How to Make Mozzarella Cheese At Home

Fresh mozzarella cheese can be a delicious addition to any cheese platter, pizza, pasta or sandwich. And it’s so quick and easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients that there’s really no reason to buy it at the store. Plus,  creamy, homemade mozzarella has so much more flavor than many grocery-store varieties.

Ready to get started? Follow the steps below to learn how to make fresh mozzarella cheese in your own kitchen.

Supplies You’ll Need

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon whole milk – Using a high-quality raw milk from a local farmer is best. If you don’t have access to raw milk, just make sure you choose one that isn’t homogenized or ultra-pasteurized (pasteurized is fine).
• 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet or a rennet tablet – If you choose to use the tablet, you’ll need to crush it and dissolve it completely in water first. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on the package and use enough for 1 gallon of milk.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Equipment:

• Rubber gloves
• Cooking thermometer
• Stockpot
• Sharp knife
• Cheesecloth

See more: Homemade Ricotta Cheese

How to Make Mozzarella Cheese

1. Mix the citric acid with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Stir the mixture until dissolved and set aside.

2. Mix the rennet with 1/4 cup of water and set aside.

3. Pour the gallon of whole milk into the stockpot, then add the citric acid mixture. Turn on the heat to medium-low and stir well. Continue stirring every few minutes until the milk reaches 90 degrees F. Turn off the stove and remove the milk from the heat.

4. Add the rennet mixture to the milk and stir for 30 seconds. Cover the pot and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes without touching it. After 5 minutes, you will see solid curds in the milk. If the mixture still looks mostly liquid, cover the pot and let it rest another few minutes.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut a checkerboard pattern into the cheese by cutting parallel slices about 1-inch apart going one direction, then across the other direction. Make sure your knife goes all the way to the bottom of the curds.

6. Put the pot of curds back onto the burner and set heat to low. Heat the curds until they reach 105 degrees F. Remove curds from heat and let them stand 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Use a spoon to transfer the curds onto a cheesecloth over a bowl. Using gloves, squeeze all the liquid out of the curds through the cheesecloth and into the bowl. Transfer the curds to a strainer over the same bowl and let them drain for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the ball of curds from the strainer and cut into 2 or 3 equal-sized pieces. Put all the liquid (this part is the whey) back into the pot on the stove. Add the salt and heat over medium until the whey reaches 180 degrees F.

9. Pour some hot whey into a bowl and add one of the balls of curd. When the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F, you can begin stretching the cheese. Gently pull the cheese without tearing a few times until it becomes smooth and shiny. If it becomes too stiff, you can dip it in the hot whey again.

10. Form the cheese into a ball and submerge it in the bowl of room temperature salted whey. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to set. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of curd.

Enjoy your fresh, homemade mozzarella cheese on its own or in your favorite recipes! Or store the cheese in the fridge and use it within a few days.

Recipes to Try with Fresh Mozzarella

Try your homemade mozzarella in a few of our favorite recipes:

• Strawberry, Mozzarella and Walnut Salad
• Eggplant, Mozzarella and Pesto Gratins
• Watermelon Mozzarella Sandwich
• Grilled Tomato Basil Pizza
• Use it as a topping for our Cauliflower Pizza Crust (pictured above).