Last updated on August 23rd, 2012
WHAT’S MORE FUN THAN A BARREL OF MONKEYS? Making your own mozzarella cheese. I made the shiny, perfectly-textured, unbelievably delicious loaf pictured up top in only 30 minutes. The ingredients are as simple as the recipe:
Homemade Mozzarella
Based on a recipe by Ricki Carrol
Ingredients for about 1 pound
1 gallon whole milk, not “ultra pasteurized”
1 1/2 tsp. non-gmo citric acid*
1/4 tablet rennet*
1 tsp. salt (optional)
Water (non-chlorinated)
* You can obtain rennet and citric acid from healthfood stores, or you can order them online, as I did, in a kit from The New England Cheesemaking Company. Do not use “Junket” rennet — it is too weak for this mozzarella-recipe.
Special Equipment
A heavy-bottomed, stainless steel or enameled pot which will hold at least 6 quarts; a thermometer; a large slotted spoon; a knife which will reach the bottom of the pot; a colander. Also, a microwave oven OR a large pot of water, heated to 185F.
Preliminaries – dissolve 1/4 tablet rennet in a 1/4 cup cool water; mix 1 1/2 tsp. citric acid in 1 cup cool water
1. Pour milk into pot; stir while adding the citric acid mixture.
2. Heat the milk to 90F, stirring all the while.
3. Remove pot from heat; slowly stir in the rennet solution, using an up-and-down motion with your slotted spoon. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Then inspect the curd; it should resemble a custard if pressed gently with your finger.
4. Using your knife, slice the curd criss-cross into one-inch squares as if you were slicing brownies.
5. Return the pot to the flame, and heat to 105F as you slowly stir the curds with your spoon.
6. Remove from heat and continue to stir for 2-5 minutes. The more you stir, the firmer the cheese will be.
7. Pour into a colander in order to drain off the liquid, or whey, from the curd. Save the whey, if you wish, and use it in place of water for your next bread-baking adventure.
Note: At this point, if you are not going to use a microwave oven to heat the curds, scroll down for Hot Water Bath directions
8. Pour curds into a microwaveable bowl. Holding the curds with one hand, tilt the bowl to drain off as much of the whey as you can.
9. Microwave on “High” for exactly one minute. Drain off the whey, and fold, with your gloved hands, the curds into one piece. (Okay, I didn’t wear gloves. But you should.) Then add the optional salt.
10. Microwave again for 30 seconds, drain again, and then place the solid mass on your work surface. Knead just as you would bread, folding the cheese over on itself. Keep kneading until the cheese turns glossy, and looks, well, like mozzarella. If the cheese doesn’t hold together well, give it another 30-second spin in the microwave, or until the cheese reaches 135F. You’ll know the cheese is ready when you can stretch it into a long strand.
11. Form the cheese into a loaf, a ball, or a bunch of little bite-size balls. If you like braided cheese, by all means have at it.
12. To finish, submerge the cheese in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. This will insure the cheese holds its shape, and maintains its smooth, silky texture.
You can eat the cheese immediately, or refrigerate it in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, wrap the cheese tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze it.
Hot Water Bath Directions:
Heat a pot of water to 185F. Ladle the curds into a colander, folding the curds gently as you drain off the whey. Dip the colander of curds into the hot water. After several times take a spoon and fold the curds until they start to become elastic and stretchable. This happens when the curd temperature reaches 135F. Remove the curd from the liquid and pull like taffy. This stretching elongates the proteins. If it does not stretch easily, return to the hot water bath for more heating. Then proceed with kneading, as described in Step 10.
Think you’ll take up mozzarella-making, too? Let me know, by leaving a comment.
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Related Posts:
Homemade Ricotta is Easy!
English Muffins
Lavender-Iced Cupcakes
Eric says
Wow! Looks great! Can I have a taste?
Eileen says
Is it important that the milk not be pasteurized? Or just not ultra-pasteurized (if there's a difference between the two)?
Katreader says
Huh! Pretty neat!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Eileen – Pasteurized milk is fine.
“Ultra pasteurized” means the milk has been heated to extremely high temps for long-distance travel. It is not suitable for cheese-making.
Locally-produced milk is usually not ultra pasteurized. The kind I used was “homogenized.”
Marion Roach Smith says
You are my new super-hero!. How cool is this? And how ultra-kind of you to share it with us, your grateful readers. Thank you, and cook on, brother.
BarbR7 says
This is very cool. Shall try this instantly. I wonder if at step 11, you could put homemade cream cheese (have to search for that) inside to make burrata? Thanks again, you always come up with brilliant ideas.
Terry says
I really am going to have to try this! I have made yogurt cheese, which is even easier, but I want some mozzarella. One question, in step 10, you say to microwave it for 30 minutes, is that correct? Just seemed like a long time to me.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
BarbR7 – I'll have to investigate step #11/burrata suggestion…
Terry – Yikes! I meant 30 seconds! Will correctly immediately! (Ah, the joys of self-publishing.)
