Making mozzarella

Mozzarella is the easiest cheese to make at home in just over 30 minutes. Green Living Australia has made a 30 min mozzarella making kit for beginners, which I use for my beginner cheese making courses. Watch Valerie from Green Living Australia explain how it works:

Make beautiful, fresh Mozzarella in just 30 minutes. Perfect on a pizza or marinated with your favourite flavours. Available from Green Living Australia for $45.

Simple, easy to follow instructions are included. Just follow the steps to make your own gourmet cheeses at home. The kit makes it easy for everyone in the family to have a go.

This Kit Contains:

You Will Need:

  • Stainless steel perforated spoon
  • Stainless steel curd knife
  • Stainless steel ladle
  • Microwave safe bowl
  • Measuring spoons
  • Rubber Gloves

How Much Does It Make?


How do you make the cheese?


  1. Pour your milk into a large stainless steel pot and add your calcium chloride solution, mixing in well.
  2. If you are going to use Lipase for additional flavour, add this now and mix it in well.
  3. Stir in your citric acid solution.
  4. Using a low setting on your stove, gently heat your milk to 32 degrees C. As the milk heats it will start to curdle. Stir gently while the milk heats through.
  5. Once your milk has reached 32° C, add the rennet solution and stir gently but thoroughly, in an up and down motion, to ensure that the rennet solution is evenly distributed throughout your milk mixture.


  • Remove your pot from the heat and allow to set for five to ten minutes, or until you have a clean break. The curds will begin to form and appear to be shrinking and pulling away from the sides of the pot. If the curd is not firm enough to break cleanly as you move the knife within the curd, leave for another five minutes and try again. The whey should be clear. If it is milky, wait a few more minutes. This is an important step, as if you do not achieve a clean break your cheese will not work.
  • Cut the curd using a knife that reaches all the way to the bottom of the pot. First cut it into strips about 2 centimetres wide; then do the same across the original cuts. Then slant your knife and make cuts on as great an angle as the confines of the pot will allow, so that the result is the curd cut into evenly sized cubes.
  • Place the pot back on the heat and heat your curds to 38° to 40° c, stirring gently to keep the curds moving around the pot.
  • Once the desired temperature has been reached, remove the pot form the heat and stir for a few minutes more, to help the curds dispel further they. The longer you stir, the firmer the curds will be.
  • Using a slotted spoon, scoop the curds into a microwaveable bowl.


Gently press the curds with your hands and pour off as much excess whey as you can.

Microwave the curds on high for one minute and then remove and again press out and drain off any additional excess whey. The cheese should begin to mass together and become sticky. Fold the cheese over itself and press like you are beginning to knead bread. It will become smooth and shiny and form into one piece.

Place the curd back into the microwave and heat on high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and drain any remaining whey. Knead the cheese like bread again until it begins to cool. This time the cheese should be too hot to handle and you may need to wear rubber gloves.

Microwave again for 30 seconds. Knead again until the cheese is smooth and shiny, only this time; work in your salt as you are kneading. When the cheese stretches it is done.

If the cheese does not stretch, microwave it again for an additional 30 seconds. Note that the cheese will not stretch properly if it is below 58° C.

When your cheese is finished, make it into two balls and drop then into cold, non-chlorinated water to cool for a few minutes.

This cheese can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week or stored in the freezer for one month. If your cheese is too soft to shred for pizza, place it in the freezer then shred and use it partly frozen.

Recipe © 2010 Green Living Australia