Instant Pot Homemade Mozzarella made fresh, warm, and flavorful in your very own home in about 30 minutes! Not only is it delicious, but it's an absolute blast to make as well!
Today is the beginning of a week long series I'm callin' Yogurt Button Lovin'! I know everyone is completely obsessed over the Instant Pot nowadays, and I wanted to make sure you are using it to its full potential. One of the features I find priceless with the Instant Pot is that incredible Yogurt button. Of course, it makes insanely good yogurt, but you just wait and see what else it can do!
Now let's get to it, today is Day 1 of Yogurt Button Lovin', and I'm insanely happy to finally introduce you to Instant Pot Homemade Mozzarella!
Mozzarella is a soft, curd cheese that is made with cow or domesticated water buffalo milk. It has a lower fat content than hard, aged cheese like cheddar; 20% in mozzarella vs 30% in harder cheeses.
This fresh mozzarella can be used in Classic Italian Salad, Instant Pot Caprese Chicken, and Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Crusty Bread. Yum!
I've never been completely sold on mozzarella cheese. In fact, more often than not I substitute it with something more flavorful. So this is a pretty big day for me, because I am completely a mozzarella fan now that I've discovered Instant Pot Homemade Mozzarella. It's soft, FLAVORFUL, melty, and easy to make!
The thoughts of making mozzarella had never even entered my mind until a neighbor of mine casually mentioned that she'd been using her new Instant Pot to make mozzarella. Like there is anything casual about that! I shamelessly hounded her for the recipe and called, texted, and emailed her every time I failed to execute the recipe correctly. Thanks Dixie, for your patience with me!
Finally after making it roughly 25 times (no exaggeration, my freezer has a section dedicated to my mozzarella attempts), I have for you my favorite mozzarella of all time. No boring, flavorless cheese here. Nope this cheese is completely worth your belly space and is quite simple, and oh so fun to make. My kids have joined me on many cheese stretching competitions. Hot mozzarella will stretch for days!
Couple things before you jump in
CHOOSING A MILK BRAND
Brand of milk matters here and it took me a lot of fails to realize that. Make sure the milk you use is not ultra-pasteurized. What I learned in this process was that some milk brands aren't labeled “ultra-pasteurized” but have still been heated too high for this recipe to work. If your curds are turning out delicate and more like cottage cheese after being heated, I would suspect it's your milk. See this list of optimal milk brands to find one near you that will work best.
RAW VS PASTEURIZED MILK
I have not made mozzarella with raw milk, only pasteurized. The recipes I’ve read that use raw milk sound very similar to this one, so my guess is that raw milk would also work. In fact, according to this article, raw milk actually results in even stringier, softer mozzarella.
RENNET
I've used both animal rennet and vegetable rennet and I seem to get the best results with animal.
LIPASE
Lipase is an optional ingredient. I feel like it gives it more flavor and helps keep it softer, especially after it has been refrigerated. But if you don't have it and want to try it without it, just skip past those steps in the recipe.
IT'S NOT STORE BOUGHT
When baked in an oven like on top of pizza or lasagna, the top of the mozzarella browns more so and quicker than store-bought mozzarella. Don't expect the exact texture that you get with store-bought. It behaves slightly different, but is magical in its uniqueness.
CUTTING THE CURD
In case the Directions below don't describe this step very well, here is a visual of how it should look after you cut it.
EURO CUISINE YOGURT STRAINER
I love having the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Strainer for scooping my curds into. It makes it a lot easier to get as much whey off as possible. But if you don't already have one (from yogurt making) just use a strainer.
USE GLOVES
Mozzarella needs to be nice and hot to knead and stretch. I personally can't do those steps without gloves which is why I'm sporting these periwinkle beauties.
DON'T OVER KNEAD YOUR MOZZARELLA
Over kneading will make your final product more dry. After the last heating cycle in the microwave, knead and stretch until it becomes shiny and smooth and doesn't break when you stretch it.
SHAPING YOUR MOZZ BALLS
Once your mozzarella is shiny and stretchy, move quickly to shape your balls before it starts to cool and isn't as formable. I like to have plastic wrap pieces torn and ready next to my bowl for firmly wrapping my mozzarella balls. This will help them keep a nice round shape. You don't have to wrap them, it's only for shaping purposes. You can also try dipping them in ice water to help them hold their shape, but I feel like the plastic wrap does a better job at this.
CURDS CRUMBLING AFTER MICROWAVE
If your curds crumble or dissolve after being heated in the microwave, it's likely due to one of these two things:
- The milk is ultra-pasteurized. See this Good Milk List to determine the best milk brand for your area.
- It got too hot while microwaving. If your microwave cooks on the hotter side, you may only need to heat your cheese twice; once for 1 minute, then again for 35 seconds. The curd needs to be at least 135°F to stretch. If it gets much hotter than this, it may fall apart.
If you've had problems with it falling apart, I suggest you first find local milk that is not ultra-pasteurized and second, checking the temperature after heating the curd twice to see how hot it is getting.
MAKE MOZZARELLA WITHOUT A MICROWAVE
To make mozzarella without a microwave, you will need to have hot water ready for the heating stage. Here are details on how to do this (see steps 4 and 8).
HOW TO SERVE FRESH MOZZARELLA
Fresh mozzarella is always better right after it's made and still warm or room temperature. This is the perfect time to slice it up and serve it fresh like on this tomato, basil, EVOO, and balsamic vinegar tray.
Fresh, warm mozzarella is also AMAZING in salads or soup. Tear or cut into bite size pieces and toss into a salad with vinaigrette or toss into a boiling hot bowl of soup.
