Marinated mozzarella balls are where it’s at when it comes to the appetizer scene! Especially on a stick with sourdough bread, a tomato, and balsamic vinegar! On Instagram, I have shared my favourite marinated mozzarella ball recipe, but I thought I better put it here on Cheese From Scratch as well!
I first started making marinated cheeses to use up some of the leftover curds from some of my hard pressed cheeses. There was inevitably always a few curds that wouldn’t fit into the press and packing them into olive oil and spices seemed like a great way to elevate them to the next level. Marinating cheese is like anything exciting, once you learn how to do it, you start looking around for the next thing you can try. Mozzarella was the next thing and now I can’t go back!
What are marinated mozzarella balls?
Marinated mozzarella balls are tiny morsels of mozzarella, commonly referred to as, Bocconcini, that are packed into a jar with olive oil, an acid like lemon juice, and a mixture of spices. They are perfect for storing in the refrigerator and pulling out for quick appetizers or lunches. As a nurse, I am commonly looking for quick lunches that I can pull out of the fridge right before I have to leave for work. Lately my go to quick lunch has been Caprese salad featuring these yummy mozzarella balls for a lunch packed with homemade goodness, protein and good fats.
Equipment
- Quart Jar
- Spoon
Ingredients
- Bocconcini mozzarella balls- You can find my homemade recipe for these tiny mozzarella balls in my Christmas Cheeseboard Ebook, or you can find the store bought version in the deli section of your local super market.
- Olive Oil- This is my favourite brand of olive oil!
- Lemon juice- Adding an acid is a necessary step to keep your mozzarella balls from dissolving into the olive oil. Omitting this ingredient will cause slimy cheese!
- Salt
- Spices- Some of my favourite variations are dried basil or Italian seasoning.
How to make marinated mozzarella balls
Make naturally acidified mozzarella balls or buy them in the deli section of your local super market. The recipe for my homemade mozzarella balls is in my Christmas Cheeseboard ebook and is my all time favourite cheese!
Make the marinade. Combine; 2 cups olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp dried basil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. This makes enough marinade for a 1 gallon batch of homemade mozzarella balls or about a quart of mozzarella balls from the grocery store.
Pack your mozzarella balls into a quart jar, top with the marinade and store in the refrigerator for up to one to two weeks depending on the type of mozzarella you used. The marinade is the most amazing drizzle for salads, appetizers and more!
Please Note – Because olive oil solidifies in the fridge, you will want to remove these mozzarella balls a few hours before you plan on using them.
FAQs
These marinated mozzarella balls are so easy to make, but you may have a few questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I get over on instagram about these marinated mozzarella balls.
Are marinated mozzarella balls shelf stable?
No! These will need to be stored in the refrigerator.
How long do marinated mozzarella balls last?
If you are using homemade mozzarella that has been naturally acidified (meaning fermented) they will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks if not longer! If you are using mozzarella that has been made without fermentation, using an acid like lemon juice or citric acid, they will keep about a week in the refrigerator before starting to become off tasting and slimy. Once they start going bad you may notice a layer of mold growing on any of the cheeses that are not completely covered by the olive oil.
Once the mozzarella is gone can I still use the olive oil?
Yes! The marinade is the most amazing drizzle for salads, appetizers and more!
Can I use other types of oil?
I love using olive oil because it is a good healthy fat. That being said you can marinade your mozzarella in any type of oil. The one difficulty with using olive oil is that it solidifies in the fridge so you will want to remove these mozzarella balls a few hours before you plan on using them.
Do I need to add the lemon juice?
Adding an acid is a necessary step to keep your mozzarella balls from dissolving into the olive oil. The acidity of the olive oil needs to be similar to the acidity of the cheese which means omitting this ingredient will cause slimy cheese!
Marinated Mozzarella Balls
Equipment
- 1 Quart Jar
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 quart mozzarella balls
Instructions
- Make naturally acidified mozzarella balls. This recipe is in my Christmas Cheeseboard ebook and is my all time favourite cheese. You can find a link to the ebook in the notes section below.
- Make the marinade. Combine; 2 cups olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp dried basil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. This makes enough marinade for a 1 gallon batch of mozzarella balls.
- Pack your mozzarella balls into a quart jar, top with the marinade and store in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks (good luck keeping them there that long though!). The marinade is the most amazing drizzle for salads, appetizers and more!
- Please Note – Because olive oil solidifies in the fridge, you will want to remove these mozzarella balls a few hours before you plan on using them.
Notes
Additional Resources
- Get my naturally fermented mozzarella recipe in my Christmas Cheeseboard Ebook . This is my favourite recipe of all times!
- Join my newsletter list and I will send you a Free Beginner dairy processing booklet complete with my quick mozzarella recipe.
