Step 1

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, bring the milk to 115°F.

Step 2

Once the milk has reached the desired temperature, turn the heat off and add the acid of your choice. Stir gently for 2-3 minutes until the curds have fully separated from the whey. You'll be able to see the golden whey and the curds very distinctly. If the whey is still white, add more acid 1 tbsp at a time and continue stirring until it's golden.

Step 3

With a slotted spoon, lift out the curds from the milk and place them in a medium-sized bowl. If the curds are very solid or large, you can cut them into 1" cubes with a sharp knife before lifting them out of the whey.

Step 4

Once you have the curds removed, you want to start pressing out the whey. You can do this with your hands, or the back of a spoon, but apply pressure in some way to remove the whey.

Step 5

Add the salt to the pot of whey and heat to 170°F. Once you have removed the whey and the cheese is pressed into a nice ball, lower the ball into a pot of hot whey for about 2-3 minutes to reheat it for stretching. You can also heat the cheese in a microwave for 20 seconds at a time until the cheese reaches a temperature of 170°F.

Step 6

Using a spoon or two, stretch the hot cheese until it's cool enough to manage with your hands. Stretch only until smooth, you don't want to overstretch or the cheese will be too hard.

Step 7

Heat the cheese one last time and form into a smooth ball.

Step 8

Use this homemade mozzarella right away. You can also wrap the finished cheese in cling wrap, or place in an air-tight container, and chill if desired.

Step 9

Store any leftovers for 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Whey can be portioned and frozen for later use in soups, smoothies, or as animal feed (our chickens love it!).