Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Only 2 Ingredients Without Rennet (2024)

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I love cheese, it is so good! That is one thing I always have on hand. My all-time favorite cheese has to be mozzarella. I love string cheese, eating it plain, and of course on pizza. Time to learn how to make homemade mozzarella cheese using just 2 ingredients.

If you are a cheese lover like me, then you have got to give this easy homemade mozzarella cheese recipe a try. You can use it the same way you use store-bought cheese. And you know exactly what is going into it.

Traditional cheesemaking requires you to use citric acid and a product called rennet. Similar to the process I show in this mozzarella cheese recipe. But, for this recipe, I will teach you how to make it without using those ingredients. It is super easy to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

In order to make this simple homemade mozzarella cheese recipe you need just the following ingredients:

• Raw Milk or Pasteurized Whole Milk – Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk or hom*ogenized, the cheese won’t turn out correctly, it will wind up kind of like cottage cheese. But, if all you can find is hom*ogenized milk then you are better off following this cheese recipe. Where I show you how to make mozzarella with cheap milk. Again though, the milk can’t be ultra-pasteurized.
• Distilled White Vinegar – This is used instead of the classic citric acid and rennet ingredients. (4 to 5% acidic)
• Cheese salt – This is optional, you can also use flaky sea salt or kosher salt. Iodized table salt is not recommended.
• Water – This is used for cooling down the cheese. But isn’t an actual cheese ingredient.

Tools

• Large pot
• Spoon
• Gloves, optional
• Bowls
• Plastic wrap
• Thermometer

NOTE: If you prefer you can actually buy a cool cheese-making kit, which has everything you need minus the dairy/milk to make several different kinds of cheese, including mozzarella.

Step 2: How to make homemade mozzarella cheese with just 2 ingredients

Pour the milk into a large stockpot or I like to use my dutch oven.

Remember to use raw milk (unpasteurized) or you can use normal pasteurized whole milk, but NOT ultra-pasteurized or hom*ogenized. Ultra-pasteurized and hom*ogenized won’t work properly and won’t produce a good curd. Also, if the particular brand of pasteurized milk you buy doesn’t work well, try a different brand.

I find I get the best results with raw milk. But that can be a little more difficult to find for us here in the States. If in the States try places like Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, etc.

Set the heat in between medium-low and medium. We don’t want to heat the milk up too quickly.

Gently keep stirring the milk so it heats evenly and reaches right around 115 F/46 C.

Athermometerreally comes in handy for this. But if you don’t have one it should feel like hot bathwater.

Once the milk gets to that temp, turn off the heat, and add in the vinegar. Stir in the vinegar for about 30 seconds so it evenly mixes in with the milk. It will start to curdle almost immediately.

Add a lid to the pot and allow it to sit undisturbed for about 15 to 20 minutes.

NOTE: Classic cheesemaking uses ingredients like citric acid and rennet. But white distilled vinegar works too! It turns out a little different but still amazing.

If you would like to go the more classic route you can pick up acheesemaking kitthat has everything you need minus the dairy of course.

Step 3: Gather the curd and remove the whey

After the 15 to 20 minutes are up, it is time to gather that amazing cheese curd and separate it from the whey.

Take a spoon or spatula and bring the curd to the side against the pot. Make sure to fish around in the whey, because you will always find extra curd hanging out in there.

As you gather it, push it up against the wall of the pot. Then remove it from the whey and place it in a bowl.

NOTE: If you use regular pasteurized whole milk, the curd may look differently, and be in smaller chunks. If you use citric acid and rennet it will develop a film of curd on top, like a custard. Use a knife to cut the curd several times in a grid pattern.

Time to remove as much whey as possible. Using very clean hands or gloves, grab the curd and cup it in your hands and gently squeeze. This will press out the whey.

Allow the whey to fall into the bowl and then discard it into the big pot of whey.

Keep repeating this process several times, using a bit more force each time. You can also place it in the bowl and knead it a bit.

TIP: You can also use cheesecloth if you like, place the curd in the cheesecloth bundle, it up into a ball, and squeeze, this helps remove the whey as well.

Once you have as much whey as possible pressed out of the cheese, wipe any excess whey out of the bowl with a paper towel and place the ball of cheese in the bowl. Or you can certainly use a new bowl. Make sure the bowl is microwave-safe.