Terry says
Ha Ha, I did have visions of cheese exploding in the microwave!
zehra ahmad says
I've made ricotta with milk and lemon juice and cultured yogurt with a starter and cream/milk. Next up- MOZZARELLA. That looks fantastic, Kevin! Thanks for the inspiration.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Welcome, Z! Do give it a try and let us know what you think. I plan to try ricotta this week (I'm on a cheese-making kick).
Anonymous says
what if we don't want to microwave?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Anonymous – glad you asked. Here's the traditional (non-microwave) heating method:
Heat a pot of water to 185 degrees. Place the curds in a colander. Set the colander in the pot. When the curds reach 135 degrees, remove them. Then knead as directed above. (The curds will heat faster if you separate them into 2 batches.)
Anonymous says
Great! Thanks for posting this easy recipe!I'm going to start practicing this and look forward to having some fresh Mozzarella with my heirloom garden tomatoes this year!
bariolio says
LOVE making my own fresh cheese & yogurt now that I've discovered Ricki's website! I make ricotta using buttermilk–so easy. For a big batch, mix 2 gallons milk (not ultrapasturized) and 1 qt buttermilk made without thickeners (such as Organic Valley–or make your own like me with buttermilk cultures!). Bring mixture to 170 degrees over medium low heat, stirring often. Let sit 10 min. Using slotted spoon, scoop curds into colandar lined with several layers of cheesecloth or 1 layer of butter muslin. Tie up bundle and hang to drain for about 30 min. The longer you drain, the firmer the cheese. You can flavor it with herbs, salt, garlic, whatever. Keeps in frig about 1 week. Yum!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
bariolio – welcome! Ricotta is next on my “to do” list…I'll have to try it with buttermilk.
Anonymous says
Does this recipe work with raw goat milk? Does anything have to be modified to have the same “mozzerella” results?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Anonymous – yes, you can use raw goat's milk. However, you'll need to top-stir it for several extra seconds when adding the rennet. This is to mix any butterfat that has risen to the top back into the body of the milk.
I hope you'll let me know how your mozzarella turns out.
Turbo Photographs says
My cheese making kit arrived yesterday, so I'm going to experiment this weekend. Nervous. Excited!! I hope it turns out well. (Following you on Twitter so I can continue to read your updates!)
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Beth – That's wonderful! Let me know how much fun your mozzarella-making was.
I made mozzarella four times last week, each batch an exquisite delight. And this morning, I made my first batch of ricotta. Big success! The ricotta is creamy and delish!
Turbo Photographs says
Hi … well, it didn't go exactly as planned. Not sure what I did wrong, but I'm thinking it was the milk. We got very close to curd but it never firmed. We waited 15 mins after heating to 90 but it just didn't gel. I'm going to buy better milk and give it another shot. Will let you know how it goes.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Beth – did yours not look like mine after your poured off the whey (photo above Step #7)?
Turbo Photographs says
Hi … I'm back after attempt #2. Much better this time, but I'm not getting that silky look. I will send you a photo via Twitter. I'm SEB1119. Thanks!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Yoou can also send that photo via A Garden for the House from Kevin Lee Jacobs on Facebook. Otherwise I'll keep checking Twitter.
Betsy says
You have some of the neatest posts on your blog, I love all of your ideas and recipes.
Betsy
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Betsy – Welcome. And thank you.
martha says
ok, here we go. im about to try it my first time, so very exciting.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
martha – let me know how it turned out for you!
martha says
hey, it worked out great! i can see this becoming habit forming. thanks so much kevin.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
martha – That's great! I'm happy for you.
The Good Egg says
Thanks for all of your insight in gardening and cooking. I was both alarmed and liked Marjory Wildcrafts video and planted more in my veggie garden. Now about trying to make cheese…
tracy says
I've been thinking about making my own mozza and bread. Bookmarking this site for future reference. Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
tracy – nice to meet you! Might I suggest Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread?
And…be sure to sign up for newsletter (if you haven't already) for more gardening/cooking ideas!
JohnCharles Billiris says
What a great post–I'm going to try this.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
JohnCharles – I have no doubt you'll love this homemade mozzarella. Homemade ricotta and cream cheese (linked above) are also sublime!
Anonymous says
not sure what went wrong. It set up, in the pot Never made it to the microwave. Didnt really needed to knead as it balled up, was stretch etc. Maybe went over the 105 mark (flame too high?) or maybe too much rennet? (I had the double strength). In any case, I'm a bit dissapointed as I ended up with the rubbery kind of mozzarella in the story rather than the fresh soft type.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Anonymous – Hmmm. My suspicion is too much rennet. Maybe try half the amount next time? Or, order a packet of rennet tablets. I used only a quarter-tab for this recipe (per Ricki Carroll's instructions).
Tammy says
Kevin, we finally got around to making this recipe. On Christmas, as I made the rest of the meal, my husband made the mozzarella. It came out perfectly and is delicious! We had no idea mozzarella was so easy to make and this recipe’s going in our keeper file. Thanks for yet another terrific keeper!