STORAGE
Fresh mozzarella tastes better warm or at room temperature. I suggest enjoying it while it’s fresh, then refrigerating the what’s leftover.
Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. I've read about storing mozzarella in some of the left over whey (with a pinch of salt). This worked well for me for about 24 hours, but after that it gave the outside of the cheese a strange slimy texture. I've also read of wrapping mozzarella with paper towels to draw out the moisture to make it a harder, more shreddable cheese. I haven't personally tried that one though.
LIVE ON THE WILD SIDE – FREEZE IT
It's possible I'm committing a major mozzarella sin here, but for whatever reason, after being frozen and thawed, my mozzarella seemed to create a more melty, creamy effect in paninis and on top of pizza. I discovered this as a result of having way too much mozzarella so I froze it and hoped for the best. I was pleasantly surprised! If you want to shred it, it also shreds much better partially frozen.
EASY RECIPE
Once you've made you mozzarella (and hopefully didn't eat it all minutes after it was made) make this incredible panini. Pan Roasted Tomatoes + Fresh Homemade Mozzarella + Pesto = lots and lots of happy tears.
I’ve found that Homemade Mozzarella melts best with slow, indirect heat (like in this panini). It is still delicious melted under the broiler, but it doesn’t brown like a store bought mozzarella does.
That should cover it! Homemade Mozzarella is fun, different, and delicious. You're gonna love it!
Now for the Question of the Day: What is your favorite type of cheese? Leave your answer in the comments below to be entered into the Instant Pot giveaway.
Check out the other dairy and cheese recipes from this Yogurt Button Lovin' Series: Burrata, Yogurt, Skyr, Crusty Bread, Ricotta.
MORE “BETTER HOMEMADE” APPETIZER RECIPES
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Butter
- Instant Pot Marinara
- Instant Pot Skyr Yogurt
RECOMMENDED TOOLS TO BUY AND MAKE INSTANT POT MOZZARELLA
PrintInstant Pot Homemade Mozzarella
Warm, soft, flavorful mozzarella made in your favorite appliance, the Instant Pot!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 mozzarella balls 1x
- Category: cheese
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole or 2% milk (see notes about milk brands to use)
- 3/4 cup water (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon lipase (optional, see note)
- 2 teaspoons citric acid
- 1/4 teaspoon single strength liquid animal rennet
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- To 3 small cups, add 1/4 cup of coolish water to each. In 1 of the cups add the lipase and stir to combine (it won't dissolve completely). To another cup add citric acid and stir to combine. To the final cup, add the animal rennet and stir to combine.
- Pour milk into the pot of the Instant Pot and clip a thermometer on to the side (or have one close by so you can closely watch the milk temperatures). Press yogurt and adjust until it says “boil”.
- Warm milk to 55°F.
- When milk reaches 55° F, use a whisk and stir while pouring in lipase mixture. Continue to whisk briskly while pouring in citric acid mixture
- Continue to heat milk until it reaches 88°F; press cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Gently stir in rennet mixture using a slow up and down motion with the whisk, about 30 seconds. Place a lid on the pot for 5-10 minutes, until there is a clear separation of the whey, otherwise known as a “clean break”. The whey should be clear and yellow. If it is still whitish or milky looking, put the lid on and wait another 5 minutes.
- Using a long knife, spatula, or off set icing spatula (basically something long enough to reach to the end of the pot) Cut the curds by making 4 or 5 vertical cuts from the top to the bottom of the pot. Then repeat this process on the other side to make a checkered pattern on the top.
- Press yogurt, adjust to “boil”, and lightly stir the curds until the temperature reaches 105°F. The temperature will vary slightly depending on where your thermometer is in the curds and whey, so just move your thermometer around and take the pot off the heat once it reaches an average of 105°F. Cover the pot and let sit 1 minute.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop large curds into a strainer (the Euro Cuisine yogurt strainers work great for this) and press lightly to remove some whey. Tear 3 pieces of plastic wrap (large enough to wrap 3 balls of your final mozzarella) and set them to the side (don't stack them on to of each other!)
- Transfer curds to a microwave safe pyrex bowl and microwave curds for 1 minute.
- Tip: This next step will need some food safe gloves because the cheese is about to get quite hot!
- Gently fold the the cheese over and over then drain the released whey. Microwave for another 35 seconds, gently fold cheese over and over, drain released whey. One last time – microwave for another 35 seconds, drain excess whey, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and continue to fold and knead until cheese becomes smooth, shiny, and stretches like taffy (this is my favorite part!).
- Working quickly so the cheese doesn't cool and become unstretchable, break cheese into 3 pieces and create a tight, smooth ball shape with each.
- You can eat it hot at this point (so good!) or shape it and chill it for later. It will store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
- Tip: While the cheese is hot, it will not maintain the shape very well. I like to wrap it tightly in a piece of plastic wrap and twist the plastic wrap to create a tight ball. Once the mozzarella cools, it will maintain this round shape. You can also try dipping the hot mozzarella in ice water for a 10 seconds, but I feel like the plastic wrap works better.
Notes
- The mozzarella is the best when eaten warm right after it's made. Chilling the mozzarella will change its texture a bit, but it is still delicious! Cube it up for skewers, slice it up for topping pizza or grilled cheese sandwiches, or partially freeze it, then shred it. If you have extra, I have frozen the cheese successfully. In fact, I insist that it melts and oozes better after it has been frozen and thawed!
- As I mentioned above, lipase is optional. I feel like it makes a softer more flavorful cheese, but you can definitely make it without.
