At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft,
"Da Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled
bags. It was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration
date of June 5. (As opposed to May 6.)

Is this possibly a reasonable product? Has it been pasturized?
(I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
as long as a month?

Steve

(Steve Pope) wrote in news:f1ti6e$lh6$1
@blue.rahul.net:

> At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft,
> "Da Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled
> bags. It was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration
> date of June 5. (As opposed to May 6.)
>
> Is this possibly a reasonable product?

Definitely!!


>Has it been pasturized?

Most likely.

http://www.woodstockwaterbuffalo.com...zzarella.shtml


> (I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
> must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
> as long as a month?
>

http://www.mozzco.com/mozzhisty.html




--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

"People sleep safely in their beds because rough men stand ready in
the night to do violence to those who would do them harm"
-- George Orwell

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 9 May 2007 22:32:46 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:
>
> > At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft,
> > "Da Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled
> > bags. It was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration
> > date of June 5. (As opposed to May 6.)
>
> Yes - They label them backwards in Italy,
>
> > Is this possibly a reasonable product? Has it been pasturized?
> > (I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
> > must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
> > as long as a month?
>
> The stuff sold at CostCo has an expiration of about 2 weeks, from
> what I've seen. And you figure it took at least a week to get
> from Italy to the shelves. I'm not sure if it's the same brand
> you have, but the CostCo stuff is excellent. $10.99 for 1.1 lbs
> (4 balls). There's a slightly chewy skin to them, and in the
> middle is a rich, firm custard-like substance.
>
> I believe all the imported buffalo cheeses have to be made from
> pasteurized milk since the cheese is less than 90 days old.


Since the milk is cooked as part of the manufacturing process, it
pasteurizes itself. Heat in cheese making activates the enzymes that curdle
the milk. In the case of mozzarella it is heated 2 times, once to curdle,
then the curds are pressed and immersed in boiling hot water where they are
stretched out and squeezed into a ball by people with some really thick skin
on their hands.

Paul

In article >,
Steve Wertz > wrote:

> On Wed, 9 May 2007 22:32:46 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:
>
> > At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft,
> > "Da Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled
> > bags. It was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration
> > date of June 5. (As opposed to May 6.)
>
> Yes - They label them backwards in Italy,
>
> > Is this possibly a reasonable product? Has it been pasturized?
> > (I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
> > must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
> > as long as a month?
>
> The stuff sold at CostCo has an expiration of about 2 weeks, from
> what I've seen. And you figure it took at least a week to get
> from Italy to the shelves. I'm not sure if it's the same brand
> you have, but the CostCo stuff is excellent. $10.99 for 1.1 lbs
> (4 balls). There's a slightly chewy skin to them, and in the
> middle is a rich, firm custard-like substance.
>
> I believe all the imported buffalo cheeses have to be made from
> pasteurized milk since the cheese is less than 90 days old.

And here's the best thing I've ever found to do with it. This dish is
one of my very favorites:


Mimosa Spaghetti

1 lb. FRESH thin pasta
2 ounces butter (2 to 3)
One FRESH mozzarella -- drained, minced
1 handful minced parsley (Italian)
3 egg yolks
4 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan cheese
salt

Cook pasta in plenty of well-salted water.

Meanwhile, put egg yolks, salt, parsley, parmesan, mozzarella, and
butter in large bowl. As soon as pasta is done (2-3 minutes), drain and
pour over other ingredients. Toss well to mix and serve very hot.

Add black pepper to taste at table.

For this dish, home-made pasta is by far the best. Store-bought "fresh"
pasta is a poor substitute. Don't even waste your time with dry pasta
from a box.

Also, don't waste your time with anything except a buffalo mozzarella in
liquid; you cannot make this dish with a "tennis ball" mozzarella.