Cathy in Cleveland says
I just made my first batch of mozzarella. It is sort of limp, but tastes delicious. I think maybe I need to make it a couple of more times. Is there a use for the whey?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Tammy – How did I miss your comment? So glad you tried — and liked — this mozzarella.
Cathy in Cleveland – I usually throw the whey out (shame on me!) but I know other cheese-makers use the liquid when making bread.
It might take you a few practice runs to get your mozzarella the consistency you desire. I’ve found that by stirring the curds ever-so-slowly for a full 5 minutes after cutting them (Step #6), I always end up with a pleasantly-firm cheese.
Rhonda Jones says
I have liquid rennet how much do I use?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Rhonda – Thanks for writing. According to Ricki Carroll, you can substitute a 1/4 tsp. liquid rennet for the 1/4 tablet of rennet.
terra says
Kevin, you had me until “microwave”
thank you for answering the earlier question about an alternative method.
enjoying your website & Facebook posts.
Penster47 says
Can’t wait to try this cheese recipe. And I think I have just found my all time favorite site!! There are things in here for every one!!!
Mo says
Hi, I can’t wait to try this. One question: how can I make the mozzarella into the smaller, bite sized balls and how would they be stored?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Mo – after you’ve kneaded the cheese (Step 10), tear it into small clumps. Roll each clump in the palm of your hands to form balls. (If the balls refuse to form, just heat the clumps in the microwave for 30 seconds. Hot cheese is very malleable).
Drop the balls into a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes (Step 12).
You can refrigerate homemade mozzarella in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze.
Fred says
Has anyone tried this on homemade pizza?
Angie says
Kevin, can I substitute goats milk?
Pam says
I love Ricki and her cheese web site. She is such a nice lady, full of knowledge and kindness (like you, Kevin!). This cheese is awesome. If you should happen to mess up and not have it firm up right away- milk not fresh enough, older rennet (PS- vegetable rennet works great!! I’m a lacto-ovo vegetarian) etc. you can use the softer curds to make a cheese spread. Try this. You will love it and be hooked for life!!
Nancy says
I’m looking forward to trying this-do you have a recipe for Ricotta too?
Arthur in the Garden! says
Most excellent! I love it.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Fred – What a perfect match — homemade mozzarella on homemade pizza. Will try it, and soon!
Angie – Ricki Carroll says the recipe works like a charm with goat’s milk.
Pam – Thanks for the tip!
Nancy – All my cheese recipes (including one for ricotta) are bundled up here.
Arthur in the Garden – Nice to meet you!
Grazyna Kirsch says
I’ve been thinking of buying the Mozarella Kit from Ricki for a long time and you gave me the push that I needed. I’m going to order it now. I’ve been making ricotta and yogurt for a long time. Last night I made ricotta with citric acid instead for the buttermilk and it came out great. It makes it easier since the buttermilk (good one) is not always in the store.
Janet O. says
I’m in heaven! Always thought it was too difficult, but I’m sure i can handle this. Thank you very much.
Hope says
The only thing that makes this cheese better is fresh goat milk.
Miriam Boyd says
I can hardly wait to try this > I use Mozzarella a lot
kim schmidt says
Can’t wait to try this on our next homemade pizza night (which is more frequent during Lent on Fridays!)
Vic Y says
I love this recipe and I love your site. I do have one question. In Italy they use the whey from the mozzarella for making the Ricotta. I saw your Ricotta recipe too. Any idea on how to use the whey in that recipe?
Thanks!
sarah says
I will try and make this in the summer to serve fresh with basil leafs and sliced tomatoes from the garden….Thanks
Sue says
OK, I’ve received the rennet tabs and citric acid – maybe next weekend. : )
Yvonne says
This is awesome and simple, thanks for posting
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Vic Y – You are right — ricotta is traditionally made from the whey of mozzarella (and, perhaps, the whey from other cheeses, too). I can tell you that LOTS of whey is needed in order to produce what would seem to me a worthwhile amount of ricotta.
The process, in a nutshell: the whey is heated to boiling, then allowed to cool to about 140F. Then it is poured through butter muslin. The milk-solids which collect in the muslin are the end product: ricotta.
Melissa says
I loved your posts, all of them, but I really enjoyed the posts on making cheese, you make it seem very easy. So, I decided to make a purchase from the site you recommended and will tackle the project soon! Thanks again!!
Rachel Clark says
Can’t wait to try making mozzarella! I use it a lot–the little balls with mixed veggie salads and the big balls to slice with my tomatoes and basil. Just bought a pound today, but will try this recipe real soon. It would be a big money saver. Thanks so much.
Ann says
Totally awesome–love your site, wish I’d found it before I signed up for a cheesemaking class, which starts this week–tho I think it’ll be fun. I’ve long made my own yogurt–this is economical too, given the price of cheese, and probably about a hundred times more tasty. Thanks again!
