• Categories
  • Farming Articles
    • Animals
      • goats
      • sheep
      • chickens
      • natural care
      • farm planning
      • diy projects
    • Gardening
      • soil & seeds
      • fruits
      • vegetables
      • garden design
      • natural methods
    • Health
      • nutrition
      • wellness
      • natural solutions
      • Resources
    • Food
      • lifestyle
      • recipes
      • meal plans
      • preserving
    • Life
      • farm
      • funny
      • diy home
      • homeschool
      • how to blog
  • Our Herd Website
  • Resources
  • Merchandise
  • Shop Oils
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Weed 'em & Reap

Urban Farming. Healthy Living.

Recipe | Homemade Goat’s Milk Mozzarella

Published: July 22, 2014 | Last Updated: February 1, 2021 125 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

goat-milk-mozzarellaThere is really nothing better than homemade mozzarella.

Homemade GOAT’S MILK Mozzarella, that is. 

We’ve been chuggin’ the goat milk for about 10 years now. 10 years of bliss. I’m telling you, if you haven’t tried fresh goat’s milk, well then my dearie, you’re missing out. If you come to my house, I’ll pretty much force you to try it. I can’t help it. Visit my farm and I’m probably going to talk your ear off about how amazing goat’s milk is and how it tastes almost identical to cow’s milk. I’ve got into some serious debates about it. Don’t knock it ’till you’ve tried it, yo’.

After you’ve conquered the raising, breeding, & freshly squeezing of goats, the next level is, of course, to make cheese with your bounty. (Read my guide on how to raise & milk goats here.) Cheese is a whole ‘nother level when it comes to making things homemade. It’s not horribly difficult, but it definitely is an art, and just like anything else, your cheese-making skills get better with practice!

There are a lot of homemade mozzarella recipes out there. Some will use cultures, some will use lipase. In my experience, the best mozzarella comes out tasting fantastic when you stick to tried & true recipes. I use a combination of citric acid & thermophilic culture to raise the acidity of the milk and rennet to separate the curds from the whey. You, in theory, could use lemon juice or some other acidic ingredient, but an important part of cheese making — especially goat cheese making — is to get the correct acidity. Too little acidity will make your cheese not stretch in the final steps, and too much acidity turns the curds into a horrible lump of a mess.

Some tips to remember about working with Goat’s Milk:

  • Goat’s milk has smaller globules overall, (this is why it’s so much easier to digest) and so when working with goat’s milk, you have to remember to stir slower & be gentler. Stirring too fast and over working your cheese will result in a tougher end product.
  • The acidity of goat’s milk can be tricky. Milk at the beginning of a goat’s freshening (right after they have babies) has a higher amount of acidity, then, over the course of the year, it decreases. Keep this in mind when adding citric acid.

A word about those 30 minute mozzarella recipes:

Let me give you a quick translation. 30 minute mozzarella recipe = microwave recipe. What I’ve found is it’s a bit harder to get a consistent result with this. In a pinch it’d be fine, but the standard method I believe works better.

I can get my recipe down to 45 minutes if I have all my supplies ready and I work fast, but a 30 minute mozzarella made the real way just ain’t possible. Stick with the real version. It’s better. Schedule out an hour of your day, turn on an old Doris Day or Henry Fonda movie, and get to it!

Homemade Goat’s Milk Mozzarella Recipe

There are three parts to making mozzarella. The first part involves raising the acidity and temperature. The second part involves “setting” the milk with rennet. The third part involves stretching the curds kind of like taffy and forming it into a mozzarella ball of goodness.

Gathering Your Supplies:

mozzarella-supplies

You’ll need:

  • 2-3 gallon pot
  • large colander
  • cheese ladle
  • large-sized bowl
  • medium-sized bowl
  • spoon or spatula to stir
  • long knife
  • rubber gloves
  • some measuring cups & spoons
  • cheese salt (cheese salt is salt that is free of additives and doesn’t contain iodine. Iodine will ruin your cheese) – click here to buy
  • citric acid – click here to buy
  • thermophilic culture – click here to buy
  • rennet (not junket rennet) – click here to buy

Before you Begin:

Sterilizing your equipment isn’t completely necessary with mozzarella because it’s not an aged cheese. Still, I like to do it because I like to work in a clean environment and also it gets the pot warm which makes your cheese making process go faster!

To sterilize, simply boil about 2 quarts of water in the pot, and once it comes to a boil, dip all your utensils in. I even sterilize my gloves and turn my bowls over on top to be sterilized by the steam.

Making Goat’s Milk Mozzarella – Part 1:

I like to make mozzarella in 2 gallon batches. Add only 1 gallon to a pot, and then raise the temperature to 86F. 

Once it hit’s that temp, add 1/2 packet of direct-set thermophilic culture. Let it re-hydrate for 1 minute before stirring. 

Stir, then let sit (covered, with the heat OFF) for 45 minutes.

Next, take your other gallon of milk out of the fridge, add 2 tsp. citric acid diluted in 2 TBS. water to this chilled milk. 

Mix well, then add the chilled citric acid milk to the warm milk that’s been cultured with the thermophilic culture. 

Bring the temperature back up to 86F

Making Mozzarella – Part 2:

In the second part of making mozzarella, you are ready to add the rennet, which will separate the curds from the whey. Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the stove. Take a minute to first stop stirring and try to get the milk to stop swirling and to become still. Mix 1/2 tsp. of rennet into 2 TBS. of cool, filtered water. Pour into the milk and stir VERY slowly with an UP & DOWN stirring motion for only 15 seconds, then stop. I can’t stress enough how important this is. The rennet will set up the milk into a solid in about 2 minutes, and if the milk is swirling, it won’t set correctly! So, when you stir, be sure to stir gently up and down for only about 15 seconds, then stop that motion pronto.

Cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 15 minutes. Don’t touch the milk at all, just let the rennet do its job. After 15 minutes the milk should be “set”. It should have a consistency of a thick yogurt or pudding. Now it’s time to cut the cheese. Take that long knife and slice it into cubes. You can even cut it on an angle as well to get it to cut underneath. After the curds are cut, now it’s time to drain the whey from the curds.

Use your cheese ladle and scoop out all the curds into your colander which should be sitting on top of a bowl. Resist the urge to squeeze the curds or squish more whey out. Just let some whey drip from it naturally, don’t force anything.

Let it drain 15-30 minutes until it becomes a bit tougher like a soft cottage cheese consistency.

Making Mozzarella – Part 3:

Now comes the stretchy part! Stretching the mozzarella is easy and fun! Add to add 1/3 c. of salt to 1 gallon of water and heat that sucker up to 145 degrees. As it’s heating, you can get a medium-sized bowl of ice water ready to cool your mozzarella ball after you’re done stretching it.

Once the pot of water reaches 145 degrees, divide the mozzarella that’s sitting in your collander in two or three sections, throw those gloves on and dip the of mozzarella in the hot water with your cheese ladle. I like to swirl it around, but it’s not necessary. Your goal here is to get the that cheese slab of yours hot and melty! You can cut the curds or crumble it before you place in the water. 

Now, the tricky part here is to make sure all of the mozzarella gets hot enough evenly! Too often, the outside of it gets melted before they inside. You can cut it into smaller pieces and stir while they heat evenly, or you can just keep dipping it and testing it with your (gloved) fingers to make sure it’s soft enough inside. I like to lift it up and flip it over a couple times as it gets softer and softer. Your goal is to get it soft enough that you can squeeze all the way through without resistance.

The stretching part is just how you’d imagine. You are stretching and folding, much like taffy is made. As you stretch and pull and fold over, you’ll notice how shiny it gets as the curds change. Once your mozzarella becomes shiny, you can salt it with 1 tsp. of salt, fold a few times, then form into a ball. If your mozzarella has cooled in the end, you can dip it in the hot water again to get a nice smooth ball.

Important Tips:

  • It should be so hot that it’s almost too hot to touch, even with gloves.
  • It should stretch easily, almost falling out of your hands.
  • If you have to pull and tug to get it to stretch, it ISN’T HOT ENOUGH, so keep dipping in the hot water.

After you’ve formed a ball, cool it down in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes.

Whew, you made your first batch of mozzarella! How do you feel? After your mozzarella has cooled for about 30 minutes, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze if for up to 6 months.

 

Homemade Goat's Milk Mozzarella

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Author: DaNelle Wolford
Stretchy, delicous, creamy goat's milk mozzarella!
Print

Ingredients

  • 2 gallons fresh goat's milk
  • 1/2 packet direct-set thermophilic culture
  • 2 tsp citric acid (non-gmo)
  • 2 tsp cheese salt , divided
  • 1/2 tsp rennet (not junket rennet) diluted in 1/2 c. cool water

Instructions

  1. Sterilize your pot & equipment.
  2. Pour 1 gallon of cold milk into the warm pot.

  3. Bring temperature up to 86F

  4. Add 1/2 packet of direct-set thermophilic culture. Let rehydrate 1 minute before stirring.

  5. Stir and let set (covered with heat OFF) for 45 minutes.

  6. Take another gallon of chilled milk, and add 2 tsp. citric acid diluted in 2 TBS. water to this. Stir well.

  7. Add chilled milk to warmed milk. Bring temp back up to 86F

  8. Add 1/2 tsp rennet diluted in 2 TBS. water to the now combined milk.

  9. Stir for only 15 seconds in an up & down motion, then stop the stirring.

  10. Cover the pot and let it sit for 15 minutes.

  11. After 15 minutes, take a long knife and cut the cheese top to bottom and side to side to create cubes.

  12. Remove the cheese and place into a colander.
  13. While the cheese is draining, add 1/3 c. salt to 1 gallon water and bring to 145 degrees.

  14. Divide the cheese in half and dip into the hot water with a cheese ladle.

  15. Heat the cheese until it is soft and you can press it with your fingers with no resistance.
  16. Once the cheese is hot and soft, stretch it with your (gloved) hands, and fold it over itself, about 10 times.
  17. Form into a ball and cool it in ice water for 30 minutes.
  18. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

goats-milk-mozzarella

  • 125 Comments
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Pin
  • Email
  • Text

ABOUT DANELLE

DaNelle started to take an interest in a healthier lifestyle after suffering from two debilitating chronic diseases. On a mission to create a farm of her own, DaNelle forced, or rather 'lovingly persuaded' her husband to purchase a ranch home on an acre of land and transform it into their very own urban farm. DaNelle blogs at Weed 'em & Reap where she writes about the sustainable backyard farming, traditional food, & natural remedies.

Read More
Homestead Barn Hop #168
What do goats really eat?

Comments

  1. DEBORAH RUTT says

    August 17, 2021 at 9:35 am

    Hi Danelle, thank you for this recipe I’m certainly going to try this one. Do you by chance have a recipe for ricotta mine has failed me. I would really appreciate it. 😉
    Thank you Debbie

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      August 17, 2021 at 10:45 am

      Hi Deborah-

      This is how DaNelle makes ricotta: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/254480/easy-and-delicious-homemade-ricotta-cheese/
      Just need goat’s milk, lemon juice, and salt.