Keywords: Mozzarella, Italian cheese, soft cheese
First attempt was a success!! I noticed when I got to the clean break part that the curds were not formed as well so when I got to the microwave part, I only did 30 seconds the first time and 20 seconds the second time. I used Alder Smoked Sea Salt from Alaska and the flavor is amazing 🫶🏻
★★★★★
Andrea, I’m so happy to hear this! I’ve noticed too with my new microwave that I have to heat it for a shorter time or I end up breaking it. And the smoked sea salt idea is GENIUS!
Can you make this recipe with the manual function ? Ie. if your instapot doesn’t have the yoghurt button?
Thanks.
Melissa, yep, just use the saute button to bring it to the correct temperature. Watch closely!
Thank you so much for your reply to above question, I await your modifications to the recipe. Question for you, in your text for the recipe it says 1 minute wait time after the cheese has been cut up. The video on the other hand says wait 3 minutes before you try to go and strain. what is the correct time that we use ?
★★★★
Mary, I’m just noticing that! Thank you for catching it. Go with the directions in the recipe card.
Everything was working lovely up until the point where I put it into for the third 35 seconds and the whole thing turned into a melty pile of white. What gives? I tried cooling it, but it’s not going back to its original cheese ball shape. I will assume my microwave was too hot. So what use does this byproduct have, not at all textured like ricotta.
★★★
Mary, Oh no, that’s so disappointing. I’m thinking about tweaking this to submerge the cheese in the hot whey instead so there aren’t issues with some microwaves cooking hotter than others. In the past, I used my flops in a pancake recipe I have that uses cottage cheese. It all gets blended up so it works perfectly.
This did not work for me probably because I used the wrong milk or not enough rennet or it got too hot. I read all the warnings and proceeded anyway. However! I did get ricotta which is just fine with me. However it was a bit dry from all the trying so I thought I would share my solution. I had a roasted garlic butter I had made last night I just roasted garlic and mixed it with butter and salt. So I added a couple spoons of that, two tbsp heavy cream, and the last of my cream cheese which was about three or 4 tbsp. Then I added a dash more salt and a tsp onion powder. Mixed it all up separated it into four fold Top sandwich bags. Twisted all the air out and tied them off. Boom. Tasty sandwich spread or something to use with pasta at some point.
Jacqueline, I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for you (it can be a tad finicky), but WOW! That sounds absolutely AMAZING! Even better than mozzarella!
you dont give the amounts of rennet or citrus acid
Ricky, scroll down to the recipe at the bottom and it will have all of the numbers for you.
I have made this marvelous mozzarella twice now and the result is delicious but I’m not sure I am getting as much cheese as I should. Is 12.5 oz right ? I expected more
Thank you
★★★★
Susan, I’m not positive, I will measure the weight next time I make it! Another thing, the higher fat content of milk you use, the more cheese it will yield, so you could try that!
Can you recommend any store brand of milk or does it generally have to come from a dairy farm ?and where can you buy rennet?
Lorine, I haven’t had success with store brands, I always use Winder. Rennet I buy online or at a local kitchen shop. There’s a link to rennet from Amazon above.
My curd was super crumbly. Should I have let it set longer before removing it?
Suzy, from my experience, whenever I ended up with curd that fell apart it was because the milk was ultrapasteurized (I had to switch to Winder brand) or it got too hot when I was microwaving it. Check the milk list link to make sure your milk is a good one, then test your temperature of the milk when you microwave it to make sure it hasn’t gone too far.
My instant pot does not have a yogurt button can I still use this recipe and use the sauté button.?
Darlene, absolutely, that will work great!
Thank you! I used raw milk and this turned out perfectly! I skipped lipase because I didn’t have any. I did use animal rennet. Thank you for this recipe. My husband and I both loved it!
Jen, You’re so welcome! Warm mozzarella is heaven!
The first time i microwaved it it was fine. The second time i microwaved it it turned to riccota textured cheese? Is there a way to rescue it?
Ela, Everything I read about this said that the reason the curds fall apart when being heated is because the brand of milk – one that was heat-treated at the factory at high temperature. What brand of milk did you use? Was the cheese stretching after you microwaved it the first time?
I will definitely be doing this with my kids for a science/cooking lesson while we are stuck isolating at home!
Allison, Great idea! I hadn’t thought of that. We’ll make homemade string cheese!
Could you use a cheese cloth and strainer instead of the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Strainer?
Brianna, I’ve never tried it, but I would assume so since that’s how most recipes are written. Give it a try!
How does one make this in the duo eco plus? I have the yogurt button, but no “Boil,” option :s
Cynthia, I’m not sure! I haven’t used that model yet. That’s strange that it would have the yogurt button and no boil option though.
Yea, it only has “custom” “Pasteurize” and “ferment” when I hit the yogurt button
Try pushing the yogurt button twice. It should read boil after the second time.
Hi Marci!
I was about to make cheese curds the whole fashion way when I thought to check if I could do it with my Instant Pot instead, so your mozzarella recipe came up, now I noticed the ingredients are similar, would you happen to know if I can make cheese curds in my Instant Pot?
Brenda, hmm…I’m not sure, but that would be amazing. Now I want to try that!
Drat, didn’t work. Never became stretchy. It was super soft like mashed potatoes. I cut the recipe in half and only got 1/4 cup size cheese ball. I used Berkeley Farms whole milk bought yesterday and liquid animal rennet. I didn’t have lipase but recipe said it was okay to skip.
★
I’ve used winder farms, mountain dairy, Smith’s, and meadow gold brand. Yesterday, it took almost 2 hours to curd. It seemed like it was working when kneading it after the first microwave, but then suddenly turned to mush while absorbing whey after I added the salt. I ordered rennet through your link in the summer, it arrived in bubble wrap into my mailbox, I didn’t retrieve it until that evening.