Gladys says
I tired it….it did not set up. It looks more like ricotta. I had another recipe that I followed and it said 1 gallon of milk to 1/2 tab of rennet. Well I only had 1/2 gallon of milk, so I added 1/4 tab of rennet to that. It also had me cooking the milk & citric acid mixture to a temp of 88, then adding the rennet and cooking to a temp of 105. Do you think that I can salvage it?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Gladys – I have only tried this with the recipe described above. Out of 60 batches, only once did the curds not set for me. And that, I think, is because I accidentally over-heated the milk.
Car says
Do you have to use whole milk? or would 1% or 2% work?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Car – I have only tried this recipe with whole milk. But I can’t imagine why 1% or 2% milk wouldn’t work. The important thing is that the milk not be “ultra-pasteurized.”
Amanda says
In your experience is it any cheaper to make your own cheese? It is getting so expensive and my family goes through it so quickly.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Amanda – I once did the cost-analysis for homemade mozzarella v. store-bought. The results? The homemade version was cheaper for me, based on what I pay for a gallon of local milk. However, if milk is particularly expensive where you live, the store-bought version is probably cheaper.
The rennet and citric acid used in the making of mozzarella amount to only pennies.
That said, homemade mozzarella is FAR, FAR tastier than any of the ultra-bland, commercially-produced blobs of rubber available at most if not all supermarkets.
Now, I’ll have go hunt for those calculations…
Lex Malla Books says
I think I’d be a little scared to try this one!
lexmallabooks.com
Fred says
Question, can I use lemon juice as a citric acid substitute? Have lemons on my tree, same? Thanks in advance. Fred
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Fred – How lucky you are to have a lemon tree! I suspect you could use lemon to acidity the milk…but, having never tried it for mozzarella-making, I can’t give you an exact proportion to use.
I hope you’ll experiment, and then report your findings.
Fred says
Thank You Kevin, One more time? Will be making cheese for the first time, going with the mozzarella. Will have to buy some rennet. Is there any difference between animal or the vegetable rennet? Looking for taste, was thinking getting some lipase since I’ve been researching and what I have read a better taste will be achieved with the addition of lipase. Got the fresh basil and My tomatoes are coming in now for caprese. We make our own pepperoni and Italian sausage for our homemade pizza so the cheese will be an adventure and conversation piece. Retired and bored!!!
Thanks in advance everyone, much appreciated. Nice Site.
Fred
The Potsmith says
I was with you up until you said ‘microwave’. We do not own one and haven’t used one in over eight years now. *sigh*
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
The Potsmith – Welcome. No-microwave method is located at the end of the recipe.
Mac says
How much cheese does this recipe make? I can’t seem to find that anywhere.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Mac – Nice to meet you.
This recipe makes about 1 lb of mozzarella. (The yield is listed just above the ingredients.)
Hope you’ll try the recipe!
Sharon says
Just made my first batch, a bit stringy so I braided it. Very easy very tasty
Jenny says
I made mozzarella for the first time tonight, but it certainly won’t be my last! I was afraid it was going to fail after I put in the rennet and things didn’t firm up the way your instructions said to, but I added more rennet and turned on the heat and immediately, things began to shape up. I probably won’t add more rennet next time because it’s a little too firm, but I’m so excited that it came together like it did. Good-bye $6 super-market ball of fresh mozzarella cheese! 🙂
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Sharon – So glad you liked the taste! My cure for stringy, over-stretched mozzarella is to pop it back in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Jenny – Congratulations! I can’t buy those blobs of rubber from the supermarket, either.
Fred says
Is there any difference between “Super industrial strength” liquid animal rennet and “regular” liquid animal rennet? I’m using it at .25 tsp industrial strength , Also, What are the consequences if too much is added, will it have a “clean break” Did 4 gallons and all came out as a very fine type of cottage cheese. Did not even come close as a mass of cheese. Distilled water, tap water, boiled water, did not matter, used a digital temp gauge. raised temp slow, used “cool water’ etc. just having a hard time. Just tiny beads of cheese ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m lost. 2 tsp of citric acid Thank You in advance, Fred
Marcy says
You are the best. Your site is beautiful, easy to use and you talk about things that really matter! Love the gardening tips and this one on cheese is perfect. I’m going to do it today!
Thanks so much.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Fred – I’ve never used liquid animal rennet for making mozzarella. Instead, I use vegetable rennet tablets. If you can’t find such tablets locally, you can order them from the New England Cheesemaking Company. That’s where I buy mine. The tablets are not in the least expensive.
Marcy – So glad you like this crazy place. Let me know how the cheese turns out for you!
Michelle says
Found your site on a link to this recipe. So excited to make it I went out and bought all the ingredients at the local health food store. Used 1/4 tsp liquid rennet and the recipe worked perfect. It’s now in the ice water and can’t tell you how hard it is NOT to try it!! Will be great when we have our tomatoes from the garden this summer! Can’t wait try you other recipes.thank you!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Michelle – Nice to meet you. Glad to know the recipe worked with liquid rennet. Can’t tell you how often I’ve made this cheese and then eaten the WHOLE thing immediately after. Wish I possessed your will-power!
