk. Warm to 88ºF.

Dilute 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet in 1/8 cup of water. Stir into milk gently for 15 seconds. Cover and let set 15 minutes or until it coagulates.

Cut the curd into 2" cubes, taking five minutes or more to do so. Let curds rest for five minutes.

Raise temperature to 98ºF over a 15 minute period. Continue to stir gently. Keep at 98ºF for 16 minutes and stir. Try to keep the curds from mating. They should be firm.

Then, either (without a microwave): Heat curds in whey until it is very, very hot to the finger. Curds will start to look very melty. Drain off whey and knead the curds as for taffy. Work in salt and drain well.

Or, with a microwave: Drain curds for 20 minutes. Put one cup of curds with 1/2 teaspoon salt in microwave on high for 50 seconds.

Knead curds like taffy. Return to microwave for 10-25 seconds, and knead again.

Some people think you can't make mozzarella from goat milk, that you have to add cow milk-but this recipe works fine. However, real, original mozzarella is made from water buffalo milk.

Make your own rennet

Rennet is used to coagulate milk to make cheese. Today it's generally purchased from cheesemaking supply houses, but here's how it was made at home in the old days.

Clean the stomach of a calf as soon as it is killed, scouring it inside and out with salt. When perfectly clean, tack it on a frame to dry in the sun for a day.

Cut it in squares and pack it down in salt, or keep it in wine or brandy.

When you want to use the rennet, soak a square half an hour in cold water, wash it well, and put it in the milk tied to a string so it can be drawn out without breaking the curd.