Britney, Hmm…Winder is my go to so I’m assuming the milk isn’t’ the problem. My next guess would be the temperatures might be off or the rennet is no good. Sorry Britney, I had several fails with this before I figured it out so I know how frustrating this can be!
I’ve tried this recipe 5 times, all with different brands of milk, and it won’t work. 😢
★★★
Britney, Dang, sorry, that’s frustrating. What rennet are you using?
I’ve used winder farms, mountain dairy, Smith’s, and meadow gold brand. Yesterday, it took almost 2 hours to curd. It seemed like it was kinda working when kneading it after the first microwave, but then suddenly turned to mush while absorbing whey and adding salt.
Britney, another thought, if it gets too hot in the microwave, it can cause it to fall apart. Maybe decrease your microwave time. Perhaps your microwave cooks hot.
Also, I’m using animal rennet I bought through your Amazon link. It came in the mail and sat in my mail box all day on a warm fall day.
That could quite possibly be the problem. Mine stopped working (after its expiration date, go figure 😉 ) and I had to buy a new one. I was a little confused about the 2 hours myself. I would have figured it wouldn’t have worked at all by that point.
Why would it take 2 hours to come to a soft curd?
Do you have any recommendations for what a person could use instead of the microwave for those steps (we don’t have a microwave)?
Deanna, I’m not 100% sure, but when I was researching the recipe online, there were some sources that heated the whey till it was hot enough to warm the mozzarella to the proper temperature. I haven’t tried it, but that might work. Let me know if you try it!
I forgot to add the citric acid. (I feel like an idiot.) I have three cheese ball and it actually tastes good. Is this still ok? I plan to add it next time, I just for got it!
Amy, I’m surprised you got anything without the citric acid! I’m not quite sure if it’s okay or not. Did it even separate?
Holy cow this is amazing and I can’t wait to try it! One quick question, though…the link for what brands of milk to use isn’t working for me. Could you maybe let me know some here? Have you tried Walmart great value brand?
Stephani, I’ll check that link, sorry! I always use Winder Farms with excellent results.
my GUESS is:
the rennet
did it.
Have you tried this with raw milk. Do you need to make any difference?
Andrew, I’ve never tried it myself, but I do know that people use raw milk to make mozzarella. I’m afraid I don’t know if there are any differences in how you make it though, sorry!
The only “approved milk” I can get relatively close to me comes non-homogenized. Is this ok? Do I just shake it to mix prior to starting the recipe?
I found this article, and it seems like that’s a great option https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/10/how-to-make-fresh-mozzarella-from-scratch.html
Mine never got stretchy or shiny. Looks good and tastes alright but more clumpy and dry. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Thanks!
Aubrey, From my experience, the brand of milk made a difference here. I’ve also read this can happen if the milk gets too hot when microwaving so that could be a factor as well.
Hi! Is the remaining whey usable similar to yogurt whey?
Thanks!
Jenelle, Yep!
I used Tuscan whole milk (I’m in Westchester, NY) and an entire vegetable rennet tablet, dissolved for 20 min. before adding to milk. It came out fabulous!
★★★★★
Amanda, Fabulous! Thanks for letting me know!
Can I use a lux insta pot to make this? Mine doesn’t have a yogurt function
Anthony, Yes, you could use the saute function, just watch it closely
OK. I just finished my first attempt at Instant Pot Mozzarella and it was a flop – big time! No amount of kneading would bring it together. After being refrigerated it tastes awful! I even bought the milk from a local dairy farmer. Bought a new Thermowerks ChefAlarm (through your website) and LOVE it!
I plan on making another attempt; however, would appreciate your assistance troubleshooting on this attempt first.
Thanks!
P.S. ~ I appreciate your InstaPot posts. Making yogurt in my InstaPot is so simple and easy. The resulting yogurt is absolutely the best I’ve ever eaten. Thanks!
Charlotte
Charlotte, that’s so disappointing, I know, because I had several failed attempts in the beginning. Mine came down to getting Winder milk and vegetable rennet like the one I link to in the post. Did you do anything different from the recipe at all? And yes, I agree, Instant Pot Yogurt is one of my greatest joys!
I just got through making this. I have to be honest, I could only find “ultra pasturized” milk in my area, but thought eh – I’ll give it a shot. I have about a pound of fresh, creamy, stretchy, beautiful mozzarella waiting to go in my fridge! SO EXCITING! Thanks for sharing this. Love my yogurt button more than ever!
★★★★
Tonya, that’s awesome that it worked so well for you! I’m jealous, I have to be very picky about which milk I use. Yay, you’re gonna love it!
I tried this recipe with raw goats milk that we have in abundance right now and it turned out amazing! I took it to work to share and it was a big hit!
★★★★★
Ok I did everything the way you said and I ended up with Ricotta. What did I do wrong. I could only find rennet tablets (junket brand and used a half tablet)
I’m so disappointed!!
Vicki, I had 3 fails on the rennet tablets, I COULD NOT get them to work for me! I was going to give up at that point, but decided to try the liquid and that is the key!
I tried to make this and my curds never got to the point that i could make any shape….the curds were very loose. I used the correct milk as well as the other 3 ingredients…….I’m not sure what I did wrong…..any help would be apprecoated
Pat, when you are heating your curds do they seem like they are starting to stretch and come together, then suddenly they just start to crumble apart?
I didn’t notice that happening to my curds…..they never stuck together,they were loose and runny
Pat, Hmm..dang, I would think that was the milk then, but I beleive you said your milk was from the “okay to use” list. Maybe it is the rennet. I did have to throw out a failed batch of mozzarella and 2 batches of Skyr before. I figured it was the rennet.