Rita Galloway says
Boy am I glad I subscribed to this site. I will try to make the mozzarella and see how it turns out but otherwise I would not have known it was this easy. Thanks.
Topher says
Hey, Kevin!
Can I use raw milk with this recipe?
Thanks.
Topher
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Topher – According to the New England Cheesemaking Company, raw milk can be used to make this mozzarella.
Jenny says
I have not had much luck with the recipe as it is… maybe there is something wrong with my water or the kind of milk I buy. It says pasteurized and homogenized, not super or ultra anything. Last time I had to add a whole rennet tablet and this time too… Ugh.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Jenny – Any chance the water you used was chlorinated? If so, use bottled spring water in which to dissolve rennet and citric acid. Chlorinated water will stop the enzyme action of the rennet.
Kayla says
Any idea how much sodium this would have in it? Trying to find low sodium recipes for my grandfather who is on a low sodium diet due to bypass surgery.
Marina Racz-Distler says
wow i love it
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Kayla – You don’t have to add any salt at all. I usually don’t.
Marina Racz-Distler – Wow, indeed! I hope you’ll make this great cheese.
Garoleen Wilson says
I am so looking forward to making fresh cheese. My Jersey cow is due to calve any day.
I’ve made goat mozzarella with great success so this should be fun, I can get more volume since the cow gives lots more milk than a goat.
Taneika says
I don’t know what happened, but things went horribly wrong. Mine never looked like custard, now I have what looks and tastes like cottage cheese. Ok for eating, but not what I was wanting 🙁
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Taneika – Sorry to hear that! What do you suppose happened?
Taneika says
I don’t know. I tried it twice today. With non-chlorinated water, I have no idea what I did wrong. It didn’t set either time to look like custard.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hmmm. And you used a thermometer to check the temperature of the milk? I only ask, because the time I overheated the milk, it didn’t set.
Taneika says
Ya. I used two thermometers the second time thinking it was broken the first time. And they both said the same temperature.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Still trouble-shooting here…(because, dammit, I want this cheese to work out for you!)…what kind of rennet did you use?
Taneika says
Is there somewhere I can send u pictures? I would like for you to see how both of them look. I used “junket” brand rennet. It was all I could find. I went to every health food store in my town an finally found it. I’ll buy some online and see if that works better.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Problem solved. I checked with the New England Cheesemaking Company who said: “Junket is great for making custard, but it is nowhere near as strong as cheese rennet tablets. Cheese rennet is 80% chymosin and 20% pepsin. Junket is approximately 80% pepsin, so it is much weaker than cheese rennet. It also contains many additives.”
Taneika, I order both rennet and non-gmo citric acid from the source listed above. These 2 items cost almost nothing, they arrive at my door 2 days after I order them, and they last for quite a long time.
Well, I hope this is some consolation to you.. I feel bad that you wasted all that milk.
Mary says
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it with fresh basil and tomatoes. Mmm…
Thanks so much for your website. I return here again and again for education and inspiration. 🙂
alain says
looks good,,would love to win and have a chance to make own cheeses
C. Anne Dail says
Wow, I’m 77 and the children just gave me this computer. I have always liked very much Mozzarella cheese now thanks to u, I have a recipe to makeit. I’ve never made cheese before. but I can learn . THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH, aNNE
Mary Ann Salsman says
I was really hesitant to try this, but it was SO easy! Haven’t tasted it yet. It’s in the ice bath. Next time I may marinate some little balls of the mozzarella. I’m so happy!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Mary Ann Salsman – Yeah! Let me know how you like the taste. I think homemade mozzarella is far superior to the commercial kind.
Euni Moore says
This is the easiest appearing recipe. I have all the ingredients and this will be a task for tomorrow. Thanks.
Susan Traynor says
OK. I have to try this! Will have to up my shareholder interest at the farm where I get my raw milk. (YUM! That stuff is great for everything). The organic kefir I make is good, but really need some homemade mozzarella to go with the home grown heritage tomatoes I started from seed. This mozzarella will be perfect in the Chicago style deep dish pizza with a recipe I got from America’s Test Kitchen. so much to do. So little time.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Euni Moore – If you make this mozzarella, I hope you’ll report back on your success.
Susan Traynor – How lucky you are to have access to raw milk. Yes to deep-dish pizza with fresh, homemade mozzarella!
foodtshirt says
Awesome, I am going to try this soon. I love mozarella. Thank you for sharing!
Anne-Marie says
Fascinating .. and so I’ll have to try that. First I’ll search for the proper rennet and if I can’t find, I’ll contact your source. It is very helpful to see all the feedback and comments on the cheese making. How fun!
Anna Lapping says
I’m going to try it. I make ricotta quite often so I think it will be fun! Just have to order the rennet and citric acid.
Denise says
Does this cheese firm up enough to shred/grate it? My family doesn’t care for globs of soft mozzarella on their pizza, they prefer the hard shredded kind that melts.
Jenna says
So happy to find your blog!!!!! You have inspired me to try some new recipes. I’m gonna love this!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Denise – I’ve grated mine.
