Vegan cheese: its composition and recipe

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

For those who are trying to avoid eating animal products, vegan cheese may be the way to go. This product may also be helpful for those with lactose intolerance or milk protein allergies.

Vegan cheese: composition and difference from dairy

How is it different from the "real" one? Natural cheese is made by combining milk proteins (casein) with calcium and a combination of enzymes (rennet, for example). Then the acidity is increased with the help of a special milk culture, which converts sugars (lactose) into acid. The consolidated protein (curd) is then cut and heated to promote the release of moisture, thus separating the solid from the liquid phase. The resulting cheese can undergo protein modification during aging, resulting in textures and flavors associated with product aging.

What is cheese?

According to international standards, cheese is a fresh, ripened solid or semi-solid product in which the ratio of wheyprotein / casein does not exceed the ratio of milk received. Cheese is obtained in several ways:

• by coagulating (in whole or in part) the following raw materials: milk (whole or skimmed in whole or in part), cream, whey cream or buttermilk, through the action of rennet or other suitable coagulants, and by partial withdrawal of whey;
• processing technologies involving the coagulation of milk and/or milk-derived materials that result in a final product having similar physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics (the so-called “cheese product”).

Vegan cheese is simply a consolidation of protein mass from nuts, coconut, beans, etc. Lactic bacteria can also be used to provide acidity in its preparation. For harder vegan cheese, emulsifiers, oils and thickeners should be used.

Consolidation in this case is simply a matter of compacting the proteins and, unlike real cheese, there is no physical connection of proteins in the vegetable version. The cheese undergoes the natural maturation that proteins do in a real product, so it won't have the same complex taste and aroma. Of course, there is a solid such product, and melting vegan cheese, but its texture is still very different from dairy.

How does it work?

The process is really very simple and involves the preparation of natural bacteria that you can create yourself from grains. ExceptIn addition, you will need a protein source such as a nut or bean base. One of the best options is cashews.

The grains are allowed to germinate for a day or so and then allowed to ferment with the natural microorganisms they contain. In about 3 days, you will have a fairly spicy liquid with natural lactic bacteria ready to ferment the protein, and it will make vegan cheese.

Once you have the natural "starter" bacteria, you can make cashew cheese. This is done by soaking the cashews in water for 6-8 hours to soften them up a bit. Once this is done, you will need to grind the nuts to a smooth paste, then add the "starter", and put everything in a windproof place at room temperature. The product should be aged for 2-3 days, depending on the desired taste. To get vegan melted cheese, you will also need to add oil like coconut oil.

After this time, the nut cheese will have a nice spicy taste due to the fermented sugars released from the cashews. Any nut or even seeds can be cooked this way. So, cheese made from sunflower seeds is popular among raw foodists. Even if you stop at the cashew variant, in this case there may be different types of cheese from it.

Vegans claim that many more variations can be created using this prepared "cheese" base. As mentioned above, in vegancheese has no real chemical consolidation. More advanced varieties of this product, however, require the addition of oils, thickeners, and other additives to achieve the texture and characteristics of true cheese.

Method of making basic vegan cheese

If you avoid eating animal products, then you can safely forget about milk and rennet for making cheese. Also, by using the vegan options, you will learn how to make your own "starter" bacterial culture. This is very similar to a "starter" for a real natural marinade or sauerkraut.

You will need:

• 2 cups raw uns alted cashews;
• about 1-1.5 cups of any grains (sproutable);
• s alt - one pinch.

Vegan Cheese Recipe

First of all, you need to pay attention to the sugar content of cashews and the sugar fermentation plan. That's why you need mature nuts.

Then you must create an environment for bacteria to grow. Any grain is suitable for this - all varieties of wheat, barley and so on. Each of these cultures contains its own population of natural bacteria.

You can get access to these microorganisms by changing the grains a little: sort them out and fill them with water. After soaking and rinsing the culture for a few days, you will see small shoots starting to form. This is a natural process in all plant grains/seeds, and when this happens, the starch in them is converted into moreavailable food for bacteria.

This grain can be found commercially in most he alth food stores or for gardeners. Once it starts to sprout, you should put it in a jar of water and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days.

You will see some bubbles form on the surface and you will also experience a dramatic change in smell. This is the result of the fermentation of grains and the multiplication of lactic acid bacteria. What you end up with is a sourdough starter for fermenting the sugars into cashews, which creates that nice spicy flavor that cheese has. Therefore, you should taste this mass.

Once the liquid gets a little spicy, place the jar in the fridge to slow down the process. This will allow the starter to remain active for several weeks.

Cheese making process

Soak 2 cups cashews in cold water for 6-8 hours. Then you need to lightly dry the nuts and transfer to a blender bowl.

Add about 1/4 or 1/2 cup starter and beat until smooth. Initially, adding water is not required - add it only in the amount in which it will be necessary for a homogeneous consistency of the mixture. Transfer the finished pasta to the prepared container and smooth the edges well.

Fermentation process

Now all you need is some time in a windproof place. It is also important to maintain a roughly uniform room temperature (18-22 degrees).

You will start to notice that after about 2 days the flavor of the sweet paste will become somewhatsharp. This is due to the lactic bacteria you have grown in the starter as they convert the sugars in the cashew butter into lactic acid. This fermentation can continue until you like the taste and smell of the product. Some people like a balanced acid while others prefer a little sweeter.

Completion of the cooking process

In other words, once the vegan cheese tastes “right” to you, put it in the fridge. If you feel it is too dry, you can add a little more liquid to it before chilling. Also, lemon juice can sometimes add a nice fresh flavor.

After the cashew cheese is ready, you can leave it in the bowl in the form of a "spread" or roll it into your desired shape. In addition, any herbs or spices can be added to it. To choose the right flavor, it is recommended to pay attention to the vegan cheese Volko Molko. On sale there are a large number of types and options with different spices. The final "ripening" process will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Simply wrap the product in breathable film and store it in a closed plastic container.