Instant Pot Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

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Learn how to make fresh mozzarella cheese in the instant pot with a few simple, natural ingredients. An easy recipe for beginner cheesemakers.

The Instant Pot is my primary way of making cheese. A few years ago I took my favorite cheddar cheese recipe and tweaked it a little for the instant pot, and voilà-I had squeaky, fresh cheese curds!

So I figured why wouldn't it work for mozzarella cheese too? Honestly, I prefer it much over the stovetop version because 1. you can heat the milk gently to reduce curdling and 2. it allows you to set the temperature exactly where you want it and it will hold that temperature without fiddling with a thermometer.

This cheese has a very mild and fresh taste-much fresher than the mozzarella balls at the grocery store. Use raw milk for the most nutrient-dense cheese, however pasteurized milk is fine (just do not use ultra high temperature pasteurized milk). If you want melty cheese (like if you want to put this cheese on a pizza), I would recommend making this cheese the same day you are going to use it.

Vinegar Vs. Citric Acid

I try to avoid using citric acid when I can because it is often made from ingredients that are genetically modified (GMOs).

What about vinegar? Can I use vinegar to make mozzarella cheese? - Yes! Apple cider vinegar is a naturally fermented food and contains a bunch of gut-healthy bacteria, so it is my vinegar of choice.

If you want to use white vinegar, you can use it but you will want to reduce the amount. I have not tested this recipe with white vinegar, but I would estimate the sweet spot is around a ⅓ of a cup.

What Instant Pot is Best?

This recipe, as well as my instant pot yogurt recipe, is designed for instant pots with the sous vide button. This is how I get my dairy to the perfect temperature. The instant pot I have is the 8 quart Duo Crisp.

What Do I Do With The Leftover Whey?

There are many different uses for leftover whey. Personally, I add it to soup broth, smoothies, and ferments. It makes a great starter culture for many fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickles, and I use it sometimes to make soaked oats. I even use it occasionally in scrambled eggs.

To make it easy to pop into recipes, I freeze mine in ice cube trays or in small jars. It will also last in the fridge for a couple weeks if you don't have the freezer space.

Animals like chickens love whey as well.

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot (with sous vide button)
• 1 extra inner pot (optional)
• 1 colander with bowl/dish underneath
• 1 Large bowl
• 1 slotted spoon
• 1 large knife
• rubber gloves (recommended)

Ingredients

• 1 gallon raw or pasteurized whole milk (don't use ultra high temperature pasteurized milk)
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar (use less if using white vinegar)
• ¼ tsp liquid rennet
• 1 tsp unrefined salt
• filtered water

Instructions

In a clean workspace with clean equipment, take your milk directly from the fridge (it needs to be cold) and pour it into the instant pot.

Mix together ½ cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of filtered water. Add the mixture to the pot of milk while stirring.

Press the sous vide button and adjust the temperature to 90°F. Press Start (the time doesn't matter as long as it's at least 30 minutes).

While the pot is warming up, mix a ¼ teaspoon of rennet with a ¼ cup of filtered water. Set aside.

Once the pot has reached 90°F, pour in the rennet while stirring for about 15-30 seconds, until you notice the milk starting to thicken.

Put the lid on the instant pot, press down the venting knob and let the pot sit for 15 minutes or until there is a clean break between the curds and whey. A clean break means that when you cut into the cheese, a translucent colored whey will pour into the crack. If the whey is milky still, the cheese is not ready yet. If you are having trouble getting the cheese to set, you can turn the temperature of the pot up to a maximum of 100°F.

Once there is a clean break, use a long knife to cut the curds into a grid pattern. The curds should be around an inch thick.

Let the curds sit for another 5-10 minutes.

Next, use a slotted spoon to scoop the curds into a colander (make sure there is a dish underneath to catch excess whey). Use the spoon or clean hands to press out the whey.

Store the whey in the fridge for later use.

Fill the inner pot halfway with filtered water. Press the sous vide button and adjust the temperature to 170°F. Press Start (the time doesn't matter as long as it's at least 10 minutes).

Add the curds into the hot water and let them sit for 3-5 minutes.

Turn off the Instant Pot. Remove the curds from the hot water and add salt to the cheese if desired. I would recommend using rubber gloves to handle the cheese because the cheese can get uncomfortably hot to hold with your bare hands.

Stretch and fold the cheese as you would if you were stretching and folding dough. Before it completely cools down and begins to harden, form it into a ball. You can place it back in the hot water if you need to stretch it more.

Place the mozzarella ball into an ice bath to cool it down quickly. Enjoy it fresh or store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to several days.

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below. Share what you made and tag me on Instagram @keepingitholistic! For more scratch-made recipes and natural living tips, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on YouTube and Instagram!

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