Getting Cheesy

With the release of my vegan cheese book earlier this month, and my feature article in VegNews arriving in mailboxes this week, people have been reaching out to me to comment or inquire about the cheese making process. I'm thrilled to have inspired so many people to hit their kitchens to brave the culturing process from rejuvelac to cheeses. Yes, I may have finished writing the book a year and a half ago, but my experimentation with vegan cheese continues, and to this day, I find new ways to culture, age, and preserve cheeses. It just doesn't seem to stop -- I keep finding new ideas for new cheeses, as well as ways to improve on the old. Because of that, I thought I'd answer some of the most often asked questions, and share some of the tips I've developed since writing the book. There will be more to come that I'll share along my own continuing journey!



Q: What's the difference between the recipes in your book and the ones in VegNews? 
VegNews gave me a perfect opportunity to rework some of my recipes: the magazine prefers recipes to be original and not previously published, so I had to revisit some of the flavors that the editor chose, and figure out a way to make them new. I also wanted to make them a little easier and more accessible  for a wider reading audience, utilizing agar rather than carrageenan. This required me to change some of the methods in order to avoid the hard or rubbery texture agar can produce .  And while most of the VegNews recipes are just that - simplified, or  just different - one cheese, the Buffalo Mozzarella, did improve. Now, the Buffalo Mozzarella in my  book had already garnered some attention since Vegansaurus wrote about it way back in 2010, and it is indeed delicious; I have even served it to omnivores who never realized what they were eating. But one very discriminating omnivore commented that while the flavor was excellent, the texture was not quite the same as the real thing. That really bugged me, and knew I wanted to get it right. The recipe in VegNews is indeed my favorite, with a texture remarkably close to the "real thing," and I'm glad I had the chance to rework it.

Q: Should you cover the cheeses with a towel so that they breathe, or make them airtight?
You can use a lid, plate, towel, or saran wrap. It shouldn't be airtight, but it doesn't need to breather totally, either.

Q: What type of carrageenan should I use - kappa or iota? 
Kappa.

Q: Won't coconut oil make the cheeses taste coconut-y?
Not if you use refined coconut oil. Both Spectrum and Whole Foods' proprietary brand, 365, make them. There are other brands as well.

Q: My cheddar turned out soft. Why didn't it harden?
Making vegan cheese by culturing is not an exact science. I suppose if we made them in a controlled environment with the right temperature, humidity, etc., measuring the temperature of the cheese as it cooks, etc., more precise results could be obtained by everyone. Unfortunately, differences in room temperature, the length of time the cashews soak, the strength of the blender used, etc., will create slightly different results. To make the firmest cheese, it's best to use a high-speed blender and soak the cashews the shortest length of time possible, and then make sure you culture it until it is very sharp (this may take 72 hours or more depending on the ambient temperature). It will thicken as it cultures (this is also important for the flavor of the miso and nutritional yeast to meld and become cheddary). Next, make sure that the mixture is cooked until very gooey, thick, and pulls away from the sides of the pan (with the carrageenan in it). You should then have a block of cheese that can be unmolded and sliced, albeit soft. With a food processor or regular blender, the cashews will need to soak longer, which means that they will have a higher water content. You could opt to reduce the rejuvelac to 1/4 cup, and increase it slowly until you can get the nuts to puree until smooth.

Q: My mozzarella balls didn't harden. What went wrong?
One of the single most important rules in using agar is that it has to dissolve completely. This means that it must be simmered or boiled for several minutes. If it the liquid mixture is too thick and dry looking, try adding another tablespoon of liquid and covering the pan to retain moisture. It really needs to boil for 3 - 4 minutes before you add the cheese mixture. Also, make sure that you use pure agar powder - not the flakes, and not an agar mixture that is cut with sugar (some Asian stores sell agar cut with sugar).

Q: My cheese smells off.
As with any sort of culturing or fermenting, you want only the friendly bacteria to grow. Make sure that your container and all implements are clean before you start, and avoid dipping your fingers into it as it cultures. Use a clean spoon every time you taste.

Q: Can I use agar flakes instead of powder?
You can, but you'll have to use 3 times as much. It will also be harder to dissolve in the small amount of water called for in the recipes. I don't recommend it, but it can be done. Flakes are also harder to measure in volume, as they tend to fluff up.


A tip for air-dried cheeses: 
To prevent mold, my book recommends salt. Salt dries the surface, however, and at times, it cracks (not all the time, however). More recently, I've developed a new trick that is superior: I make a brine from wine (either red or white) and salt simply by mixing the two (about a tablespoon of salt to a cup of wine). I dip the cheese in brine. Then I air-dry. Every day, I brush the cheese lightly with the wine brine. Works great.

A tip for melting the Meltable cheeses: 
Use higher temperatures, 400 - 450, for better melting and browning. If the recipe states a lower temperature, raise it at the end to encourage the browning.

A tip for a quick meltable cheese that can be spooned  or squeezed into pasta tubes, chilies for chile rellenos, etc:. 
Make the Meltable Muenster (no culturing or aging necessary!), and add half the agar called for. A student in class did this by accident, and the result was a really soft, scoopable cheese that could actually be piped into zucchini blossoms, canneloni shells, etc.