• Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Baking + Sweet
      • Bread
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Cookies
      • Cakes
      • Muffins
    • Breakfast
      • Toasts
      • Oats
      • Granola
      • Pancakes
    • Beans + Grains + Bowls
    • Dips + Spreads + Toppings
    • Pasta
    • Salads + Soups
    • Snacks + Sides
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian Proteins
    • Fish
    • Special Diets
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
  • Index
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Me

Justine Doiron

just real good food

Dips + Spreads + Toppings, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks + Sides, Special Diets, Vegetarian · July 1, 2022

How to Make Homemade Mozzarella

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

There is something so fun about pulling out a half a gallon of milk and being like…let’s make some homemade mozzarella. Making homemade cheese is something I’ve done on the blog before, but it never ceases to amaze me. It’s like a fun edible science project, and I was NEVER good at science.

What’s wild about homemade mozzarella is that most of it is made with pantry staples. You only need one obscure ingredient, which is vegetable rennet. You can easily get this on Amazon or at you local food specialty store.

After that, it all comes down to technique, which we’ll cover in this blog post!

Table of contents

  • Ingredients you need to make homemade mozzarella
  • Step #1 – Adding acid to the milk and bringing it to temperature
  • Step #2 – Separating the curds and whey
  • Step #3 – Draining the whey and salting the curds
  • Step #4 – Shaping the homemade mozzarella
  • How to store homemade mozzarella

Ingredients you need to make homemade mozzarella

  • 3/4 tsp citric acid, diluted in 3 tbsp water – or 2 ounces of white vinegar
  • 4 drops vegetable rennet, diluted in 3 tbsp water
  • 1 liter whole milk – this CANNOT be ultra-pasturized, but other than that, grocery store milk should work!
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Step #1 – Adding acid to the milk and bringing it to temperature

First, dilute the citric acid in 3 tbsp of water and set aside. Do the same with the vegetable rennet.


Then pour the milk into a large bowl or sauce pot. Gradually pour in the citric acid solution, a little bit at a time, stirring constantly. You do not want the milk to curdle, but just to get slightly blue around the edges.


Continue to stir while you bring the milk mixture to 90F degrees. You can either do this on the stove on low heat, or you can do this by placing the bowl of milk in a bigger bowl, and pouring hot water into the larger bowl, surrounding the bowl of milk. Both processes are gentle, which is all you need!

Step #2 – Separating the curds and whey

Once the milk has reached 90 degrees, remove it from the heat source and pour in the vegetable rennet mixture. Stir for 15 seconds, then let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
At the end of the 15 minutes, the milk should have curdled at the top. This means you can lightly press it with a finger and it feels bouncy. Use a knife to cut this solid layer into squares. Then gently swirl your hand in the milk to separate the squares up.

Step #3 – Draining the whey and salting the curds

Now place a cheese cloth over the top of a large bowl. Slowly pour in the milk mixture. The liquid is the whey, and the solid chunks are the curds. By pouring through the cheese cloth, you are separating the curds from the whey.
Let the curds drain out for a few minutes. Give the cheese cloth a gentle squeeze to remove any excess liquid, and move the curds to a cutting board. You can discard the whey, or keep it to make ricotta later.
Add the teaspoon of salt to the curds and knead it in gently with your hand. Then press the curds into a rough ball (image below for reference).

Step #4 – Shaping the homemade mozzarella

This is where things get slightly tricky. With homemade mozzarella, you need to shape it in hot water. The key is that you want the water to be uncomfortably hot. You MUST use gloves so that you do not burn yourself. I recommend getting the thickest rubber gloves you can find.

What you are doing when you dip the curds into hot water is you are essentially recooking the mozzarella, helping it congeal and combine into a smooth, round cheese. The more you work with it, the more it smooths out!

So put on your rubber gloves, and add very hot (the hotter the better) water to a large bowl.
Grab the curds in your hands, and dip it into the hot water. Begin to fold, stretch, and pull the curds. It will be crumbly at first, but the more you work it and dip it in the hot water, the smoother and more stretchable it will become. Continue to dip, stretch and fold.