I don’t have a microwave, how can I substitute this step? Thank you for your thorough recipe, I look forward to trying it if I can skip the microwave step.
Lana, I’ve never tried it without the microwave, but I have seen recipes where the whey is heated to a certain temperature then the cheese is warmed up that way. Search “mozzarella without a microwave” and you’ll get a few tutorials on it.
Lana, did you figure out a way around this? i’m hesitant to try on my own first and waste a $15 gallon of milk 😉
I have an Ultra. I can custom set the temperature. Would that work better?
Debbie, That’s a great idea actually, I wonder if that would be easier. If you try it let me know!
Hi Marci! I tried making this the other day and it only mostly worked out. My curds looked similar to the ones in your pictures until it came to the microwaving part. Then they seemed to break down until they looked like malt-o-meal. I couldn’t knead them at all, and the whey never separated from the curd with each microwaving. (I was so looking forward to the stretching part of this adventure). So here are my questions for you : 1- Have you used 2% Winder milk to successfully make this Mozz? 2- What is the wattage of your microwave? 3- Do you microwave on high or use a lower setting? (my personal motto is that only cowards cook on low, so maybe that’s an issue here) 4- Do you ever get little areas of the whey and curds that start to boil when microwaving? I did, so I’m wondering if it was just too hot for the cheese to work out?
I say my cheese mostly worked out because I still spooned it onto my 3 pieces of plastic wrap (after stirring it for a little bit until it started to cool down and set up), wrapped them into flat balls, and stuck them in the fridge while I pouted. Actually, I went to my mom’s house for dinner. When I came home, I tried the cheese and the texture was a bit off, but it tasted great and held its shape just fine. We all still loved the cheese, but I’m not going to let go of my dream of prefect homemade mozzarella cheese until it happens. .. In my kitchen. Any pointers you can give me? I feel like I’m really close to success, but I’m missing a piece or two of this puzzle. Any help you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!
Stephanie, Ugh! I feel your pain. I had so many failed batches while I was trying to figure this out! I’ve used Winder whole and 2% to make the mozzarella – that’s my go to brand. The wattage of my microwave…I have no idea! I have never in my life changed the setting on my microwaves, which I know sounds odd, but I never saw it as necessary. It sounds like your cheese may have got too hot though. Use a thermometer next time, once the curd hits 135 degrees Farenheight, it should be ready to stretch. I honestly think that’s your ticket right there, because after I started using Winder milk, I didn’t have problems anymore. What kind of rennet are you using? Are you using lipase? Shall I just join you in your kitchen 🙂
So I just made another batch and it was worse than the first 😢. I used winder 2% milk again, mild calf lipase, and single strength rennet. I had TONS of whey this time too after adding the rennet and letting it sit for 15 mins before cutting the curds. There was probably about an inch of whey around the outside of the curds plus a donut hole of whey in the center. Weird. I thought maybe my problem last time was that I didn’t let the curds form long enough so I gave it more time this time around. It all went downhill rapidly after that. Still waiting to see if my “cheese” is going to set up enough for me to put it into plastic wrap (I’m doubting it will though). Maybe I’ll try another brand of milk? Or, yes, you should just join me in my kitchen next time you’re in West Jordan 😉. I’m also using a Fagor Lux pressure cooker. Should that really make that big of a difference?
Hello, I just made my first batch. I have to admit it took two tries, but that is because I did not read through all the directions first. I actually left off some of the ending steps the first time. Not a great idea. To work with the curds I used a pair of Kevlar gloves with food preparation gloves over them. Worked perfectly. If you follow the recommendations here I am positive you will make fabulous mozzarella. I could not have had a better experience—once I followed the directions! Many, many thanks.
Shauneen, Well I’m jealous of the 2 tries, it took me 5! Once you get it, you’ve got it though 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
What is the citric acid for?
I am not seeing what or when to use it in the directions after step 1?
Shawna, It’s added to the milk in step 4
What is the advantage of doing this in an instant pot vs stove top? It looks like you aren’t really using the yogurt button to do anything other than heat the liquid.
Jaymie, you can definitely do it on the stove top. The reason I use the yogurt setting is because it’s a perfectly gradual heating cycle that worked really well for me.
Is it possible to make this into string cheese sticks?
Cheri, yes, they aren’t as perfect looking as the storebought (at least when I make them, you may have better skills), but my kids love them that way.
Can I make half of this recipe in the 3 quart Insta Pot? It looks FABULOUS!
Shauneen, I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not! Let me know if you try it, please!
Marci, my curds never became stretchy. They were very dry and crumbly. Did I remove too much of the whey?
Kevin, this can happen if the cheese gets too hot, but for me, the brand of milk was causing this. Check the milk list I link to in the post, that will tell you the best brands to use.
This is amazing and tastes so good! It was easy and went so fast. Mine turned out perfect first time. Well, maybe not perfect because I forgot to add the salt when I was supposed to, smh, but everyone still thinks it tastes great.
★★★★★
Linda, I love hearing that! Yep, I forgot to add the salt a couple of times, made me so mad, haha! Live and learn 🙂
I would love to make this, but I’m not sure I can since I don’t have a microwave. Any advice on how to make this without a microwave?
Jo, I wish I could help you more, but I’ve never done it without the microwave. If you do a google search for “mozzarella without a microwave” you’ll see results where they warm the whey and use that instead. I hope that kind of helps!
Do you have a recommended brand of gloves to use? I tried this recipe recently, and while amazing, the cheese was too hot to touch even with three pairs of food safe gloves on my hands. It still tasted good but I was not able to work it enough to get it to the right consistency because it was so hot. I’m eager to try it again but want to have gloves that will allow me to able to work the cheese adequately. Thanks!
