One of the biggest benefits of our Local Living collection of trips is the opportunity to truly savour some of the world's greatest foods in some of the world's most beautiful places, from the stunning Amalfi Coast to the steppes of Mongolia — and, if you like, you can even try your hand at making a dish or two. On our Local Living Sorrento trip, for instance, travellers will visit Naples, and try some of the world's best pizza — and what's pizza without fresh, delicious mozzarella cheese? If you'd like to get a little taste of Sorrento at home — or are just keen for a little preview of what Local Living Sorrento has to offer — here's a step-by-step primer to making your own mozzarella, with a little on-screen help from our very own guides.
What you'll need: Milk, citric acid, rennet, salt
1. Mix a teaspoon and a half of citric acid into a cup of water, until dissolved; separately, mix a quarter cup of water with a quarter teaspoon of rennet.
2. Add the citric acid-water mix to the milk. Heat milk until the temperature reaches 90F (about 32C). Remove the pot from heat and add the rennet-water mixture. Set aside.
3. When the mix resembles gelatine, cut it into curds by slide a knife or spatula lengthwise then widthwise, about a half-inch apart each way, through the mix.
4. Put the pot back on medium heat, and cook until the mix reaches 105F (about 31C). Remove from heat, and stir occasionally.
5. Put the mixture into a fine sieve and strain. You will end up with curds in the sieve and whey in the pot.
6. In a separate pot, boil water, and lower the curds into the water, until they reach 185F (85C). Begin folding them onto themselves repeatedly (you may want to wear rubber gloves for this step), to smooth them into one piece, and to remove excess water.
7. Fold and stretch the curds over the pot of hot water, until they become completely smooth and elastic. You may need to return them to the hot water for a few seconds during this process, if they become cool. This step is tricky — luckily, you can watch the pros pulling it off below:
8. Shape the mozzarella into a ball, and place it into a bowl of ice water to cool. Presto — you've made mozza from scratch!
Getting there
Want to get a taste of Italy? G Adventures can get you there. Check out our roster of Local Living tours — including several to Italy — here.