--

Isaac

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 10 May 2007 00:42:58 GMT, Paul M. Cook wrote:
>
>> "Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Wed, 9 May 2007 22:32:46 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:
>>>
>>>> At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft,
>>>> "Da Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled
>>>> bags. It was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration
>>>> date of June 5. (As opposed to May 6.)
>>>
>>> Yes - They label them backwards in Italy,
>>>
>>>> Is this possibly a reasonable product? Has it been pasturized?
>>>> (I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
>>>> must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
>>>> as long as a month?
>>>
>>> The stuff sold at CostCo has an expiration of about 2 weeks, from
>>> what I've seen. And you figure it took at least a week to get
>>> from Italy to the shelves. I'm not sure if it's the same brand
>>> you have, but the CostCo stuff is excellent. $10.99 for 1.1 lbs
>>> (4 balls). There's a slightly chewy skin to them, and in the
>>> middle is a rich, firm custard-like substance.
>>>
>>> I believe all the imported buffalo cheeses have to be made from
>>> pasteurized milk since the cheese is less than 90 days old.
>>
>> Since the milk is cooked as part of the manufacturing process, it
>> pasteurizes itself. Heat in cheese making activates the enzymes that
>> curdle
>> the milk. In the case of mozzarella it is heated 2 times, once to
>> curdle,
>> then the curds are pressed and immersed in boiling hot water where they
>> are
>> stretched out and squeezed into a ball by people with some really thick
>> skin
>> on their hands.
>
> That doesn't make it pasteurized. Pasteurization requires
> holding milk at certain temperatures for certain amounts of time.
> None of the pasteurization conditions are satisfied at the
> temperatures at which mozzarella is made. Or most any other
> cheese, for that matter.
>

I've only made mozzarella and it took a lot of heat. 130 for 15 minutes
then the balls sat in boiling hot water for an 30 minutes. So it may not be
..0000001% but it's close enough to be safe to eat. The only cheese
contamination I recall was a lysteria outbreak in LA many years ago. But
that turned out to be cross contamination.

The secret to making mozz is raw, unpasteurixed and non-homogenized milk.
My batches were ricotta until I found a source for raw milk. It just does
not work any other way.

Paul

Steve Pope wrote:
> At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft,
> "Da Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled
> bags. It was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration
> date of June 5. (As opposed to May 6.)
>
> Is this possibly a reasonable product? Has it been pasturized?
> (I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
> must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
> as long as a month?
>
> Steve

Absolutely don't keep mozzarella in brine for more than a very few days.
First the outer layer turns bitter and the rest soon loses any flavor
you'd like. Eventually it will mold.
Mozzarella is a fresh cheese. Unless it is dried and smoked it can't be
kept. Purists like it the same day, but that is unreasonable in the US.
Buy the freshest you can find and consume it immediately.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Giusi wrote:
> Steve Pope wrote:
>> At Bristol Farms (San Francisco) yesterday, I noticed soft, "Da
>> Napoli" brand Mozzarella di Bufala, in plastic water-filled bags. It
>> was dated 05/06/07 -- I assume that means an expiration date of June
>> 5. (As opposed to May 6.)
>>
>> Is this possibly a reasonable product? Has it been pasturized?
>> (I'm kind of assuming for a soft cheese to get imported, it
>> must be.) Can such an item possibly be in good condition for
>> as long as a month?
>>
>> Steve
>
> Absolutely don't keep mozzarella in brine for more than a very few days.
> First the outer layer turns bitter and the rest soon loses any flavor
> you'd like. Eventually it will mold.
> Mozzarella is a fresh cheese. Unless it is dried and smoked it can't be
> kept. Purists like it the same day, but that is unreasonable in the US.
> Buy the freshest you can find and consume it immediately.
>

I found this out...I bought the Lat Bri brand of cherry mozzerellas
here...after a week they were gooey, soft and disgusting.

--
"All of those faeries and duels and mad queens and so on, and no one
quoted old Billy Shakespeare. Not even once."
- Billy the Werewolf, The Dresden Files

ravenlynne wrote:

> I found this out...I bought the Lat Bri brand of cherry mozzerellas
> here...after a week they were gooey, soft and disgusting.

If you're still in Naples, try some local markets, the ones with stalls in
the squares or along the streets. You should be able to find mozzarella di
bufala from Battipaglia, the most renowned area for this wonderful food
item.
A nice usage for mozzarella, be it from buffalo or not: gnocchi alla caprese
(a-la caprese dumplings). Just mince the mozzarella and take to room
temperature some tomato sauce you like, be it bittersweet of plain savoury,
doesn't mind. Then cook and drain the potato dumplings and dress them ASAP
with the mixed tomato and mozz. The mozz will melt in the time you bring the
serving dish from the kitchen to the table. I love to sprinkle my dish with
grated parmigiano cheese, but it should go well also without this topping.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

Vilco wrote:
> ravenlynne wrote:
>
>> I found this out...I bought the Lat Bri brand of cherry mozzerellas
>> here...after a week they were gooey, soft and disgusting.
>
> If you're still in Naples, try some local markets, the ones with stalls in
> the squares or along the streets. You should be able to find mozzarella di
> bufala from Battipaglia, the most renowned area for this wonderful food
> item.
> A nice usage for mozzarella, be it from buffalo or not: gnocchi alla caprese
> (a-la caprese dumplings). Just mince the mozzarella and take to room
> temperature some tomato sauce you like, be it bittersweet of plain savoury,
> doesn't mind. Then cook and drain the potato dumplings and dress them ASAP
> with the mixed tomato and mozz. The mozz will melt in the time you bring the
> serving dish from the kitchen to the table. I love to sprinkle my dish with
> grated parmigiano cheese, but it should go well also without this topping.