Kati, Yep, that cheese is HOT! I buy mine at Sams Club, but they are similar to these https://www.amazon.com/MedPride-Powder-Free-Nitrile-Gloves-Medium/dp/B00GS8W3T4/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549915805&sr=8-3&keywords=latex+gloves
Can this be done in the Lux with no yogurt button? If so how would I modify the recipe?
Thank you!
Ben, it’s a different process. Google search yogurt for the lux and you’ll find recipes specific to that pot.
Is there any way to do it without a microwave? I don’t have one. Thanks.
Sorry, I didn’t see the message before mine that talked about the microwave.
This may sound absurd but I do not own a microwave … is this recipe possible without using a microwave?
Julie Lee, Haha, I don’t think I could function without a microwave! I’ve searched, “How to make homemade mozzarella without a microwave” on google before, and there are a few methods that come right up.
What to do, if it never separated into curd and whey?
Dennis, When I was first experimenting with this process and couldn’t ever get it to work, I determined it was the rennet and the brand of milk I was using. Once I started using a milk from the approved list (link in the post) I didn’t have anymore problems. Was this your first time trying it?
Are you sure you mean 55°F? How can you warm up to this temperature ? It is below room temperature, ~72°F.
Dennis, When I take my milk from the fridge it is colder than 55 degrees. Is that what your referring to?
Wanting to explore my instant pot past chicken & rice and came upon this recipe. Sounds pretty easy except I don’t own a microwave. Any thoughts on an alternative method for those steps?
Eva, I’ve seen recipes that heat the leftover whey until nice and hot and do it that way instead. But I’ve never tried this! If you google, “How to make mozzarella at home without a microwave”, I bet you’d find some great tips.
Yogurt setting would not work for me as it would turn off and not get past 70 degrees. Had to switch to sauté. Disappointed
Georgia, How strange. Have you had this issue before? Have you made yogurt before?
Hi there – Wondering about the yield for this recipe. I know that you get 3 mozz balls, but are they normal size like you would get in the store? I ask because I’m considering 1/2-ing the recipe, just to try it. I am really looking forward to making this and sending it to school with my kids.
Traci-Lyn, I would say they are just smaller than the balls you buy at the store. I’ve had good results with freezing them surprisingly so you could do that with the extra.
Okay great!!! Thanks for the quick reply and recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Is it possible to make this on an instapot w/o a yogurt setting?
Sarah, Yep, you’ll just use the saute function. I like the yogurt function for how gentle the heating cycle is, but saute will work just fine as long as you watch it close.
Just made this recipe with fresh milk from my Nigerian Dwarf goats. Oh. My. God. It is so good my husband and I wolfed down 1/3 of it still warm. Cooling, it’s all stringy like string cheese ????. I had tried making mozzarella last year from both the “30 Minute” and a regular recipe from cheesemaking.com, and they just didn’t come out for me. Pretty much no flavor and poor texture. I don’t know what I did wrong. But THIS recipe came out perfect! I didn’t have dishwashing type rubber gloves so I wore two exam-style gloves on each hand and that was plenty enough protection. I can’t see a way to add a photo, or I would. Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
Karen! Thanks for letting me know! The cheese is insanely good while it’s still warm, I totally understand you eating 1/3 of it from the get go! That’s the type of gloves I use as well. Doubling up is a great idea. I’m so excited you loved it and am very jealous of your Nigerian Dwarf Goat milk 🙂
One gallon of fresh, raw milk with about 5.5% butterfat yielded one pound of mozzarella. I did make it exactly as given, including the lipase. I didn’t have time to make bread or I would have used the whey in it, but it went to some young pigs I’m raising for the freezer and they sucked it right down. I just also made yogurt in the IP (my FAVORITE feature) but I’ll try your Skyr recipe soon.
Karen, Wow, I bet yours was a whole other level of amazing with that milk. You will love the Skyr. It’s my favorite yogurt.
Thank you!! The taste was great though mine didn’t get stretchy. Can’t wait to make more!
Bernadette, Mine stretches best with a particular brand of milk, but I’m glad it tasted great for you!
Where do you buy lipase & animal rennet?
Kristine, I buy it from Amazon (there’s a link above in the post) or there is a local kitchen store in my town that also carries it. They were both about the same price.
cheesemaking.com has everything you need to make all kinds of cheese. They ship quickly, I think new customers get a percentage off the first order, and they often have percentage off or free shipping sales.
Karen, thanks for the info!
I know it specifically says whole or 2% milk but would non-fat milk work and just have a less creamy result, or would it end up not curding up at all?
Erin, I’m not quite sure. I actually prefer the 2% to the whole milk. I’m curious what would happen if you used skim. If you try it let me know. I’ve made ricotta with fat free milk and it’s not as good, but for using in a lasagna or manicotti it still worked great.
Can you do this without the use of a microwave?
vforba, There is a way to do it with a hot pot of the whey, but I’ve never tried it that way so I’m not completely sure how that goes. I watched a youtube video about it several months ago though so you could do a google search on it and figure it out pretty quick I bet
I tried to make the mozzarella. Failed. It never stretched. Consistency was mare like a dry ricotta. Where did I go wrong? I’d like to give it another try.
Franca, this was my experience time and time again when I was first experimenting and I fixed it by getting a different brand of milk. Check out the link with the lists of milk and see if you can find a good one for where you live. If the milk has been pasteurized at too high of heat, it won’t work. The milk I was using in the beginning didn’t say ultra pasteurized but apparently was still pasteurized beyond what would work.