Jenna – Nice to meet you!
MommmaMoreno says
I am glad to find your site. I can’t wait to try these!!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Welcome, MommmaMoreno!
KimH says
I really need to do this one of these days.. There is nothing better than just made fresh mozzarella. Yum!
steph says
I add to this…use whey in soups instead of water …add to mashed potatoes
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html
I love the frugal cheescloth idea too
judi m. says
Looking fwd to trying this. homemade is always better and to think there’s an alternative to overpriced bland moz from the grocery store!
1 question: why rubber gloves? Just a sanitary thing? Will the space-time continuum alter if I don’t use them?
Thanks for a very informative blog! YOU are why I love the web!
~judi
Michele Washam says
This cheese was OUTSTANDING!!! I made it about a month ago and used what was left of it after my 17 year-old son found it, on pizza. My daughter is a Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and is home on 4th of July leave from Japan, I’m making it tonight and serving with fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden. THANK YOU!!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
judi m. – Rubber gloves, because after you heat the curds in the microwave (or waterbath), they will be very hot. I do not wear the gloves, but that is because I’m used to handling hot, hot food!
Michele Washam – So glad you liked the mozzarella. And here’s hoping that you and yours have a wonderful fourth!
mary says
I made this for the first time last week and it was great. Our local grocery store has a person that comes in once a week and makes store made mozzarella. I liked mine better. I made mine with Rickl’s recipe using dry powdered milk and heavy cream, because I was leary of getting the milk that had been heated too long in pasteurization. It was super easy and I am going to make more shortly
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Mary – I have not tried this with powdered milk and cream, but I’m so glad you did. Homemade mozzarella is addictive, yes?
Cathye FLory says
I just tried to make this cheese for my in-laws and it sure didn’t turn out. I couldn’t cut it as it was just a liquid as when I poured it from the jug. I followed the direction to the letter. I then came back to this page to make sure my printout was right. I was so excited to make this and we all was looking forward to this. If I would drain it there wouldn’t be anything left. I bought my non-gmo citric acid and tablet rennet from an Amish store.
Cathye FLory says
Ok after ready all the comments I think I know what went wrong. I used junket rennet. I suggest that you redo the ingredients and put in ( not junket rennet) besides rennet.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Cathye – I’m so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you. I’d never heard of “Junket” rennet until reading some of the comments. I took your advice and made a note up top. Junket, according to the New England Cheesemaking Company, is too weak for mozzarella-making.
Promise me you’ll give this another try? Pretty please?
Regi A says
Not to get into a war of the rennet brands, the Junket people actually have cheese recipes on their website, so apparently you CAN use Junket rennet to make mozzarella cheese in this manner:
http://www.junketdesserts.com/cheeserecipes.aspx
Just making a note of this as not everyone can find cheese rennet in their area and not everyone wants to spend money doing mail order for something they may only be trying out. Costing “next to nothing” for some people is relative as many people are looking into this as a way to save money.
Also citric acid seems to be available in Indian stores if you’re lucky enough to be near any.
http://www.daftmusings.com/2008/12/20/the-great-homeschooler-chemicals-hunt/
Cathye FLory says
Thank you so much for your reply, I decided to check out your cheese making directions again just in case I missed something and when I saw the wording about junket rennet is too weak for this cheese, I thought to myself, “How did I miss that?” Then I read your answer to me and realized you added it after I made the suggestion . I will be 60 tomorrow and I am glad to know it wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me. Tomorrow I will be going to Columbus, Ohio and I will check some big health food stores for the right rennet and will try it again for sure. Can you add other seasonings to the cheese besides salt?
Paula says
My friends and I are celebrating tomato and basil season with a “Mozzarellapalooza” event next Sunday… our first attempts. Will report back next Monday.
Linda says
I live in Colorado. I live at 8500 feet. What changes if any do I need to make??????
Donna says
Made it for the first time and it came out perfect! Thanks so much for the easy instuctions. I’ll be making it often. Tastes so much better than store bought. 🙂
CAROL says
I tried this and it’s very good however, mine didn’t melt very well on pizza. Any suggestions?
Joanii says
This was a very easy recipe and tasted great! I used some for Proscuitto rolls as well as placed it on top of homemade pizza tonight 🙂 Definately a recipe I will continue to use!
Terri says
Y’all have me so intrigued!!! I am a cheese fanatic but making my own makes me so nervous! I recently got a smoker so my latest thing is cold smoking cheese and now you got me thinkin–what if I make my own mozzarella and then smoke it?!?! I am thinkin it might be somethin like heaven! ; ) Maybe one day I’ll be able to make it all happen! In the meantime, thank you for all the great info!!!
Greg says
I’ve made Mozzarella twice. The first time, I used raw milk and it turned out perfect!! I make homemade pizza and topped it with a lot of the fresh mozzarella. It melted and tasted like mozzarella…..only a bit better!!.