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
      • DEBORAH RUTT says

        August 23, 2021 at 4:51 pm

        Thank you kindly for the ricotta recipe. I really appreciate all your recipes can’t wait to try them all. Happy goating friends!
        Debbie Rutt

  2. Amanda says

    March 16, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    Is there any way to not have to guess with the citric acid amounts with raw goat milk? I want to try your recipe after a couple failed attempts of other recipes. But I think my fails are from the citric acid.

    Thanks for a wonderful post.

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      March 17, 2021 at 7:45 am

      Hi Amanda-

      Use 2 tsp of citric acid and fresh goat’s milk.

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  3. eloi says

    February 1, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    I’m confused, am I supposed to dip the cheese into the whey then into hot salt water, or mix the whey and the hot water, or heat the whey with the hot water like a double boiler ?? thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      February 2, 2021 at 8:19 am

      Hello Eloi-

      The article has been modified and should explain things better.

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  4. Brian Dorais says

    October 26, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    I finally tried to make this and failed miserably. Since I don’t have access to unlimited goats milk, I bought 2 quarts of Meyenburg milk and adjusted all the quantities accordingly (although measuring out 1/8 package of thermophyllic culture was tricky). It would just not come together. The rennet I bought was fresh and kept in the fridge until use, the culture, kept in freezer. The only thing I can think of is that I may have overheated the milk in the first heat up. I turned it off at 86° but the heat of the pot kept heating it more. So, in a last ditch effort, I added more rennet and let it sit again and nope, nada, nothing.
    Was the heating my issue?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      October 28, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      Hi Brian-

      Yes, heating the cheese carefully is critical, as is stirring gently.
      There may also be an issue since you are having to measure out the culture.

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  5. Brian Dorais says

    October 2, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    Hi,

    I am really looking forward to trying this recipe to go along with my homemade pizzas.

    Reading the instructions and the recipe, the recipe says 3tsp of citric acid, while everywhere in the instructions it says only 2 tsp. So, which one is it 2 or 3 tsp of citric acid?

    Since I am simply using store bought goat milk, I don’t have extra to test and try again (although I can buy more I suppose). Will pasteurized, store bought (ultra pasteurized actually) goat milk actually work with this recipe?

    Lastly, are packets of thermophilic culture all standard size? I ordered some from Amazon, but it just says “5 packets”.

    Thanks.

    Brian

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      October 5, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      Hi Brian-

      It is 2 tsp and the recipe has been updated.
      The packets are a standard size.
      You can use the store bought milk.

      Good luck with the recipe!
      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
      • Susan says

        June 28, 2021 at 8:40 am

        I thought ultra pasteurized was a no go for cheese-making.

      • Bobbi says

        June 28, 2021 at 6:48 pm

        Hi Susan-

        It does make a less desirable cheese and a curd that is not well defined.

        Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

  6. Karen says

    September 15, 2020 at 6:20 am

    Will it work to use raw cow’s milk? That’s all that I have right now.

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      September 15, 2020 at 6:08 pm

      Hi Karen-

      Yes, that will work.

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  7. bonnie says

    August 14, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    hi, i haven’t made the cheese yet but i had some questions if u don’t mind. when u says freshest milk possible , how many days old does that need to be within fir a rough range ( using raw milk from a friend, kidding was quite a while ago, not exactly sure when, don’t know if kids are near weaning but or not)? also what is junket rennet. when i looked it up rennet was in the recipe to make junket, but it just said rennet. i see your preferred in animal rennet. mine says chymosin. does it need to be the animal rennet? also, do i have to things different if i only use a gallon or milk or half a gallon? ( obviously the other measurements decrease?) but is it harder with a smaller amount? i think my friends may only be milking one goat. thanks for answering. i have wanted to do this a long time. i did feta once, and paneer once, but never mozzarella ?

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      August 15, 2020 at 8:34 am

      Hi Bonnie-

      Fresh milk is just referring to using milk within a day or two of the doe being milked. Has nothing to do with age of the doe or kids.
      Junket is a very weak rennet and takes a lot to equal using rennet. Chymosin is a component of rennet (so both are from animals). I find it best to use animal rennet for the best cheese, but you can use either.
      You can use less or more milk if changing amounts of all ingredients accordingly, it will be the same.

      Best of luck with your cheese making.
      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        September 1, 2020 at 9:24 am

        I am looking for the recipe I have used for a few years. It is ALMOST this one, even the pictures are the same but the one I printed out does not call for the thermophilic culture, only citric acid and rennet. Did you change your recipe?

      • Bobbi says

        September 1, 2020 at 9:03 pm

        Hi Nancy-

        The only difference is that with the old recipe you would bring 2 gallons of milk to 55 degrees F and add 2 tsp. citric acid diluted in 2 TBS. water to raise the acidity. However, DaNelle highly recommends doing a thermophilic culture, as it turns out much better.

        Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

  8. Emma Proctor says

    August 2, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    I’d love to try this. We’ve had goats for years but the mozzarella recipes I’ve tried in the past always turn out rubbery, I’d like to make something like the delicate melt in the mouth buffalo mozzarella I sometimes buy. Is it possible to end up with goats milk mozzarella that has the same delicate texture and soft centre?