I don't go downtown much...with busses and trains, it usually takes at
least 2 hours to get there from here. (gricignano to aversa to p.
garibaldi)..Next time I'm there I'll check it out.

--
"All of those faeries and duels and mad queens and so on, and no one
quoted old Billy Shakespeare. Not even once."
- Billy the Werewolf, The Dresden Files

ravenlynne wrote:
> Vilco wrote:
>> ravenlynne wrote:
>>
>>> I found this out...I bought the Lat Bri brand of cherry mozzerellas
>>> here...after a week they were gooey, soft and disgusting.
>>
>> If you're still in Naples, try some local markets, the ones with
>> stalls in the squares or along the streets. You should be able to find
>> mozzarella di bufala from Battipaglia, the most renowned area for this
>> wonderful food item.

> I don't go downtown much...with busses and trains, it usually takes at
> least 2 hours to get there from here. (gricignano to aversa to p.
> garibaldi)..Next time I'm there I'll check it out.
>
I find that all the towns and villages in southern Lazio and in Campania
have good, fresh mozzarella. Ask one of the gals working at your
Exchange. It is not part of the Italian character to live without good
cheese. From my bedroom at Gaeta I saw the truck arrive from Mondragone
at 7:30 and at 8 one of us would walk across the street to the
alimentari and buy it, made that morning.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Giusi wrote:
> ravenlynne wrote:
>> Vilco wrote:
>>> ravenlynne wrote:
>>>
>>>> I found this out...I bought the Lat Bri brand of cherry mozzerellas
>>>> here...after a week they were gooey, soft and disgusting.
>>>
>>> If you're still in Naples, try some local markets, the ones with
>>> stalls in the squares or along the streets. You should be able to
>>> find mozzarella di bufala from Battipaglia, the most renowned area
>>> for this wonderful food item.
>
>> I don't go downtown much...with busses and trains, it usually takes at
>> least 2 hours to get there from here. (gricignano to aversa to p.
>> garibaldi)..Next time I'm there I'll check it out.
>>
> I find that all the towns and villages in southern Lazio and in Campania
> have good, fresh mozzarella. Ask one of the gals working at your
> Exchange. It is not part of the Italian character to live without good
> cheese. From my bedroom at Gaeta I saw the truck arrive from Mondragone
> at 7:30 and at 8 one of us would walk across the street to the
> alimentari and buy it, made that morning.
>

Lol..I haven't been to gaeta to vouch for it's urban-ness. But where I
am...for miles around is farmland. It's not like there's a "town"
nearby to go to. There's nothing. But I will ask.

I wish we lived offbase sometimes...but then I hear about friends
getting houses broken into, cars stolen, etc and I rethink it.

--
"All of those faeries and duels and mad queens and so on, and no one
quoted old Billy Shakespeare. Not even once."
- Billy the Werewolf, The Dresden Files

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 10 May 2007 05:26:49 GMT, Paul M. Cook wrote:
>
> > "Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >> That doesn't make it pasteurized. Pasteurization requires
> >> holding milk at certain temperatures for certain amounts of time.
> >> None of the pasteurization conditions are satisfied at the
> >> temperatures at which mozzarella is made. Or most any other
> >> cheese, for that matter.
> >>
> >
> > I've only made mozzarella and it took a lot of heat. 130 for 15 minutes
> > then the balls sat in boiling hot water for an 30 minutes.
>
> I've done mozzarella plenty of times and there's no recipes I've
> ever seen that use heat that high for that long. Not even
> *close*.

88F for 10 minutes, add rennet, then when the curds set, 130F for 15
minutes, then a pressing in cheese cloth (Leneer's actually has you nuke
them at this point) then salting and another squeeze, into 190F water to set
the curd and pull until the desired texture, then form into balls, then into
same hot water for another 30 minutes.

That's the way I finally made some that turned out right. But the milk was
the secret. Raw milk curdles like nobody's business. Pasteurized milk just
sits there and turns to cottage cheese.

Paul