I've invested in a new vegan cheese book called "Artisan Vegan Cheese" by Miyoko Schinner and I thought I would blog my voyage into the land of vegan cheese production.
To begin with I am at a disadvantage as I am living in a house with no heating, and vegan cheese needs warmth to ferment. So I've invested in a brew belt to keep my creation warm. Not ideal, but it seems to do the trick.
First I have to track my ingredients down.
Quinoa - To make the rejuvelac - easy to find in any wholefood shop.
Yogurt - I need to start making my own but this time around I've bought some Sojasun.
Cashews - Easy to find, I used organic ones.
Nutritional yeast flakes - I used B12 version that I already had in.
Brown miso - Easy to find in any wholefood shop.
Canola (rapeseed) oil - Bit tricky finding this until I found out that it was rapeseed oil.
Tapioca flour - I eventually found this in an international food store. I bought tapioca starch, I checked on line and it seems they are one and the same.
Agar agar powder - I gave up tracking this down locally and ordered it through Ebay.
The vegan cheese I have selected to make is called "Air-Dried Cheddar"
It has quite a few stages to its production, but I'm getting ahead of myself, first I need to make my rejuvelac.
Rejuvelac is basically the fermented juice from sprouted seeds, in my case I used quinoa. I need to put a cup of quinoa in a jar with a small amount of water in a warm place, that's were my brew belt came into play. For three days I need to keep the seeds wet and warm and change the water twice a day rinsing them before I put them back. They will sprout and then I need to add a measured amount of spring water and wait again for two days. At the end of this time if the Vegan Gods are smiling down on me, rejuvelac will be born. This makes about a litre of fluid, it can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 weeks so it can last for several batches of vegan cheese.
So I have my rejuvelac and my ingredients and I'm now ready to start on my vegan cheese.
First stage is to soak the cashews from 3 to 8 hours.
Second stage is the blend - cashews, rejuvelac, yogurt, yeast flakes, miso, oil, salt. I then have to keep this mixture nice and warm for 48 hours. The photo below is after about 4 hours, it's already fermenting and smells great.
Two long days later and I'm ready to go to the third stage, adding the agar agar and the tapioca flour (or starch).
After whisking in the agar and the tapioca I use a wooden spoon (don't ask me why this is important, I'm just following instructions) to stir the mixture over a moderate heat for several minutes. The sauce then becomes elastic and glossy.
I then transfer it to a glass bowl where I press it in and smooth off the top, it very quickly becomes a rubbery solid form. You really need to act quickly here before it cools and goes rubbery, press it in firmly into your mould. With retrospect I would possibly recommend that you use maybe three moulds so that you can make three smaller vegan cheeses instead of one big one. Then you could freeze two and keep one in your fridge.
At this stage I had the opportunity to sample the vegan cheese from the remnants in the pan.
I am rubbish at describing how food tastes, so all I can say is that it tasted very good.
I then allow it to cool completely before covering it and refrigerate it for at least four hours. Then I am ready for stage four. I need to take the vegan cheese out of the bowl and then after washing my hands, sprinkle on to my wet hands some salt. I then pat my salty hands all over the cheese.
Then its a case of waiting another four days. The vegan cheese is placed on a cooling rack and left in a room with good air flow to do its thing. If you did decide to make multiple smaller cheeses, you might not need to leave them for four days, maybe just three days, just taste them and see what you think. Or give Miyoko a ring.
It's the end of the fourth day. The vegan cheese has completed its voyage and has come to rest on my kitchen work top. Gramondo said it tasted like a strong soft cheese, not too cheesy. He liked it. I liked it. It was worth the effort. It was easy to make. Give it a go.
I've ordered some liquid smoke from America so I will be making "Smoked provolone" next from the same book.
The vegan cheese I've made above can kept for one month wrapped up in the fridge or four months in the freezer. Not sure if mine will last that long with Gramondo around. Thanks Miyoko!!
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FAQs
Miyoko Schinner (née Nishimoto, born 1957) is an American - Japanese vegan chef, cookbook author, cooking show host, vegan activist, and social entrepreneur, who appears in the 2024 documentary, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.
Does Miyoko's cheddar cheese melt? ›
I've long been a fan of Miyoko's cheese wheels, and the cheddar does NOT disappoint. It melts perfectly and is also good eaten cold.