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      August 2, 2020 at 8:33 pm

      Hi Emma-
      If the cheese is tough and crumbly, this is usually due to too much acidity or improper heating.
      For the heat, be sure to stick strictly with the heat temperatures noted in the recipe.
      For the acidity, be sure to measure your citric acid carefully. You can also dilute it in a 1/4 cup water before adding it to your cheese.
      Also be sure to use the freshest milk possible, because older milk can be slightly more acidic.
      The last thing you can do is be sure to be gentle in your handling of cheese. Rough handling can break up the curds too much, equaling a crumbly and tough cheese.

      You can also try to make chevre. It’s much softer: https://www.weedemandreap.com/recipe-chevre-goat-cheese/

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  9. Jessikha says

    May 19, 2020 at 6:35 am

    I have made this recipe a few times now and it tastes great. I did try to make some queso blanco dip with it and it didn’t melt good. What would cause that?
    My kids and I love your channel. I found you while searching for goat births when my 1st goat was expecting over 2 years ago and was hooked.

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      May 20, 2020 at 12:11 pm

      Hello-

      When heat is introduced to this type of cheese, the protein structure falls apart and the emulsion breaks. The fat globules will come together into a greasy pool and the proteins congeal to form a strings. To solve this make half of the cheese you add be American cheese. This will make it smooth.

      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  10. Kelly says

    April 23, 2020 at 1:03 pm

    I’ve tried many times with various recipes to make mozzarella cheese and failed each time. Someone suggested your recipe to me and I tried it today, it came out perfect! So excited to have fresh mozzarella cheese whenever I want!

    Reply
  11. Anna says

    March 5, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Wow thank you so much for this! It gives me confidence to try! Just need to find myself a good supply of local goat milk. Can it be pasteurized? Around here, it’s all skimmed down to 3.25% or less – should I try to find something with more fat in it?

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      March 5, 2019 at 9:12 am

      Hi Anna-
      When the milk is pasteurized it kills the beneficial bacteria, but still make a nice cheese. Lower fat milk is less nutritious and also the cheese doesn’t seem to turn out quite as nice, but it’s ok to use too.
      I hope that helps!
      Best of luck with your cheese making!
      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  12. Becca says

    January 31, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    Is there a reason that you say not to use Junket rennet?

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      February 1, 2019 at 10:42 am

      Hi Becca-
      Junket rennet doesn’t work for this recipe, because unfortunately, it doesn’t have the proper strength.
      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  13. Mona says

    November 7, 2018 at 6:12 pm

    This recipe makes a tough cheese! I should have quit when instructed to ‘cut the cheese,’ from yogurt or pudding type curds.

    Reply
  14. Victoria says

    October 15, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    Hey, I’ve tried your recipe a couple times now but the cheese ends up super tough. And I have a hard time stretching it because it just rips apart. And before I start stretching I have to mash the curds together because their too crumbly. I love cheese especially mozzarella. Please help!!!

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      October 16, 2018 at 8:22 am

      Hi Victoria-
      If the cheese is falling apart or is tough and crumbly, this is usually due to too much acidity or improper heating.
      For the heat, be sure to stick strictly with the heat temperatures noted in the recipe.
      For the acidity, be sure to measure your citric acid carefully. You can also dilute it in a 1/4 cup water before adding it to your cheese.
      Also be sure to use the freshest milk possible, because older milk can be slightly more acidic.
      The last thing you can do is be sure to be gentle in your handling of cheese. Rough handling can break up the curds too much, equally a crumbly and tough cheese.
      I hope this helps and your next batch of cheese turns out great! Best of luck!
      Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
      • Victoria says

        October 17, 2018 at 3:09 pm

        I tried it again, but this time I cut the citric acid by a third. Now when I was trying to stretch it, it was really falling apart. Like ricotta or cottage cheese. I did mess up with the temperatures so it’s crumbly and rubbery. Is there a specific size you want to cut the curds to? And could heating it too quickly be part of the problem?
        And do you guys have a video on making cheese? That could be helpful.

      • Bobbi says

        October 17, 2018 at 8:38 pm

        You may want to try dissolving the citric acid in 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water before adding it to the milk. And yes, heating too high and too quickly can mess up your cheese. It doesn’t matter what size you cut the curds, but do be extremely gently when stirring your curds. I’m sorry there isn’t a video to share. Thank you -Bobbi

    • Kathrine says

      April 26, 2020 at 11:42 am

      Hi thanks for the recipe! I’m just wondering about all that milky stuff that comes out when your stretching the cheese. Is it something like the more you leave in the smoother your cheese will be and if you squeeze it all out the tougher it will be? Thanks

      Reply
      • Bobbi says

        April 28, 2020 at 9:06 am

        Hi Katherine-

        That is the whey, and no it does not make it smoother.
        Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

  15. Susan says

    September 7, 2018 at 10:15 am

    So encouraging! Mozzarella is not so easy to make as i was led to believe & mine has failed over & over. Can’t wait to try your microwave-free recipe. Love your videos!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      September 14, 2018 at 11:12 am

      So encouraging! Mozzarella is not so easy to make as i was led to believe & mine has failed over & over. Can’t wait to try your microwave-free recipe. Love your videos!

      It worked! Need to figure out salting a little better.

      Reply
      • Susan says

        November 1, 2018 at 6:30 pm

        This one was even better. It actually stretched…a Lot! Maybe I can really do this!!

  16. Deborah Sprague says

    August 28, 2018 at 12:20 am

    THANK you so much for this easy to follow recipe.. IT GIVES an entire new love of cheese! I just started milking my Nigerian goats and tried this and LOVE IT!! LOVE your blog and family and Youtube.. Learned tons from watching.. Bless you for sharing to help others..