Do this process multiple times, but note that the less you do it, the more fatty and creamy the mozzarella will be. As soon as you reach your desired smoothness, you’re close to being done!


When the mozzarella is smooth, begin to shape it into a flat circle, and then press it into a ball.

How to store homemade mozzarella

You can either store this in the fridge or eat it right away, and I always recommend the latter 😉

If you can, store it in a tupperware container and surround the mozzarella with water. This will help it last better in the fridge. Since we made it ourselves, it will only keep for around 3 days.

If you are eating it right away, no need to worry about storage, just enjoy!

And that’s it for how to make mozzarella!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.

Homemade Mozzarella

Making cheese at home is one of my favorite things. This recipe will show you how to make mozzarella at home, using mostly pantry staples. There are only a few ingredients that are a bit out of the ordinary, but once you are stocked up on cheese-making supplies, fresh mozzarella might become your new obsession.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:30 minutes mins
Cook Time:12 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: cheese, homemade, mozzarella
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • 2 rubber gloves
  • 1 large cheese cloth

Ingredients

  • 3/4 tsp citric acid diluted in 3 tbsp water, or 2 ounces of white vinegar
  • 4 drops vegetable rennet diluted in 3 tbsp water
  • 1 liter whole milk cannot be ultra-pasturized, but other than that, grocery store milk should work!
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • First dilute the citric acid in 3 tbsp of water and set aside. Do the same with the vegetable rennet.
  • Pour the milk into a large bowl or sauce pot. Gradually pour in the citric acid solution, a little bit at a time, stirring constantly. You do not want the milk to curdle, but just to get slightly blue around the edges.
  • Continue to stir while you bring the milk mixture to 90F degrees. You can either do this on the stove on low heat if you are using the sauce pot, or you can do this by placing the bowl of milk in a bigger bowl, and pouring hot water into the larger bowl to surround the bowl of milk.
  • Once the milk has reached 90 degrees, remove it from the heat source and pour in the vegetable rennet mixture. Stir for 15 seconds, then let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
  • At the end of the 15 minutes, the milk should have curdled at the top. This means you can lightly press it with a finger and it feels bouncy. Use a knife to cut this solid layer into squares. Then gently swirl your hand in the milk to separate the squares up.
  • Now place a cheese cloth over the top of a large bowl. Slowly pour in the milk mixture. The liquid is the whey, and the solid chunks are the curds. By pouring through the cheese cloth, you are separating the curds from the whey.
  • Let the curds drain out for a few minutes. Give the cheese cloth a gentle squeeze to remove any excess liquid, and move the curds to a cutting board. You can discard the whey, or keep it to make ricotta later.
  • Add the teaspoon of salt to the curds and knead it in gently with your hand. Then press the curds into a rough ball (image above for reference).
  • Put on your rubber gloves, and add very hot (the hotter the better) water to a large bowl.
  • Grab the curds in your hands, and dip it into the hot water. Begin to fold, stretch, and pull the curds. It will be crumbly at first, but the more you work it and dip it in the hot water, the smoother and more stretchable it will become. Continue to dip, stretch and fold.
  • Do this process multiple times, but note that the less you do it, the more fatty and creamy the mozzarella will be. As soon as you reach your desired smoothness, you're close to being done!
  • When the mozzarella is smooth, begin to shape it into a flat circle, and then press it into a ball.
  • Serve immediately, or store in your fridge for later use!

Posted In: Dips + Spreads + Toppings, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks + Sides, Special Diets, Vegetarian

Get exclusive Justine Snacks content

You’ll Also Love

Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese
Kale Tahini Pasta
Strawberry Paper Plane
Next Post >

Garlic Scape Egg Soup

Hey! I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, and bread enthusiast with an archive of both savory and sweet. This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!
  • Sugared Fig Scones
  • Roasted Fennel & Brussels Sprout Salad with Fig Balsamic
  • Blueberry Cookies | Vegan & Naturally Blue!
  • Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
  • Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese
  • Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pomegranate Dressing & Chili Almonds
  • Roasted Fennel & Brussels Sprout Salad with Fig Balsamic
  • Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
  • Blueberry Cookies | Vegan & Naturally Blue!

