Nut Cheese discussion

[brimstoneSalad]

There has been some interest about nut cheeses, so I thought we should start a thread.


I found this site, which has some great pictures:

http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/spreads-cheeses/

Those are mainly agar based cheeses, which is a great convenient way to do it (I've done it a few times before), and makes a sliceable (and shreddable if you're gentle and make a really firm one) cheese.
I consider agar agar to be a healthy substance; it comes from seaweed, and it acts mainly as a dietary fiber.


Here's the extreme at the other end- fermentation all the way:

http://fermentedvegancheese.blogspot.co ... heese.html

Just cashews, salt, water, and culture

I've never done it like that (with cheese cloth, and that much time to press out the liquid).
I prefer to blend a much thicker cheese, and add something to help it set so It's not necessary to press out the liquid.

Mixing in some starch or flour can work if you're going to be cooking it in or on something (which is usually what I do).

[Volenta]

Wow, I did not notice this topic. I think these nut cheeses are really interesting. As someone who doesn't live in Canada or the USA where they have Daiya cheese (I see them being used everywhere and praised a lot, there's no serious alternative being sold here), it's an amazing alternative to make some cheese myself.

Really curious about the taste of it. I really need to get myself a blender sometime (I somehow managed to live without one) to try stuff like this.

[brimstoneSalad]

As someone who doesn't live in Canada or the USA where they have Daiya cheese (I see them being used everywhere and praised a lot, there's no serious alternative being sold here), it's an amazing alternative to make some cheese myself.

Nut cheeses are a lot better than Daiya IMO.

But if you're looking for something like Daiya, that could also be done without a blender. It would just take a little more elbow grease and some more specialized ingredients.

Something like:

Soy milk (plain), or home made soy yogurt
Vegetable oil
Soy lecithin*
Sesame Tahini*
Agar agar*
Tapioca starch*
Salt
Vinegar/Lemon juice
Sugar
Garlic powder/Onion powder

*less common ingredients

Sesame Tahini is very well ground already into a smooth paste, so using that instead of whole nuts removes the need for a blender.
They won't provide enough fat on its own (without making it overwhelming) so you'd have to add some vegetable oil. Vegetable oil will require soy lecithin to emulsify and prevent separation.
Tapioca starch will thicken it (and make it a little bit stretchy), and Agar agar will let it set into a sliceable/shreddable (and meltable) block.

You'll probably need a whisk to emulsify the oil.

With a blender, making this type of cheese is very easy. Without, it'll take more work.