    Reply
  17. Liz says

    July 30, 2018 at 6:33 pm

    Hi DaNelle, just wanted to say thank you for posting this well thought out recipe. I’ve been making moz with our goat’s milk for a few years now using a recipe in “A Cheesemaker’s Journey” but recently had a spill that destroyed the book. After finding your recipe and making it your way I’m not so sad 🙂 I love how you break it down and make it simple. The cheese turned out so good too! Good to know that milking cycle effects the acidity. Nice work!

    Reply
  18. jen says

    March 10, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    I tried to make the cheese and it fell apart while stretching. The ones that didn’t as bad was the one i forgot to add the salt to. I was using non ionized salt. Any suggestions? I was also wonering if the recipie called for citric powder or crystals-. I used powder. Could this cause it to fall apart stretch?

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      March 11, 2018 at 7:24 am

      Hi Jen-
      If the cheese is falling apart or is crumbly, this is usually due to too much acidity. Be sure to measure your citric acid carefully. You can also dilute it in a 1/4 cup water before adding it to your cheese. When using the crystals, you may even want to reduce the amount of the citric acid by a 1/2 or 1 teaspoon (using just 2.5 or 2 teaspoons).
      As for using citric acid powder vs. crystals there is a difference. You can use either one in this recipe (as long as they are both food grade) but do know that the powder is finer and you will need to use less. So when using the powder I would cut the amount in half and see how that works for you.
      Also be sure to use the freshest milk possible, because older milk can be slightly more acidic.
      The last thing you can do is be sure to be gentle in your handling of cheese. Rough handling can break up the curds too much, equally a crumbly cheese.
      I hope this information helps and your next batch of cheese turns out great! Let us know how it goes. Best of luck and Happy Cheese Making! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  19. Katie says

    November 12, 2017 at 11:27 am

    Hi, I have tried this recipe twice and can’t get the curds to seperate properly. I think it could be because of the milk purchased, so I will try again once I have raw goat milk to work with. Basically I follow everything exactly and my 1st attempt it seemed to seperate ok but it dissolved when I tried stretching. The 2nd time (today) it did not clump into curds after letting it set after the rennet step.
    So both times I ended up with a tasty cheese spread similar to ricotta but not mozzerella.

    Reply
    • Bobbi says

      November 13, 2017 at 11:22 am

      Hi Katie-
      So glad you are trying the recipe, but I am sorry it’s not working out as planned. Although the cheese spread sounds lovely!
      With the cheese dissolving, the acidity might be your problem, and yes that depends on how fresh your milk is and the amount of citric acid you use. So play around with that. Also make sure your cheese is heated enough prior to stretching.
      As for it not setting up, this can be from the stirring. Be sure to always pour and stir everything extremely slowly. Look at the advice DaNelle gives in the recipe under “Making Mozzarella – Part 2:”. Hopefully this will help. Thanks for reading and trying the recipe! Best of Luck and let us know how it went. Happy Cheesemaking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  20. Minyassa says

    August 16, 2017 at 8:15 pm

    I have a question about the step involving salting the whey to use to heat the cheese. Does this preclude using that whey to make ricotta later? If I wanted to save the whey to use unsalted, can I just heat up some salted water instead?

    Reply
    • (farm expert) Bobbi Luttjohann says

      August 17, 2017 at 9:02 am

      Hi Minyassa-
      You can use the whey to make ricotta later, although I have had some trouble with the ricotta setting up and it seems the end result of the ricotta is saltier than I like. You can definitely use salted water instead of whey, which is what I do so I can save my whey for either ricotta making or to feed my chickens or pour around my garden. So I would say use the salted water and save your whey to use unsalted.

      I hope this helps. Good luck on your cheese making! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  21. Sarah @ gardenfullofdreams says

    August 11, 2017 at 8:30 am

    Wow! Totally daring to make your own cheese. This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile and I have seen the rennet tablets on the shelf in the canning section at the store but have just not taken the plunge. Thanks for the recipe and tips!

    Reply
    • (farm expert) Bobbi Luttjohann says

      August 11, 2017 at 8:34 am

      Hi Sarah-
      That’s great you are going to try making cheese ?! Best of luck! -Bobbi

      Reply
  22. Christopher says

    July 13, 2017 at 12:59 pm

    Hi From Far Northern California,
    I has to let you know…I have tried about 20 various recipes for Motz over the past couple of weeks. And yes, god forbid, even the dreaded microwave version. None of these were very convincing Motzarellas–tasty, but bland, rubebery.
    Your recipe, however, was very easy to follow, with clear directions and clear pictures along side to illustrate. Two gallons of goat’s milk, and I think I got at least a pound and a half of cheese. Your recipe came together perfectly. forming a nice glossy ball.
    If there were one critique that I might modify or change would be the amount of salt at the end. I think I will try backing off a bit (3/4 and 1/2 tsp) and probably will try a few different salts (Hawaiian Black and maybe Himilayan Pink)
    One again, thank you for setting me off on this cheese making journey!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      July 16, 2017 at 3:59 pm

      I’m so glad it worked well for you!

