How to Make Mozzarella Cheese at Home Without Citric Acid or Microwaves (Easy Vinegar Method)

The difference between fast mozzarella and traditional mozzarella

In this recipe I’ll be talking about fast mozzarella, which is a simple way to make stretchy and delicious pizza cheese at home. Traditional mozzarella is even more delicious, but involves slowly culturing the cheese until it reaches the right acidity, and the timeframe for this can be a bit slow and tricky to work with. With fast mozzarella, the milk is acidified by adding some kind of acid (vinegar, in the case of my recipe), which cuts out all the waiting and makes this cheese doable even for the busiest home cheesemakers. Fast mozzarella is a great recipe for beginners.

Where most fast mozzarella cheese recipes go wrong

When I started making cheese 12 years ago there wasn’t much information around. The only mozzarella recipe I’d seen said to use diluted citric acid, and recommended using a microwave to stretch the curds.

I wondered “why would I dilute citric acid when I could just use vinegar instead?”, and figured out the right amount of vinegar to use. The microwave instructions were easy to replace as well – just heat it up in whey on the stove.

These days I make mozzarella every week. Some weeks I put more effort in than others, but always, we get delicious homemade cheese for pizza.

This is a small batch recipe, it will make enough cheese for one or two large pizzas. Feel free to adjust it depending on how much milk you have. I usually make double or triple this amount, depending on how much milk is coming in.

I’ve made this with cow milk, goat milk, and sheep milk, and it’s always lovely. Halve the amount of rennet if you’re using sheep milk.

A couple of important notes

• Vinegar added to hot milk results in ricotta, so be sure to add the vinegar to your milk for mozzarella when cold or at room temperature.
  
• This recipe makes enough mozzarella for one or two large pizzas. Feel free to double or triple the recipe to make more. Mozzarella freezes well too, so feel free to make extra to store.

How to serve homemade fast mozzarella cheese

This recipe makes the perfect pizza cheese, and is also excellent for cheese on toast, or anywhere that you want hot melted cheese. You can either grate it and sprinkle it on pizza (it’s best to let it cool down completely before grating), or you can cut it into pieces when it’s still warm or when it’s cold.

How to store homemade mozzarella

This cheese freezes beautifully. I make lots of it when our animals are in milk, and freeze it for when we don’t have enough milk for cheesemaking. For best results with freezing, allow your cheese to dry in a colander for several hours, so that the surface is no longer wet, then place in zip-lock bags and freeze. Mozzarella treated in this way can also be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

Working with rennet (and how to avoid GMO rennet)

Different types and brands of rennet can vary in their strength. Before beginning this recipe, first look at the dosage information on your rennet packet, and make sure you are using the correct dosage for the amount of milk. I recommend animal rennet in powdered form as my first choice (Walcoren is a good brand), but liquid animal rennet, and microbial rennet are also good choices. I avoid fermented chymosin rennet (sometimes called “vegetarian rennet” or “vegetable rennet”) because it is genetically modifi

Which kind of milk do I use for homemade mozzarella?

I have the best results with raw milk, the fresher, the better. Pasteurised milk can be used for mozzarella, but avoid Ultra-pasteurised (UHT) milk. The fresher the milk you use, the higher the cheese yield.

Equipment for making mozzarella cheese at home

Pot with at least 2 litre (2 quart) capacity
Thermometer (optional)
Knife for cutting curds
Colander
Bowl for catching whey
Slotted spoon

A second spoon, either metal or wooden

Mozzarella cheese recipe

FAQ

Can I use lemon juice instead of vinegar?

Yes! The recipe works equally well with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Just use the same amount (60 ml / ¼ cup for 2 litres of milk).

Does this mozzarella freeze well?

It can. After stretching, let the cheese drain in a colander for several hours until the surface is no longer wet, then place in zip-lock bags and freeze. It will keep for months and is perfect for when you have extra milk.

What’s the difference between fast mozzarella and traditional mozzarella?

Fast mozzarella (this recipe) acidifies the milk instantly with vinegar or lemon juice, so there’s no waiting or culturing. Traditional mozzarella is cultured slowly until it reaches the right acidity on its own — it tastes even more delicious but takes longer and can be trickier to time.

Why do I add the vinegar to cold milk?

Vinegar added to hot milk makes ricotta instead of mozzarella. Always stir the vinegar into the milk while it’s still cold or at room temperature before you start heating.

Can I use pasteurised milk?

Yes – raw milk gives the best results and highest yield, but pasteurised (non-UHT) milk works fine. Avoid ultra-pasteurised/UHT milk.

What if my mozzarella won’t stretch?

It’s still perfectly edible and tastes great! Some batches (especially at certain times in the milk season) don’t stretch as much. Just give the curds longer in the hot whey or raise the whey temperature a little. The more you practise, the easier it gets.

Can I just stretch my whole batch of mozzarella at once instead of breaking it up?

Yes, you definitely can. You will need to leave it sitting in the whey, off the heat, for longer, to allow the mass to get hot all the way through, and you won’t get it stretched as thinly, but if you are really busy you can definitely do this and still get great cheese.