Latest on Instagram

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Dressing Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Dressing and Chili Almonds! I usually don’t do baked salads back to back, but this dressing hit me like a ton of bricks and I needed to make it. It’s just the right amount of creamy, sweet and acidic, and the chili almonds balance everything out with a nutty crunch.

It serves four which means I have three servings in my fridge just WAITING for me, and I cannot wait. 

Full recipe is on the blog and linked in bio, and I hope you’ll love it if you make it!

https://justinesnacks.com/shaved-brussels-sprouts-salad-with-pomegranate-dressing-chili-almonds/

#bakedsalad #fallfood #saladrecipe #harvestbowl
I guess home is where the fig scones are https:// I guess home is where the fig scones are

https://justinesnacks.com/sugared-fig-scones/

#figscones #figs
BONUS EPISODE - How to make a sourdough starter! B BONUS EPISODE - How to make a sourdough starter! Because the end of summer is for building your starter and the fall is for using it 😎

I call this my “Low Discard Sourdough Starter” because I’ve always found myself frustrated by how much flour recipes tell you to waste when building a starter. This one starts with as little flour as possible, and uses a method that makes sure you’ll be ready to bake in less than 7 days. It differs a bit from the traditional method, but it’s fool-proof, and never fails me. 

This is a bit of a longer video, so feel free to save it as a resource for building your starter and visual cues! The full instructions are written out on the blog post linked below and in my bio. 

Let me know of any questions in the comments, and I hope this helps!

https://justinesnacks.com/low-discard-sourdough-starter/

#sourdough #sourdoughbread #sourdoughstarter #howtomakeasourdoughstarter
BAKED. SALAD. SEASON! And I am sorry for the screa BAKED. SALAD. SEASON! And I am sorry for the screaming I just get so excite! 

And this is just the beginning - so please let me know of any and every baked salad request. Your roasted vegetable wish is my command 🫡

The start to this season is Roasted fennel, crispy edges brussels sprouts, and a reduced figgy balsamic dressing. Chili beans by way of @wearebrightland ardor red chili olive oil. A dreamy, veg-packed salad. The full recipe is on the blog, for when your weather dips below 70 and you’re ready to roast 😎

https://justinesnacks.com/roasted-fennel-brussels-sprout-salad-with-fig-balsamic/

#bakedsalad #fennel #brusselssprouts #healthydinner
Fall Seaon = Slop Season ☺️ Part 1 A butternu Fall Seaon = Slop Season ☺️ Part 1

A butternut squash soup topped with a bright fennel salad that’s just so cozy and so packed with vegetables you’ll forget you didn’t even have to blend it. Soup and salad. Never soup OR salad. 

The weather has gotten *crispy* so I have gotten *sloppy* and this soup is just the beginning. Let me know any slop requests below!

You can find the full recipe on my blog, and subscribe to my newsletter (free and linked in bio!) bc those lovers got this recipe a bit early!

Ok ily happy weekend 💚

https://justinesnacks.com/fennel-butternut-squash-soup/

#butternutsquash #butternutsquashsoup #fennelsalad
Shishito peppers in sizzled sesame, dried mint and Shishito peppers in sizzled sesame, dried mint and coriander. A 15-minute salad that is packed with flavor - zippy, nutty, filling - and plant-based! I don’t normally point that out anymore, but people have been asking, and it is!

This is simple, but oh so beautiful. It took me a few tries to perfect her, but I’m glad she’s finally ready! Full recipe is on the blog, and I hope you’ll love it if you make it 🥺

https://justinesnacks.com/shishito-pepper-salad-with-sizzled-mint-sesame/

#shishitopeppers #beansalad #plantbased
Extra sticky figs, brown butter, nutty rye flour, Extra sticky figs, brown butter, nutty rye flour, and a hit of cinnamon - NEED I SAY MORE?

Ok yelling aside, I hope you’ll make this Upside-Down Fig Cake. It’s fall baking wrapped up in a lil loaf. Full recipe is on the blog and linked. And happy weekend everyone 💚

https://justinesnacks.com/fig-upside-down-cake-with-brown-butter-rye/

#figcake #brownbutter #baking
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Me

Copyright © 2023 Justine Doiron · Theme by 17th Avenue