      Reply
  23. Kristy Byrnes says

    June 17, 2017 at 11:40 am

    Hello, I tried this recipe today and it was way to follow and mad enough a great cheese. This was my first time. My mozzarella can even out a bit hard and chewy. What is this from? Thank you

    Reply
  24. Fancy says

    June 16, 2017 at 10:27 am

    I have tried this recipe several times. My problem every time is my cheese is always crumbly in the stretching phase. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • (farm expert) Bobbi Luttjohann says

      August 14, 2017 at 7:33 am

      Hi Fancy-
      I am sorry to hear you are having trouble with your cheese. If it is coming out crumbly, this is usually due to too much acidity. Be sure to measure your citric acid carefully. You can also dilute it in a 1/4 cup water before adding it to your cheese. You may even want to reduce the amount of the citric acid by a 1/2 or 1 teaspoon (using just 2.5 or 2 teaspoons).
      Also be sure to use the freshest milk possibly, because older milk can be slightly more acidic.
      The last thing you can do is be sure to be gentle in your handling of cheese. Rough handling can break up the curds too much, equally a crumbly cheese.
      I hope this information helps and your next batch of cheese turns out great! Let us know how it goes. Thank you for reading and posting. Best of luck and Happy Cheese making! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)

      Reply
  25. Emily says

    May 24, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    Hello there! Thank you so much for your blog. It has been a life saver since getting goats! I have a question. This recipe was my third attempt at making goats milk mozzarella and I can never get it to stretch. Your recipe was the closest I’ve gotten but still no solid stretching yet. I have read conflicting things about stretching that says too much or too little PH. I am going to keep going until I master it but can you give me your opinion on whether or not next time I should use more or less citric acid? My girls are 3 mos fresh. Thanks!

    Reply
  26. Sarah says

    May 16, 2017 at 7:41 pm

    I’ve used the recipe a couple times now but the cheese is always kinda bland, even when I add extra salt. I’m wondering if I can add seasonings such as garlic and herbs to the milk before making the cheese or will that make it not turn out right?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      May 20, 2017 at 9:51 pm

      Hi Sarah,

      Yes, mozzarella is a more bland cheese, but you can definitely add herbs!

      Reply
  27. Keith M. says

    April 30, 2017 at 1:34 pm

    LaDelle –

    Thanks for putting all this down on screen. I’m eager to try it. I have some questions though.

    When cutting, how does one cut the cheese side to side in a stock pot? I’m assuming it is from side to side.

    And how big should the cut curds be?

    Thanks again,
    Keith

    Reply
  28. Dani says

    December 5, 2016 at 11:49 am

    I don’t want to waste any milk, do you happen to know what the PH should be so I can test it while I’m adding the citric acid? If not what time of the milk cycle is this recipe based on? Both of my goats were freshened in the spring and it’s currently December.
    I’m so excited to try making mozzarella with goat milk. We just got our goats (a La Mancha and an Alpine). I’ve done fairly well making cow mozzarella but occsionally I’ve had minor problems and your instructions give really great tips that I think will help me avoid those mistakes (at least a little more). ?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      December 12, 2016 at 11:47 am

      Hi Dani,

      I don’t have the specifics on what the pH would be, but I would say expect to mess up with your mozzarella a few times:) The good news is you can shred most mozzarella no matter how it turns out:) Good luck!

      Reply
  29. Carie says

    November 14, 2016 at 7:34 pm

    Thank you for all your time you put in to helping others! This is our second time making cheese. The first was not so cheese looking. I got a thermometer and used this recipe, and we did well! Thank you.

    Reply
  30. Heather Donald says

    October 2, 2016 at 12:22 pm

    I tried the 30-minute mozzerella and failed, miserably. We needed cheese for dinner so my husband said to try again. I found your recipe. OMG! It worked so much better. I do have a question though. It seems light in flavor. Is there anything that can be done to give it a stronger flavor or is it just my goats milk?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      October 9, 2016 at 10:03 am

      YAY!! I’m so glad it worked!! Mozzarella doesn’t have a particularly strong flavor, but the higher fat content, the better it’ll taste:) Goats have higher fat content at the beginning of their freshening (about 2-4 weeks after having babies)

      Reply
      • Jena says

        October 23, 2016 at 7:22 am

        What is rennet

      • DaNelle Wolford says

        October 23, 2016 at 1:19 pm

        Rennet is what thickens milk solids into cheese:)

  31. Lisa says

    September 27, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    My 10+ previous tries turned out……not mentionable. Today with this recipe I was successful!! Eggplant parm tomorrow!! Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      October 2, 2016 at 10:18 am

      WOOHOO! This makes me so happy! Congrats, Lisa!

      Reply
  32. Jonas Lundh says

    September 25, 2016 at 2:40 pm

    Nice recipe, if I can get my hands on some quality goats milk I’ll definitely give it a go.
    I just feel that I need to mention that you are persisting the urban legend that microwaves irradiate the food with nuclear radiation, making the food harmful.
    This is not the case.
    Microwaves utilize radiowaves that make the water molecules inside whatever you’re cooking vibrate, and that vibration in turn creates heat.
    Using a microwave is in fact, bar none, the most effective way to steam vegetables, both regarding time efficiency and retention of many important minerals and vitamins since the cooking process is so fast and relatively low temp compared to other methods.

    Reply
  33. Anna says

    August 13, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Will vegetable rennet work too?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      August 14, 2016 at 12:58 pm

      Yep!

      Reply
  34. Bridget says

    July 29, 2016 at 7:18 am

    I have tried mozzarella several times and got rubber. I have asked a cheese tech for help and he just said goat mozzarella is difficult. I am so excited to try your recipe. I get about 2 gallons of milk a day and yet I buy mozzarella. THAT is going to change!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      August 1, 2016 at 9:50 pm

      Hmmm, that’s not correct goat’s milk mozzarella isn’t any more difficult than cow’s milk. If it is rubber I would say you stretched it too much. Don’t stretch it so much and be more gentle and see what happens:)

      Reply
  35. Annalee A. says

    July 7, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    Does the pot need to be stainless steel or can I use aluminum? Why not use junket rennet?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      July 10, 2016 at 10:05 am

      Hi Annalee,

      Junket rennet won’t work for this recipe, unfortunately, it doesn’t have the proper strength. You can use aluminum, but we tend to use stainless steel for everything here:) You’ll see a call for stainless steel pots when making cheeses because it cleans & sterilizes better.