The second time, I used Vitamin D milk that was pasteurized and it was horrible. Raw milk is the way to go. The whole cooking process was different with the vitamin D milk so much that I was concerned the whole way through the process until I got to the kneading part. It started kneading just fine and I was breathing a sigh of relief until after it cooled and I cut a slice to eat. The texture was not that of a true mozzarella but the taste was kind of there. I used slices for a recipe and it didn’t melt at all. The next day, I Took another slice to eat and it was like gelatinous milk flavor. It was gross so I had to throw the rest away.
Sorry for the long story but it is only to inform you that raw milk has to be the way to go. I’m pretty sure the pasteurization process takes some vital aspects away from the milk to make a great cheese. I know it is a bit more spendy but to me it’s going to be way more worth it!!!
Jan says
Mmmmm! I am visiting with my son and we made this today. Turned out great! We used cream top milk and only made a half recipe. He was a bit shy to do another gallon because his first two attempts did not turn out. Glad he persevered!
Melissa says
After many intentions to try this, I finally made it the other day, just to satisfy my craving for caprese salad! I didn’t have a pot large enough so I used my crockpot. Although it took longer to heat than the stovetop, I will still able to achieve the same results!
tricia says
Is there really a difference in citric acid? Is there a brand that is better for cheesemaking?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi tricia – I use the (non-gmo) citric acid that I bought from the New England Cheesemaking Company (see link above). But as far as cheese-making goes, I think any citric acid should work.
Luann says
Excellente! And my first time at any cheese! Thank you!
Cathye Flory says
I haven’t made this cheese since last July when I use the wrong rennet. After looking in several towns I finally found liquid rennet. Today is ground hogs day and since I am snow bound I thought I would give it a try. I only made a half batch just in case it didn’t turn out. Well Praise the Lord! It turned out great. It didn’t make alot but with the two of us it will be just enough for a snack on Super Bowl weekend. Will make this again but it will be a full batch.
Lee Ann says
This looks like the coolest thing to make in the kitchen!
I admit….I am very skeptical since I have never tried anything like this and I have never heard of two of the ingredients, but I am open to trying this provided the health food store has those ingredients (the acid and rennet). Thanks very much for posting this. This is my first visit to your blog and it looks amazing! 🙂
______
Lee Ann H
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Blog
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Website (crochet names and rosary patterns)
Jody says
This is on my DO list for 2013~I like the idea of A. saving TONS of money and B having fresh food to eat!
Rich says
Holy S–t! Milk to cheese in 30 minutes. (Well, okay, it took me 45.) Having pictures of the process made it much easier and I turned out perfect, though not perfectly shaped, mozzarella. Thank you!
cathy fox says
making this one.thanks kevin.looks very easy.
Susan says
Hi Kevin,
I must say this is my absolute favorite website! Everything you write about is
something i an interested in.
Last month I made my milk jug greenhouses,
so much fun! This month Despite being deep into garden work I will take
some time to make some cheese, all recipes sound so good.
Thanks for all your hard work and dedication.
Sincerely, Susan
Ms Mc says
My first attempt at it failed today. I faced several issues during making it:
1) After adding liquid rennet, the curd did form, but the texture was not soft at all. It was dense, and it settled to the bottom of the pot.
2) Moreover, on heating it to 105degrees, the curd remained in a think clump rather than breaking up into smaller bits.
3) The final product is hard and rubbery.
Any suggestions on what I can do to fix these during my next try. Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Ms Mc – I’ve never used liquid rennet for mozzarella. The rennet tablets I obtain from The New England Cheesemaking Company have always produced excellent cheese.
Teresa Foister says
Looking forward to trying this cheese making! one question can you get it firm enough to shredd?
Anna says
Googled vinegar to kill weeds and clicked on your site…..so glad! Can’t wait to try making this mozzarella cheese! And to kill the weeds naturally…..
Melinda says
My daughter and I took a class to make homemade mozzarella and it came out rubbery like the store kind. When I asked the instructor they said that to get it creamy you have to do more than they can just teach in that class. So I gave up…until now!
So with that background I stirred only 2 minutes rather than 5 because I was worried it would be to firm. It never did get to the stringy stage, and while it barely held together and has more the texture of ricotta it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely try again. Little worried about my waistline eating my “mistakes”!!!
My daughter already wants to open a stand at our local market with this cheese under the name “No Whey! It’s Cheesus!”.
Melinda says
Made it again tonight and stirred for 5 minutes. Perfection!!!
Kim says
Is there anyway of making your own cheese using non-cows milk? We can’t have dairy and really miss cheese. We drink coconut and almond milk. Please advise. I would love to make and eat your cheese. It looks simple and great.
Caitilin says
I have citric acid that I use for canning. Will that work, or is there another kind I need?
Sally says
Hi Kevin,
Well, we tried and failed!!!! We followed instructions (at least we thought we did!) but all we got is very little curd and lots of whey. What did we do wrong??? We used products from New England Cheesemaking Co. They said to keep rennet in the freezer til ready to use. Should I have taken it out of freezer and get to room temp? We dissolved it like it says, and followed the instructions to a t. Is there a certain brand of milk that is best to use? I want to make this soooo bad, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Sally
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sally — Is it possible you let the milk get too hot? I only ask because once, when I overheated the milk, the curds didn’t form well at all. If any event, I hope you’ll give the cheese another try.