How is Miyoko's cheese made? ›
Cashews are milled into creamy plant milk, which we then culture and craft into delicious mozzarella. From there, it's packaged or cold-smoked over hickory chips for a pleasant, smoky flavor. Our artisan process results in a soft, silky cheese with a creamy texture and springy bounce.
Can you buy Miyoko's cheese in Australia? ›
More and more vegan cheeses are hitting the shelves in Australia and the newest kid on the block is Miyoko's Creamery! You may recognise the name, Miyoko Schinner is the genius behind Artisan Vegan Cheese, one of my favourite cookbooks EVER and now she has brought her cheeses to the masses with this new range.
What is the Miyoko's scandal? ›
Plant-based cheese company founder Miyoko Schinner struck back at her namesake company with a counterclaim in federal court. In her lawsuit, Schinner accuses the company she started of gender discrimination, failure to prevent discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and misusing her name and likeness.
Is Miyoko's vegan cheese healthy? ›
Miyoko's Creamery
Miyoko's Creamery's cheese products are all Non-GMO, Lactose-Free, Palm Oil Free, Gluten-Free, and Soy Free. Another reason I recommend Miyoko's is because the vegan cheese wheel flavors are fermented.
Does vegan cheese melt like real cheese? ›
Does dairy-free cheese melt? Of course it does! But not the same way as its moo moo counterpart. The first thing you might notice when melting dairy-free cheese is that it doesn't brown like traditional cheese.
Why does vegan cheese not melt? ›
The reason for this, according to The Takeout, is that vegan cheese lacks casein, the protein that causes regular dairy cheese to melt.
Why did Miyoko leave the company? ›
Miyoko Schinner, founder of vegan dairy brand Miyoko's Creamery, has been stripped of her role as the company's CEO. In a new statement, Schinner revealed that “conflict” surrounding the brand's mission led some of her fellow directors to “decide she would not be actively involved with the company.”
What is going on with Miyokos? ›
Plant-based dairy maker Miyoko's Creamery is closing its Petaluma, California production plant as it looks to “increase production and efficiency,” according to a statement. The closure is slated for January 2024. Around 30-40 employees will be affected as the company is outsourcing its production to other parties.
Miyoko's Creamery is closing its Petaluma production facility next year as the company eyes further expansion of its brand. A statement from the company said the production facility will close Jan. 1, 2024 and that the business needs to increase production and efficiency as the brand continues to grow.
What is the best vegan cheese in the world? ›
North America
- #1 Liquid Vegan Pizza Mozzarella. Miyoko's Creamery.
- #2 Creamy Original Chao Slices. Field Roast.
- #3 Boursin dairy free Garlic and Herbs. Boursin.
- #4 Just Like Mozzarella Shreds. Violife.
- #5 Dairy-Free Parmesan Shredded. Follow Your Heart.
Miyoko's products make shopping at Trader Joe's even more worthwhile. The brand's shmear goes great on bagels, as you may have guessed. But we encourage you to have some fun with it, like by dipping pretzel sticks into it … or, who knows, maybe spreading it onto some fancy crackers.
How long does Miyoko's cheese last after opening? ›
How long do Miyoko's cheeses and butters last? Our products should not be consumed beyond a week or so after the best by date. Once opened, the products are good for two weeks.
Is Miyoko's Creamery vegan? ›
From our home in Sonoma County, California, we make award-winning, phenomenally vegan plant milk butter and cheese. We're on a mission to create a more humane, just, and sustainable food system.
What is Miyoko's vegan butter made of? ›
Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Cashew Milk (Filtered Water, Organic Cashews, Cultures), Filtered Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Contains 2% or Less of: Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavors, Mushroom Extract.
Is Miyoko Schinner still married? ›
It's no secret to many that 2023 (and a chunk of 2022) were challenging periods in my life both personally and professionally. On the personal side, during this period, I ended 29 years of marriage — in fact, the divorce was final just after Christmas. It's another reflection of a transition happening in my life.
Who is the CEO of Miyoko's vegan cheese? ›
Stuart Kronauge took over plant-based dairy milk maker Miyoko's Creamery as CEO earlier this month.
