Signature Product Focus: Fresh Hand-Pulled Mozzarella

One of our most beloved customer favorites of all time has to be Kowalski's Signature Fresh Mozzarella from the Specialty Cheese Department. It's our favorite, too! Handmade by Kowalski's with fresh curd from milk produced without rBST or rBGH growth hormones, it's 100% natural and free of additives, trans fats or gluten. And while some conventional mozzarella producers whiten their milk using a small amount of the whitening agent titanium dioxide (a chemical also used in white paint and sunscreen), Kowalski's Signature Fresh Mozzarella is free of any artificial colors or coloring agents.

The process of making fresh mozzarella involves curdling milk with live cheese cultures. This both separates curds from whey and serves to isolate the proteins within the milk. Once the curds are formed, they are cut into small pieces and submerged in hot (180°) salted water. At this point, the curd knits into a uniformly soft and pliable mass that can be lightly stretched and formed into balls before being cooled in cold purified water. Mozzarella is categorized as a stretched-curd (pasta filata) cheese. Provolone is also made this way, and it's why these "elastic" cheeses are great for pizza and lasagna!

Mozzarella is also great for other types of pasta, sandwiches and salads. It partners especially well with the flavors of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, basil, lemon, garlic, olives, peaches and eggplant.

Tasty Tip:

Try marinating bite-sized pieces of fresh chopped mozzarella according to our Marinated Mozzarella recipe (pictured). It's perfect for snacking or to use in your favorite summer salads, appetizers and other recipes.

View the Recipe