homemade mozzarella cheese

Mozzarella Cheese

1 gallon milk (I use goats milk)
1 1/2 t. citric acid dissolved in 1 c. non clorinated water
1/4 t. rennet dissolved in 1/4 c. non clorinated water
1 t. non iodized salt

Pour citric acid solution in large stainless steel stock pot (You should sterilize or wash the pot in a dishwasher that has a heat dry cycle.)
Add the milk--the pouring of the milk should stir the acid mixture in very well, but if you are in doubt, stir GENTLY with a slotted spoon.
Place the spoon in a small bowl of cool water to keep it clean and prevent the milk from drying on the spoon while your milk heats up.
Place a good quality thermometer in the milk... I have a digital one that works really well, and I have seen some that clip on to the side of the pan and extend out toward the middle of the pan..
Heat the milk slowly (about medium heat) until it reaches 88 degrees.
I stir a couple of times GENTLY during the heating process so that I know it is heating uniformly.
When it reaches 88 degrees, remove from heat and add the rennet water solution..  Pour  it through the slotted spoon to get a more even distribution.  Stir GENTLY with an up and down motion for about 30 seconds or until you are pretty sure it has completely mixed.
Set aside (out of drafts) I put the lid on the pan if the thermometer will let you...  Allow the rennet to 'work' for 15 minutes or until a solid curd has formed. It needs to stay as close to 88 degrees through this time as you can get it to. The whey will be almost clear around the edges of the pan.  When you cut a small cut in the curd it should separate cleanly.
With a long thin knife cut the curd into 1-1 1/2 inch cuts--Kind of like a checker board.  Be sure to cut to the bottom of the pan.
Allow the curds to "rest" for about 10 minutes.
These curds will be VERY fragile!  Heat gradually until they reach 100 to 105 degrees.  Turn the curds over with your slotted spoon so that they can heat on all sides.  I usually end up with my hands in the pan turning the curds and forming them into a ball as they heat.  It just seems to work better than the spoon. 
When you can get the curds to stay together and kind of mold, lift them out of the whey and mold--kind of like mixing dough--until most of the whey is worked out.
Put the ball in a clean glass bowl and add salt.  Mix it in just like bread dough.  Mine always starts to get crumbly at this point.
Microwave on high about 20 seconds.  Take out and knead like bread dough until it starts to get cool.  Microwave again for 10 seconds and knead again.  If it is looking and feeling really smooth and "stretchy" you may be about done.  I sometimes have to microwave again for another 10 seconds and knead again.
When it is smooth and shiny, put it in a bowl full of COLD water for about 5 min. to stop the cooking and then store in the refrigerator in an air tight container.  That is if you don't eat it before you get it into the cold water or into the fridge.