Thanks for the recipe, it is delicious! And dangerous ????
Definitely it will be a matter of trial an error on the folds, I think I over did it in spite your advice not to do so. Perfect excuse to try again.
I used smoke sea salt instead of the kosher salt, I live the smokey taste it packs.
★★★★★
Enrique, smoked sea salt sounds amazing! It took me several times to get the feel of the folds for sure!
I’m super excited to try this recipe! Where might I buy citric acid? Is there a substitute for it?
Sarah, that one is actually pretty easy to find in a grocery store. It’s usually next to pectin.
I tried your recipe, without the lipase. Started out great but I think I over kneaded it as it is dry and rubbery. Not much flavor to it.
Would leaving out the lipase cause this.
Oh, I also used vegetable rennet because that’s what I had.
I would like to try this again and any tips you can give me would be appreciated.
Penny, I felt like the texture was pretty similar with both the animal and vegetable rennet, but I’ve noticed that if I over work it, it really does dry it out. And while lipase isn’t completely necessary for making mozzarella, I definitely think it improves both taste and the softness of the cheese. You didn’t forget the salt did you?
How would you make this vegetarian? What would you use instead of the rennet?
Monika, You can actually use vegetable rennet instead of the animal to make it vegetarian. It works great!
Favorite cheese – that’s a tough one. I don’t have a favorite. I don’t think I’ve ever met a cheese I didn’t like.
My favorite is Muenster, but I like everything except Blue Cheese.
★★★★★
Depends on the situation, but mozzarella is always good. Gouda, feta, Muenster, Parmesan, and Asiago are other favorites.
Two years ago I fell in love with Manchego Cheese. It is a delicious Spanish cheese, a little bit pricey, but I so good!!
Goat cheese for sure. Hard or soft. My daughter and I love sharing half a large log of soft goat cheese with a nice drizzle of honey and garlic or everything crackers. Hard goat cheese is not so easy to find around our parts, but when we can get ti from our fave Italian market, we do!
A simple mild cheddar cheese is my favorite. 🙂
We love cheddar in our house. Being from the East Coast, I miss the wonderful VT & NY varieties.
Feta cheese made with sheep’s milk served with watermelon!
I love your yogurt button series. I always look forward to new recipes from you. I’m learning a lot of the use of my Instant Pot!
Thank you Monica! I love the feta watermelon idea. That would make an amazing salad. Maybe with some cucumber over some type of meat for the pressure cooker….now you’ve got me thinking!
Hands down, fresh mozzarella served with a summer ripe tomato. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Wow…this looks like a fun thing to try making! I love cheese! White cheddar, Blue Cheese, Romano. Parmesan. But, I think that my favorite to just use on everything every day would be Jack cheese!
That’s a difficult question! I would say I use mild cheddar cheese the most, but also love a good mozzarella.
I’m not a cheese expert, but want to travel someday to taste cheeses. I love cheeses that have a little tang/funk to them. So far from what I’ve tasted, blue cheese and goat cheese are my two favorites.
There is no way I can pick a favorite cheese. Ha! I’ll go with the first that popped in my mind after the panini pic…Gouda.
So many cheeses I like, but parmesan is definitely near the top of the list.
This is really hard, but I love a good gouda. I will be making this mozzarella though. So many good uses…
Cheese is like chocolate, you can’t go wrong no matter the kind. I love a great mozzarella, so excited to try your recipe.
★★★★★
I love so many different cheeses depending on what I am making/using it for. We lived in England for a little while and it was so interesting to me that their cheese seemed so much more flavorful. I miss it! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
★★
This is amazing! All of all cheeses except for the types like Swiss. My overall favorite is halloumi cheese which is a cheese I fell in love with in the Middle East. I call it squeaky teeth cheese because as you eat it, it makes your teeth squeak. It is a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled.
★★★★★
I love cheddar cheese!
Blue cheese, brie, goat cheese, havarti, Gouda
I love Feta in my salad or omelet!
My favorite is Colby jack. I wait to try making mozzarella.
I absolutely love smoked gouda for snacking on! It’s the best!
★★★★★
Well, since I was born and raised in the great dairy state of Wisconsin, I love all cheese–ripe, sharps, milds, pots, softs and aged. All time favorite though? Would have to be Bleu cheese. Keep the fantastic recipe coming–I adore them and make them all!
Karen, You’re the best! Thank you! If we ever meet, we’ll have a full bleu cheese spread!
Love the tomato slices and fresh mozzarella!
I feel like a cheese newb…I like cheddar I guess…and any cheese that comes pre grated????
Leah, hahahahahah! That was hilarious!
LOL One of the tastiest cultural foods on earth and you eat it in the bag.
Since we vacation in Wisconsin, I must say CHEESE CURDS – the squeakier the better!
Barbara, Haha! I never have liked cheese curds but it reminds me of my dad that passed away when I was little so while I still don’t eat them, they make me happy just to hear the word 🙂
As a child I live near and Italian mkt. that sold fresh mozzarella. I really miss fresh cheese and would love to make this. Unfortunately I’m not in an area where I can purchase raw milk. Is there something else I can do?
My family loves all kinds of cheese……we grew up having only hoop cheese…we still love it, but now we have learned there are other kinds of cheeses. We love mozzarella cheese I tried to make some on the cooktop…..and it was okay but really want to try it in an instant pot!
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing this. Can’t wait to try it, with my 10 yr old son.
My favorite cheese is an extra sharp cheddar, but goat cheese comes in as a close second.
★★★★★
Jennifer, Goat Cheese ❤️❤️❤️
I really like Havarti.
