Making Mozzarella Cheese* -

Ingredients: milk mozzarella.
Yield: With fresh buffalo milk with a FAT 8.3% and 4.3% of proteins, you get an average of 24.6%. I.e. from the processing of 1 quintal of buffalo milk gets over 24 Kg of mozzarella, against 13 Kg obtained an average of 1 quintal of milk. Buffalo milk yield is, in this case, in excess of approximately 1.8 times that of cows ' milk. To get a pound of mozzarella di bufala serve approximately 4 and a half litres of milk.

Since the milk of a (hoax) gets on average 12 liters of milk a day is easy to calculate that every animal gives you the ability to produce only 3 pounds of mozzarella.
Machining technology: The mozzarella is a fresh cheese, soft, raw and packaged, "sheets"-overlapping thin crust and precise. Mozzarella, cut into shapes of approximately .5 pound (and this explains the name "mozzarella", from "Bob" meaning cut), is today made in round shapes of different sizes, tidbits (with cream) or tablet in braids. Its peculiarity lies in the technology of classical music. The processing phases of mozzarella begin to pour the milk into a pot and bring him to 35 degrees. At this point, joins the rennet to milk and let it sit for an hour. The curd is then fragmented minutely and left to rise, then is poured into boiling water (80 degrees) and made to spin. When spinning is a fair point, the water takes the pasta filata cheese and "mozza" in the desired size. Made the portions, these are passed in cold water and then let in brine. One traditional scheme of machining of Mozzarella can articulate in two phases. In the preparation of curd and ripening under serum until sufficient acidity to be spinning. In the second, the curd acidified is spun because assume characteristic structure filamentary tapes of mozzarella pasta filata. Forming, salting and packaging of mozzarella di bufala complete the route.

Standardization of raw material: to obtain a product with a constant organoleptic quality is essential in standardizing the fat/protein ratio (G/P) in milk processing. In different periods of lactation, are observed in buffalo milk fluctuations in fat while the protein content remained relatively constant. The coagulation of milk is preceded by the addition of sieroinnesto natural (also called "cizza") obtained leaving acidify spontaneously at room temperature the serum of the previous day's processing. Breaking the curd is usually manually with a ' wooden ' ruotolo (stick to which is attached a wooden disc with outer convex face) or with a metallic spino is pushed until lumps caseating size 3-6 cm. Much care is placed in the way of breaking the curd. Almost always involves breaking fat loss in serum (up to 1%).

Maturation of the curd: after breaking, the curd is left to acidify under serum. From the boiler coagulation, is about 60% of serum and a part of this (about 5% of total serum) is heated and added after about 5-10 minutes in boiler in order to maintain the temperature of around 46° c. In the ciclo di lavorazione artigianale acidification lasts on average 3-4 hours, however, are not rare workings where this technological phase lasts up to 8 hours.

Spinning: This stage is one that affects more on consistency of the finished product and yield of processing. It is well known that the use of immature curds or sovrammature gives rise to Mozzarella lacks consistency and low acidity and a decrease in yield of 2 -3 percentage points. In the practice of dairy, the cheesemaker establishes the best time for the start of the spinning on the basis of an empirical test of spinning. The essay is about melt in hot water 100 g of pulp which is amalgamated with the help of a stick. Excess water is drained and noodles fused is situated on the stick so that gravity tends to elongate. With your hands you tend the paste merged that hangs from the stick and if it extends to about a meter without breaking apart the dough is judged suitable for spinning. At the end of the operation of spinning the dough assumes the filiform structure that is the characteristic feature of the class of named pasta filata cheeses.

Forming: forming of the mozzarella is made manually by two operators when one peels off ("mozza") with the thumb and forefinger hand pieces of dough spun by a bulbous mass of approximately 3-4 Kg supported by another operator. the product just format is dropped directly into tanks containing cold water. After a stop at size variable in function, is transferred to the brine. Some shapes, such as the traditional "Braid" are obtained only by hand, deftly interweaving three elongated segments of dough spun until the final form.
Salting: salting is carried out usually by dipping the mozzarella in saline solutions in different concentration, typically with a salt content that varies from 10 to 18%. The term generally does not exceed 10 hours for the sizes of 400-500 grams. During the tenure of mozzarella in brine, salt penetrates into it to spread. The speed with which salt penetrates the mozzarella depends on the salt concentration of the brine temperature and particularly the size of the form of mozzarella. At the end of the stay in brine, mozzarella, salt is very rich in peripheral regions, while already a few millimeters from the surface the salt content is virtually nil. Once extracted from brine immersed in liquid concentration of salt in mozzarella tends to re-equilibrate themselves. From the outer layers where the concentration is very high, the salt migrates to the inner layers. As a result of this process the salt concentration of the diffusing drops in the outer layers of mozzarella and rises in those interior with tendency to conform.
Packing and storage: after the salting mozzarella is preserved by keeping it immersed in a liquid. The liquid is typically from "water spinning" which adds salt and serum diluted acid. Alternatively used salt water adding citric acid or lactic acid. The latter type of liquid is what is considered most appropriate to extend the commercial life of the product, especially in winter. The liquid is a not insignificant cost of production. The product's shelf life is closely linked to the type of raw material used and processing technology. The product obtained from raw milk and sieroinnesto natural preserves, immersed in liquid, for 3-4 days at a temperature of 10-15° C without losing its characteristics (outer surface gloss, white color, shape ductile iron, soft and elastic, with the presence of sierosità, the particular taste of fresh milk with wild tips). Over that period the outer surface flakes, the paste loses its buttery consistency and becomes completely losing the data structure overlapping sheets from spinning, then eaten cooked và.

Protection of typical products: The specification contained in PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 9/28/1979 provides for the production of Buffalo Mozzarella the exclusive use of buffalo milk. In this way remains ruled out a partial use of bovine milk. In that eventuality, Mozzarella may not be named "Buffalo" and the bovine milk must be necessarily included in the ingredients.

            Note: we remind you that the mozzarella is a cool product, which should be consumed as soon as possible. To enjoy the best mozzarella is advised to keep the product at room temperature in liquid. After the third day, (or if the water temperature should drop much below 22-23 degrees) if not yet consumed to taste the mozzarella in its maximum expression, the expert recommended to soak the product in hot water (35° -40°) for about eight to ten minutes before consumption. From the fourth day the product can be put in the fridge and we recommend the consumption by using it as an ingredient of high-quality prepared food.

 *translated from http://www.anasb.it/home1.htm

The buffalo is a multipurpose animal. Not only is it a better source of milk than the cow, it also provides meat and works as a natural source of energy.   

1.     Buffalo milk has two times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than cows milk. CLA is an anticancer substance and acts on the side effects of obesity, atherosclerosis and diabetes.

2.     Compared with cow's milk, buffalo milk makes nearly twice the amount of cheese and the cheese has 30% less cholesterol.

3.     In the East, buffalo milk is used as a sexual stimulant (an aphrodisiac). 

4.     The biggest mistake made in education today is that teachers do not teach human nutrition to students.  "In the truth, we learn to better feed our pigs than our children."

5.     After the nuclear accident in Chernobyl, in the old Soviet Union, buffalo milk was the food that more quickly eliminated radioactivity residues, as so is considered a strategic food in the case of nuclear catastrophes.

6.     Cooperbúfalo. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.  A cooperative effort to organize the production chain of the water buffalo industry, working in production, transport, storage, processing and marketing of buffalo products and associated services.
http://cooperbufalo-rs.com.br/

7.     Water buffaloes -- Good for the pocket (economical), good for the heart (health), good for the planet (environment).