Homemade Mozzarella Cheese with Just 2 Ingredients

A homesteader with Italian roots walks through the simplest version of fresh mozzarella you can make at home. No rennet, no citric acid, no specialty supplies. One gallon of milk, some white vinegar, and about 30 minutes of hands-on time gets you a smooth, stretchy ball of mozzarella ready for pizza, caprese, or eating straight.

The method relies on vinegar as the acid to separate curds from whey. You heat the milk to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, add the vinegar, and the curds form almost immediately. From there it is a matter of draining, squeezing out the whey, and microwaving the curd ball in short bursts so you can stretch it smooth.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon whole milk
• Just under 1 cup white vinegar
• About 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Equipment

• Large pot
• Thermometer
• Spoon
• Cheesecloth or strainer (optional but helpful)
• Microwave-safe bowl
• Bowl of ice water

Method

1. Pour the full gallon of milk into a large pot. Set it on medium heat and stir continuously until it reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cut the heat. Add just under one cup of vinegar and stir well for about 30 seconds. The milk will curd almost immediately. You will see the whey (yellowish liquid) separating from the white curds.

3. Put the lid on the pot and let it sit for 15 minutes to cool and finish separating.

4. Use a spoon to scoop all the curds out of the whey and transfer them to a separate bowl. A strainer lined with cheesecloth also works well here.

5. Gather the curds into a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much whey as possible. If you do not have cheesecloth, just squeeze the ball of curd with your hands.

6. Place the drained curd ball in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds.

7. While the curd is warm, stretch it and fold it over itself. It will be hot, so work carefully. Press it down in the bowl and fold repeatedly to start building a smooth texture.

8. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Stretch and fold again. This is when you add your salt -- about a teaspoon, or adjust to taste.

9. Continue stretching and folding until the cheese is smooth with no ridges remaining. Shape it into a ball.

10. Set the mozzarella ball in an ice bath for about 15 minutes to firm up. After that, it is ready to eat.

Key Takeaways

• The target temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit, not higher. Keep stirring the whole time the milk heats.
• Vinegar does the work that citric acid or rennet would do in more traditional recipes. The curds form within seconds of adding it.
• Squeezing out the whey thoroughly before microwaving makes a big difference in the final texture. The drier the curd going in, the smoother the stretch.
• Two rounds of 30 seconds in the microwave with stretching between each round is enough. Overworking or overheating will make the cheese tough.
• Salt goes in during the second stretch, not before. Adding it earlier can interfere with the curd formation.
• The ice bath at the end sets the shape and gives the mozzarella its firm-but-soft texture.