My favorite type of cheese is probably Queso Fresco. I use it to upgrade any classic dish from tacos to beans to enchiladas
I love Pepper Jack. However, we are always finding new kinds at the cheese bistro in our local grocery store!
I love all cheese but there are several I have not tried. This fresh mozzarella looks wonderful. Might take some time to make but I think the results would be worth it!!
So many to love. Grueyer and Pavé d’Affinois are 2 of my favorites.
I found a bacon cheddar that I like to use in mac and cheese. But definitely mozzarella and also
ricotta which I’ve made in my IP.
My favorite? That would be hard to say! I love all the types of cheese that I’ve tried so far, except for bleu cheese..I tend to go for mild cheese! My mom used to make homemade cheese (soft n spreadable), n cottage cheese, (love store bought better).
My FAVORITE type of cheese has got to be gorgonzola, but after reading your how-to for fresh mozzarella, I think I’ve developed a craving for it!
Great video, Marci! I can’t wait to try this.
Do you think this would work with Organic raw milk? We buy it directly from a dairy and my husband makes the most amazing yogurt with it in the instant pot every week. Would love to try to make your mozzarella cheese with it. I love so many different cheeses, but I think Italian cheeses are my favorite.
Sottocennare al tartufo is an amazing truffle chees, and burrata, omg… speaking of burrata, any ideas of how to make that?
Favourite cheese is sharp cheddar.
My favorite cheese is Haloumi.
Utah State University in Logan, Utah makes a smoky cheese called Old Ephraim. Best.Cheese.Ever.
Gail, how have I never heard of this! I’m hunting this down asap!
Sharp cheddar is my favorite cheese.
Maybe it’s boring, but pepperjack is my all time favorite!
We are total cheese hounds at my house – we love it all!! I have special love for Asiago and blue cheese though. 🙂
Oh that mozzarella sounds so good, but I don’t have a micro so what can I do? Is there any way I could make it without the micro?
I love all cheeses and Costco had a new German cheese that I’m crazy for called Butterkase. So creamy and melt in your mouth. My all time fav is blue cheese…. I could eat it all the time.
Amen to the blue cheese! If you haven’t tried the blue cheese cheesecake on my blog, you need to! You would Love it!
I have seen recipes where they basically bathe the curds in really hot water. I’ve never tried it that way though so I’m not sure of all the details.
I’ve seen recipes where the curd takes a bath in very warm water or whey. Research that a bit. You probably could still do that step with the Instant Pot
I like many types of cheese but would say colby is my favorite.
Smoked cheddar
I love smoked Gouda!
My favorite cheese is sharp cheddar or real Parmesano Reggiano (which I can never spell correctly).
Shut the front door!!!! I CANNOT WAIT to try this!!! Soooooo excited! I love to make from scratch pizza but now I can actually make 100% from scratch pizza!!!! So happy! Thanks for making my day! 🙂
I love Dubliner cheese by Kerrygold. MMmmmmm! (They also happen to make the best butter on the planet, just sayin’.)
Brandy, Agreed, best butter on the planet. How have I never heard of this cheese though!
I love feta! Also Gruyere on French onion soup!!
ALL cheeses! I like anything that is not extremely sharp!!
Would this work with Fairlife milk? I did’nt see it listed on the website. My stomach can’t tolerate any lactose. I REALLY MISS FRESH MOZZARELLA! ????
Linda, that’s an interesting thought! I can’t find anywhere that Fairlife is ultra pasteurized so maybe it could work. If I give it a go, I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Fairlife is ultra-pasturized.
Thanks for the recipe! My favorite Cheese is a good sharp cheddar. Extra sharp, please!
My favorite cheese is extra sharp New York or Vermont cheddar.
What a tough question. I love them all though if I could only choose one for the rest of forever it would be Mozzarella or Cheddar.
My favorite cheese has always been fresh curds. The kind that squeaks when you bite or chew it. Yum!
I love cheese, but generally only once it’s melted. This means that my favorite cheese are the ones that melt beautifully, with Swiss at the top of the list.
I’m a sharp cheddar kind of girl. This mozzarella looks fabulous, though!
I love Parmesan cheese – on pasta, in salads, in soups, or just eat it by itself.
All cheeses for different uses
I love havarti! I made mozzarella back in the 90s after seeing Martha Stewart make it on her show. My brother-in-law tracked down curds from New York in a 25lb bag. ????. My girlfriends and I got together to make it. Needless to say it was a lot of work and the result wasn’t very exciting. Can’t wait to try your version.
I’m a huge fan of asiago!
I adore Feta!!!
My favorite cheese with crackers is cheddar.
I enjoy all cheese! I’m a big fan right now of Dubliner Cheese and mozzarella.
Your yogurt button theme is fabulous! I’d love to see this with all the IP buttons. There is so much the IP can do, so much more goodness to learn.
My favorite cheese is a melt-in-your-mouth provolone.
I know this does not sound sophisticated but, I love those flavored spread cheeses by Boursin (garlic and fine herbs). We use it as a sandwich spread and with crackers when we tailgate before a concert. I keep them in my refrigerator as an easy entertainment go to.
Favorite kind of cheese is a Dutch cheese with cumin in it, or with nettles in them
Smoked Mozz. I love to cook for my family with this.
Triple cream Brie. Soooo yummy!
My Italian roots steer me to motzarella and scamorza cheese.
Havarti and fresh Mozzarella!!
My favorite cheese is cream cheese in a cheesecake!!
I like Halvarti cheese. Your mozzarella looks awesome! I can’t wait to try out your recipe, but I have to get all the ingredients first.
There’s a smoked cheddar I get from Costco that I can’t keep in the fridge! We love it so much!