Sally says
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the advice. We don’t think we had it too hot, we had a thermometer we purchased just for the cheese, but maybe we did. I will definately try again! I’m no quitter! Will let you know how it goes. Also, I subscribed to your newsletter and just got finished
looking at it! What a garden! That is exactly what we want to do to a piece of property we own! We are growing a garden this year. We used to grow a garden years ago and got too busy, but we decided we wanted to try again. So far, so good. We are trying lots of new ideas we have found on Pinterest! But ours will never look as good as yours! But maybe when my husband gets to retire from the postal service, we can devote more time to it! We are looking forward to the harvest we will hopefully have from what we have this year! Thanks again for the advice and we will try again!
Sally
Myra says
Hi Kevin, why can’t I add more rennet if i have the Junket tabs? I already have it on hand.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Myra – According to the New England Cheesemaking Company, Junket tabs won’t work for this recipe. But you can use Junket for a different mozzarella formula. Google “Junket Mozzarella” to find the recipe.
Marie Gamboa says
It worked and it is delicious. Thanks you.
jim says
I have been using Junket rennet for some time t make cheese. The secret of use is use 1 tab per gallon of milk. As for the milk if you use no homogonized (sp?) -this can be found at whole food markets chain of stores. It comes out fine. as a starter for regular pasturized milk put 2 oz of yogurt (with live cultures in the milk and stir 5 hours before starting your cheese attempt. leave at room temp. and if a clean break doesn’t happen in a half hour just wait a little longer 1 usually wait about an hour before checking for the break.
Cheeses I have successfully made with junket
Mozzarella, american basic, provolone, cheddar, parmessan and romao, feta, gouda and of course ricotta( I love cannoli’s) and also gyetost(sp?) norwegian cheese made form leftover whey
Sandy M says
THANK YOU, THANK YOU for providing this recipe for soft mozzarella! I have been hunting for a while now and could only find recipes that produced the firm style you’d use for grating (pizza cheese). I just made your recipe this afternoon and it turned out perfectly! (So glad that the ridiculously expensive cheese-making kit I bought from Williams-Sonoma wasn’t a waste!)
maria says
I’ve made three attempts at homemade mozzarella. I have fresh unpasturized cows milk, but I’ve been using vinegar in place of citric acid, and a whole junket rennet tablet. Everything goes great until the part where you’re supposed to be able to stretch it. Mine will not stretch without breaking, and the end result is a hard rubbery ball , that’s even hard to chew. Is this because of the junket rennet?? I’ve grated the bad result, and put it on pizza which we did manage to eat, but it wasn’t good, it wasn’t nice and soft and melty. Its just not right. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.
thank you.
Cathy says
What a waste of $20 on milk and cheese making supplies. Followed directions to the letter and never got more than a liquid mess. Never set up. When you give a direction like: “Then inspect the curd; it should resemble a custard if pressed gently with your finger” and it doesn’t resemble a custard what should I do? How about some hints for when the recipe goes wrong. Sorry for the strong words, but when you are on a limited budget, trying to learn to do it yourself to save money and eat healthier, it just kills me to have to throw out all that milk.
Monica says
I was able to skim cream off my goat milk, make butter…..then make 30 min mozz…..make ricotta off mozz whey…… any last pot whey went back to my goats for extra protien. That is my milk circle of life, LOL!
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Kira says
I personally would never use rennet unless it was a vegetable or Kosher type. The cruelty associated with the “production” of rennet makes me sick. I’ve seen on tv where they heat the milk on high heat, it separates naturally and they skim off the curd which makes cheese using a cheesecloth. No rennet necessary! Google it and be cruelty free!
Adrian says
Microwave??? No, thanks!
Veronica Ayala says
I just love this. Thank you so much, I just got it today a couple of years later, but still is precious information. Thank you again and keep it up.
Siggy says
Anybody have any luck with using lemon or lime juice instead of citric acid? I live in Costa Rica and have a dairy farmer as a neighbor so I could get rennet and raw milk from him. But I wouldn’t know where to get citric acid here.
Liz says
First time trying this and although it tastes great. I couldn’t stretch it at all and it kept breaking upvinto clumps, despite numerous blasts in the m’wave. It looks like a cauliflower. I halved the recipe so perhaps that might have been the problem
Casey says
Can I use 100% boxed coconut water instead of tap water?
WBates says
You can make ricotta from the whey that is drained off after making the mozz. nothing in cheese making goes to waste, 🙂
Pat Greenleaf says
Morning Kevin,
I know you are on the East Coast, I’m having trouble finding non ultra-pasteurized milk out here in Southern Ca. I’ve tried Whole Foods and other chain grocery stores. I never find non UP/milk to make cheese. Do you have any suggestion for stores?
Pat
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Pat – You might find non UP milk your local farmers’ market. Worth a shot!