Step 4: Heat and stretch the homemade mozzarella cheese

Time to heat that curd/cheese up to right around 160 F/71 C. There is a couple of ways to do this.

I just use the microwave and start with 30 seconds then stir the cheese, and then another 20 seconds or so and that usually does the trick.

Or another method is to heat the whey in your pot up to 170 F/76C. And immerse the cheese in it to heat it up. I show that in this mozzarella recipe.

Once you get the homemade mozzarella cheese to temp, start stretching and folding the dough with a spoon, it will be hot.

If there is any leftover liquid/whey pour it into the pot.

Stretch and need the mozzarella cheese for a few minutes, then shape it into a ball.

If using the whey to heat up the cheese, immerse the cheese and press it with a spoon, then remove it and squeeze out the whey, etc.

NOTE: If you would like to add salt, you can add cheese salt, flaky sea salt, or kosher salt (not iodized salt) right when you are heating and stretching the cheese. Use 1/8th to 1/4th of a teaspoon.

Step 5: Cool the cheese down and eat it

Next, immerse the cheese ball into a bowl of cool water for about 10 minutes. Then add some ice to the water and chill for about 5 to 20 more minutes. Some people allow their cheese to sit in cold water in the fridge overnight before eating it.

TIP: If you want to add more flavor to the cheese, add a few tablespoons of salt to the water as well.

Remove the cheese ball from the water, at this point I like to dab it dry with a paper towel.

And just like that, the homemade mozzarella cheese is ready.

Can I make mozzarella cheese with powdered milk?

Yes! You sure can. Check out this mozzarella chees from milk powder recipe to learn how to make homemade mozzarella using powdered milk. This recipe uses a more traditional method with the use of citric acid and rennet as well as showing the use of a cheesecloth.

How long does homemade mozzarella cheese last?

To store it, wrap the homemade mozzarella cheese with plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container, and place it in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. OR store it in the salt water or whey in a small airtight container, it keeps the cheese damp and flavorful without drying out.

If you want to grate it, wait for it to chill in the fridge for a day or so, or put it in the freezer for a few hours.

Why is my mozzarella cheese hard?

The cheese can become hard, if you cut your curd pieces too small or if it is stretched too much. You want to stretch it as little as possible, just enough to create a smooth texture and form it into a ball.

Why won’t my homemade mozzarella cheese melt?

If you make homemade mozzarella cheese and store it in salted water or whey, which some people like to do, it doesn’t melt well. Because the moisture content in the cheese is very high. It is best to use the cheese right away after making it if you want it to melt. Like for a pizza.

What can I do with the leftover whey?

Don’t throw out that pot of whey! It is very nutritious and can be used in a variety of ways. Pour it into a couple of mason jars and store it in the fridge. It can be used instead of water in most baking or cooking recipes, or in the following ways:

• Smoothies
• Water the plants with it
• Drink it plain
• Use it to make ricotta cheese
• Make butter with it
• Soup stock
• Feed it to the animals

Here are other recipes that you may be interested in:

Roasted Peaches

Fudgy Brownies

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

3-Ingredient Nutella Cookies

Angel Food Cake

Do you like the recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it.If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

Check out my other website101 Creative Datesfor fun date ideas. Food and dating go hand in hand!

Tags

dairy easy savory

245 Comments

1. Michelle

   June 20, 2024 at 10:37 am·Reply

   
   Turned out perfect! Thank you!

   • Matt Taylor

     June 21, 2024 at 11:02 am·Reply

     Awesome!! So happy to hear that. You are welcome! 🙂

2. Breia

   June 19, 2024 at 1:16 pm·Reply

   
   I used ultra pasteurized milk (grass fed) because I had some and was looking to use it up. It didn’t “stretch” but it still made absolutely perfect (firm and dense) fresh mozzarella. Thank you for this recipe! I’m never buying store bought mozzarella again and will try this with raw milk if I can get it.

   • Matt Taylor

     June 21, 2024 at 11:03 am·Reply

     You are welcome! I am surprised the ultra-pasteurized milk worked, usually it doesn’t. Glad you gave it a try and were successful! 🙂

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