      Reply
  36. Eileen says

    July 1, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    Thank you!!! I’ve been making cheese for about 6 years now and even ran a cheese herd share, making a different cheese (everything from chevre to Bloomy rinds) each week for over 50 families for 2 years, so I consider myself a decent cheesemaker, yet I have never ever been able to get a great mozz – even using a pH meter – until trying your recipe on a whim today. I did a little happy dance when I saw how perfect the curd looked before stretching!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      July 4, 2016 at 6:37 pm

      WOOHOO! This makes my day! Cheese is such an art, but I’m glad to at least have mozzarella down!

      Reply
  37. Stacy says

    June 22, 2016 at 7:13 am

    Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try! Can I halve the recipe with the same results? It would take me probably a week or more to get 2 gallons of milk from my goats.

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      June 26, 2016 at 10:26 pm

      Yes, you can totally halve it:)

      Reply
    • Deb says

      August 28, 2018 at 12:26 am

      I halved mine and it came out perfect 🙂

      Reply
  38. Stephanie says

    May 18, 2016 at 7:57 pm

    Love your website and you are doing an amazing job with it. I found it a few weeks ago while doing a search on goat raising and I couldn’t stop reading your various posts. I am a busy mom of four and can’t spend the time going through all of the comments. So my apologies in advance if this question has been answered above. before I embark on goat raising myself, I want to try the milk. I’ve seen it sold in half gallons in Walmart…is this an ok place to purchase my first batch of goats milk to test or should i find a local farmer who might give me a taste?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      June 3, 2016 at 3:02 pm

      Hi Stephanie!

      Definitely a local farmer, the milk will taste much closer to what yours will be like.

      Reply
      • Robin Farr says

        July 7, 2016 at 3:09 am

        Is the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit? thank you!

      • DaNelle Wolford says

        July 10, 2016 at 10:11 am

        Fahrenheit 🙂

  39. Ashlee Barrack says

    May 4, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    Ive been skimming your blog for years waiting to have goats. I finally got my milking goats two months ago and used this recipe today! Two perfectly done batches of cheese later I am one happy momma!! Thank you!

    Reply
  40. Karla says

    April 8, 2016 at 7:30 am

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Finally a recipe for mozarella that works. I cannot tell you how many times I tried (and failed). One failure was so hard and rubbery I considered applying for a patent for car tires. Ha! Amazing results with your recipe on the very first try.

    Reply
  41. Christy Procup says

    February 1, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    This was amazing! My first try making cheese and your instructions were so awesome. The only problem with this recipe is , I can’t keep the cheese around long enough! Thank you so very much , this first time cheese maker appreciates the effort it takes for you to share your expertise with us. Now that I’m reading further comments, I’m kicking myself for dumping the whey. I thought it would be too salty to use. Darn!

    Reply
  42. Linda says

    January 28, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    I understand the salt must not have any iodine or additives, but would 100% sea salt or 100% himalayan salt work? Also, I don’t live near a farmer with a goat. What kind of goat milk should I purchase in the store to use in this recipe? I’m really excited to try making this soon!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      February 7, 2016 at 7:37 pm

      Hi Linda,

      Himalayan & sea salt don’t absorb as well, I’ve tried it:)

      Reply
  43. Gayle L Madison says

    December 6, 2015 at 10:18 am

    I can’t wait to try this. I have sooooo much milk from my 2 does. I make Finnish squeeky cheese but I have so much in the freezer. Now I will have another cheese to try. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Anita May says

      September 20, 2018 at 10:37 am

      I love squeaky cheese but have on made mozzarella, chavre and yogurt so far. Do you have a recipe you would share for the squeaky cheese?

      Reply
  44. sharon hauff says

    November 12, 2015 at 11:49 am

    Can I use Meyenberg whole powdered goat’s milk?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      November 13, 2015 at 9:53 pm

      Hi Sharon, no you can’t:( It won’t work in the same way because the proteins have been changed.

      Reply
  45. Darla Fischer says

    October 23, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    Hello! I just found your website and am loving the info., especially this one on making goat mozzarella cheese! My husband and I just got two Nigerian dwarfs..a momma and her kid and love the milk! I will be trying this recipe soon! Thank you for great information!

    Reply
  46. AliCT says

    July 31, 2015 at 9:27 am

    Hello! Thank you for the wonderful pictorials here. Can liquid rennet be used here? What would the measure be? My husband has some leftover from past (unsuccessful) cheesemaking pursuits and I’d love to be able to use his if I can!
    Also, I’ve often seen with Italian mozzarella that they store the balls of cheese in the whey, or in a salted brine until using. How do you feel about that?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      August 3, 2015 at 10:23 pm

      Yes, I use liquid rennet in this recipe:) Also, you can store in a brine, definitely!

      Reply
      • AliCT says

        August 12, 2015 at 5:03 am

        Tried this last night with milk from one of our local goat farms (Dirty Girl…love it!) and it came out FANTASTIC! My husband was astonished. It was creamy, silky, just firm enough to have it’s own shape but milky and wonderful in the middle. Some of the best I’ve had, and I am pretty sure I screwed up a step in there. Thank you for this tutorial! I am one more step closer to winning him over in the “Can’t we PLEASE have a goat!” debate.

