Place the pretzels in the refrigerator (I like to put them on parchment-paper-lined pans that I later use for baking), uncovered, for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Fill a large pot with water until 3/4 full and bring the water to a boil. Carefully and slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water; stand back a bit, as the baking soda will bubble up violently for a moment when it hits the water.
Using a slotted spoon, gently drop each pretzel into the bath for ten seconds, then turn the pretzel over for another ten seconds. Place the finished pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Score each pretzel once with a razor blade or sharp knife and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake the pretzels for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how dark you like them.
Farm-fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Ingredients:
1 gallon milk, NOT ultra-pasteurized
1 1/2 tsp citric acid
1/4 rennet tablet or 1/4 tsp single strength liquid rennet
1 tsp cheese salt (adjust to taste). Kosher and sea salt work, too!
Instructions:
Clear your work area of all food, wipe it down, and use antibacterial cleaner before starting.
Crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool non-chlorinated water, or add 1/4 tsp single strength liquid rennet to the water. Set aside to use later. Add 1 1/2 tsp. of citric acid to 1 cup cool water and pour into a large pot, then quickly add cold milk and mix it in well.
Heat the milk slowly until it reaches 90°F. (As the temperature approaches 90°F, you may notice the milk beginning to curdle slightly). If the milk doesn’t seem to be separating and forming a curd, you may need to increase this temp to 95°F or even 100F.
At 90°F (or when curds are properly formed—I’d recommend googling a picture), remove the pot from the burner and slowly add the prepared rennet to the milk. Stir from top to bottom for approximately 30 seconds, then stop. Cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, check the curd. It should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curds and whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey looks milky, let it sit for longer, up to 30 additional minutes.
Using a long knife, cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern, then place the pot back on the stove and heat the curds to 105°F while slowly stirring them with your ladle. Take the pot off the burner and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 minutes; the longer you stir, the firmer the cheese.
With a slotted spoon, scoop curds into a colander and press the curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as possible. (Rubber gloves help with the heat.)
From the colander, transfer the curds to a heat- and microwave-safe bowl, mix one teaspoon of salt into the curds, and microwave the curd for 1 minute. Drain off additional whey, then work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (again, rubber gloves will help). Microwave the curds twice more for 35 seconds each, repeating the kneading and draining each time.
Knead the curd as you would bread dough; after a few minutes, remove the curd from the bowl and continue kneading until the curd smooth and shiny. (If it cools before it reaches this point, put it in the microwave in increments of 15 seconds to heat it back up.) When the cheese is soft and pliable enough to stretch, if you feel it needs it, add a bit more salt, then stretch the cheese like taffy (you’ll want to do this many times) to create the fibers that make it mozzarella.
Knead the cheese back into a big ball until it is smooth and shiny. To cool it quickly, place it in a bowl of ice water and refrigerate. When cheese is cold, it will last for several days wrapped in plastic, but is best when eaten fresh. (Preferably with homegrown tomatoes and basil. Mmm.)
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Acknowledgments
First, many thanks to my family, not just for putting up with me, but for continuing to come up with creative ways to kill people. (You should see the looks we get in restaurants.)
Special thanks to (512) Brewing Company and Adelbert’s Brewery in Austin, who were so helpful when I asked, “If you were going to do someone in here, how would you do it?” I learned a ton about the way the craft brewing business works from (512)’s Head Brewer Owen Sawyer… he also gave me some great explanations of the brewing process and some amazing beer. Mmm. Thank you also to Andy Krell for all of his hard work accompanying me on those grueling tours, not to mention the extensive beer sampling.
Thank you also to the folks at Trianon Coffee for keeping me caffeinated and providing wonderful company and feedback… especially, you, Chloe Payne, and your darling Violet! Thank you also to Gene Smithson and Jason Brenizer for being my writing buddies/morale boosters here in Austin, and to CeeCee James for just being awesome. (Read CeeCee’s series if you haven’t!)
Thanks always to the MacInerney Mystery Mavens, who are indispensable with all manner of things, from covers to concepts to early reads… what would I do without you? Thank you also to Kim Killion for her amazing cover art and to Angelika Offenwanger for keeping me from embarrassing myself. Vielen Dank! :)
And finally, thank you to YOU, and to ALL of the wonderful readers who make Dewberry Farm possible, especially my fabulous Facebook community. You keep me going!
About the Author
Karen is the housework-impaired, award-winning author of multiple mystery series, and her victims number well into the double digits. She lives in Austin, Texas with her sassy family, Tristan, and Little Bit (a.k.a. Dog #1 and Dog #2).
Feel free to visit Karen's web site at www.karenmacinerney.com, where you can download a free book and sign up for her Readers’ Circle to receive subscriber-only short stories, deleted scenes, recipes and other bonus material. You can also find her on Facebook (she spends an inordinate amount of time there), where Karen loves getting to know her readers, answering questions, and offering quirky, behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process (and life in general).
P. S. Don’t forget to follow Karen on BookBub to get newsflashes on new releases!
www.karenmacinerney.com
[email protected]
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