      • DaNelle Wolford says

        August 23, 2015 at 10:13 pm

        Yay! Congrats! It’s a big feat to make some good mozzarella!

      • Tuna Traffic says

        August 24, 2015 at 4:11 pm

        🙂

  47. Sherri Moore says

    April 2, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    Please help I have tried over and over again to make this. I do just fine until step 3 because my cheese turns out grainy and just falls apart so there is no pulling because it doesn’t stay together. Do you have any advise. Thanks

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      April 19, 2015 at 9:54 pm

      Grainy cheese means you added too much citric acid. I would cut the citric acid in half and see what happens! Some goats can produce too much citric acid in their milk, especially toward the end of their milking season:)

      Reply
  48. Sierra Fennell says

    February 2, 2015 at 4:51 pm

    This looks great! Where do you get your goats milk from? Store? Farmer? Thanks for the great post!

    Reply
  49. Angelique V. says

    October 25, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    Thank you! This is what I was looking for, a mozzarella recipe that doesn’t use a microwave. Bonus for me, it’s with goat’s milk!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      October 26, 2014 at 8:02 pm

      Yay! So glad I could help!

      Reply
  50. amy says

    September 30, 2014 at 3:35 am

    I also wanted to know if there is something you can do with the left over whey?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      October 5, 2014 at 4:12 pm

      Yes! My friend Jill has some great tips https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html

      Reply
  51. Kim Eddy says

    September 29, 2014 at 3:35 am

    This looks great but I don’t know where to get goat milk; I’ve occasionally seen it in cans but that would be pasteurized. Any ideas? Also, what do you do with the leftover whey?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      October 5, 2014 at 4:15 pm

      Hey Kim, here are some great uses for whey –> https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html

      Reply
  52. Kerligirl says

    August 30, 2014 at 2:39 pm

    Hi there! Thanks for the post. Do you have any experience with vegetable rennet and/or do you know if it would work? I am also wondering what the cheese yield is for this recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      September 12, 2014 at 7:34 am

      Yes, vegetable rennet would work as well — same measurements:)

      Reply
  53. CHRISTIE says

    August 27, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    how much cheese does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      September 2, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      Makes 1 pound of cheese.

      Reply
  54. angie says

    August 18, 2014 at 6:41 am

    Hi, I have made this with my goats milk and while the cheese turns out great the colander is a cheesy mess afterwards. The cheese while waiting for the whey to heat to 175 oozes through the hole in the colander. Do I need a special colander or do you have any tips for me to prevent this? For clean up I have to pour tons of boiling water over the colander to melt it off.

    Reply
    • DR Lidberg says

      March 8, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      I grew up making cheese on a dairy farm in the 1960s, we always line our colanders with wet cheese cloth, at least 2 layers. This always allows for easier clean up. make sure it is soaking wet, or the cheese will stick to it.

      Reply
  55. Angie Krahn says

    August 2, 2014 at 11:58 am

    Hey, thanks for the post. I’ve tried cheesemaking several times but these have been the best instructions so far. I tried to make it and it turned into a lovely stretchy goodness, only the next day it was bitter… why would it turn bitter?

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      August 3, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      Hmmm, it could be that you added too much citric acid in the beginning. It should stay good for up to 10 days in the fridge. Was it solid or more soft?

      Reply
      • Angie Krahn says

        August 6, 2014 at 3:04 pm

        OK, I added just as much as the recipe stated but maybe the milk’s PH level was different…it was soft.

      • DaNelle Wolford says

        August 12, 2014 at 4:58 pm

        I would say that maybe you’re whey wasn’t hot enough when you did the stretching. It needs to be hot enough to get the mozzarella hot fast. Also, be sure to cool it down afterwards in ice water. These two things should make it tougher.

  56. Gabie Fox says

    July 31, 2014 at 11:34 am

    Can I use raw cow’s milk instead … Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      August 3, 2014 at 1:13 pm

      Yep! You can!

      Reply
      • Gabie says

        August 6, 2014 at 10:40 pm

        So excited about making this once the weather cools a it in Florida! Great visual instructions.

  57. Maria Alison @Ten at the Table says

    July 28, 2014 at 11:25 am

    I was wondering the same thing.

    Reply
  58. Amy Sandage says

    July 28, 2014 at 6:23 am

    I don’t have access to goat milk. Can this be made with regular milk? If so, Whole, 2%, Skim? Thanks!

    Reply
    • DaNelle Wolford says

      August 3, 2014 at 1:11 pm

      Yes, but it can’t be ultra-pasteurized milk.

      Reply
  59. Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow says

    July 28, 2014 at 3:31 am

    I love mozzarella cheese and have always wanted to make my own. You make it look so easy. And nothing beats the taste fresh goat milk. Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  60. Maria Alison @Ten at the Table says

    July 28, 2014 at 3:02 am

    Wow, DaNelle this looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it with some of my grandmothers goat milk. One question, can I use regular salt???

    Reply
    • Amy Sandage says

      July 28, 2014 at 6:20 am

      “cheese salt (cheese salt is salt that is free of additives and doesn’t contain iodine. Iodine will ruin your cheese) ” From the article above.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

HEY THERE!

I'm DaNelle. I'm a city girl who convinced her husband to buy goats. Because, goats. Growing my own food has been an amazing experience, and this is the place I share it all with you! READ MORE…

Categories

Amazon Disclosure: Weed 'em & Reap is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Full disclosure here.


Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Pretty Creative On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in