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This vegan mild cheddar made with leftover wheat starch water gets some umami from mushroom powder and Worcestershire. It's a hard cheese perfect for your next charcuterie board, but can also be sliced thin for sandwiches or grated onto just about anything for flavor. The wheat starch does not get as stretchy as tapioca or potato starch, so while this will soften it won't exactly "melt."
Ingredients
Directions
Drain as much excess water off your starch water as possible and stir. I let mine sit in the fridge for a day or two to try to get it to really separate before using for this. Make sure your starch water and soy milk are at room temperature before beginning, or they will make your coconut oil solidify when mixing. I mix them together and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until it's ready. Be careful not to heat it too much or the starch will clump.
Prepare a steamer and have a container ready for your cheese. I use silicone molds which easily release. You may want to oil a glass container if using. Whatever you choose, make sure it can easily hold up at least 2 1/2-3 cups of liquid, because the mixture will rise by about 1/3 during cooking.
Add all the ingredients through the salt to your blender or food processor and blitz. Once mixed you can see the color and add any additional at this time. The colors will darken with steaming. Slowly add in the melted coconut oil and continue to blend until it is fully emulsified.
Finally add in the lactic acid and pulse the blender a bit more to incorporate.* Pour the mixture into the prepared vessel and steam for 45 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge. The cheese will be hardened after about 6-8 hours of resting in the fridge and will continue to harden a little more as it rests.
*SIDE NOTE: The reason I add the lactic acid last is because it can affect the kappa carageenan's ability to harden the cheese. I'm honestly not sure if it makes that much of a difference since I'm blending everything together before cooking, anyway, but it's a habit I picked up from The Non-Dairy Evolution by Skye Michael Conroy. If you're just learning about vegan cheese making or want to explore some new ideas, I highly recommend the book.
More Starch Water Recipes
Ingredients
Directions
Drain as much excess water off your starch water as possible and stir. I let mine sit in the fridge for a day or two to try to get it to really separate before using for this. Make sure your starch water and soy milk are at room temperature before beginning, or they will make your coconut oil solidify when mixing. I mix them together and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until it's ready. Be careful not to heat it too much or the starch will clump.
Prepare a steamer and have a container ready for your cheese. I use silicone molds which easily release. You may want to oil a glass container if using. Whatever you choose, make sure it can easily hold up at least 2 1/2-3 cups of liquid, because the mixture will rise by about 1/3 during cooking.
Add all the ingredients through the salt to your blender or food processor and blitz. Once mixed you can see the color and add any additional at this time. The colors will darken with steaming. Slowly add in the melted coconut oil and continue to blend until it is fully emulsified.
Finally add in the lactic acid and pulse the blender a bit more to incorporate.* Pour the mixture into the prepared vessel and steam for 45 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge. The cheese will be hardened after about 6-8 hours of resting in the fridge and will continue to harden a little more as it rests.
Sorry, not heard of starch water before. How do you make it, please?
You can “wash” wheat flour to separate the gluten from the starch in order to make seitan from scratch. Here is a link to that process for more info: http://seitansociety.com/wash-the-flour-method/ I came up with this recipe as a means to make use of some of that leftover starch water. If you’re not planning to wash flour to make seitan, you may find you’re happier with some other vegan cheese recipes that use tapioca starch and/or potato starch, as I think those are better suited to cheese-making. However, I do highly recommend trying the “wash the flour” method to make seitan, and if you do, then you’ll find a few recipes here (including this cheese) to use that leftover starch water. 😊
Why do Vegans try to make processed food that looks and tastes like an animal product that we abhor ?
While I can’t answer for anyone else, I grew up eating meat and cheese and always enjoyed the taste, but I decided to stop eating them for ethical and environmental reasons. 99% of my friends and family still eat them. With every successful recipe that tastes good enough that even they can enjoy, I feel like I’m doing some small part to help a greater cause. And even if they don’t enjoy it but I still do, I’m filling a void with no harm done. 😊
Hello
I have a problem? I am trying this recipe a nd you ask for lactic acid powder but I could only find it in liquid form. My solution is 88%. Will using the same amount work? I tried searching the web with no clear answer.
Thanks.
I have read, ***though I haven’t tried this,*** that you can use a few drops as a substitute for 1 tsp of the powder. If you already have purchased it than I might suggest starting with just 2 drops to see if it’s acidic enough to your liking. If you haven’t purchased it yet, you can instead try 2 tsp of lemon juice, which will make it taste a little more citrusy but provide a similar amount of acidity as the powder. I have a new white cheddar that I just published today if you’re interested as well. This one is a little creamier from cashews and I uses the brine from a jar of olives which really gives it a “cheddary’ flavor: http://seitansociety.com/recipes/vegan-white-cheddar-wheat-starch/
Because we have not problem with the taste of animal products…we just dont think that the animals need to die. So if we can have the product we like while allowing the animals to live…I see no problem there.
Vegans try to make processed food that looks and taste like animals products for the following reason –
The same reason people use dildo’s, looks the same, feels the same, fills a hole and breaks no hearts
Hi! Amazing idea! Can I use agar agar or psyllium instead of Kappa Karagenan?
Thank you!
I’m not sure if the heat from steaming will be enough to activate the agar agar going in dry, but if you have a lot of starch water, it’s worth a shot! I wouldn’t suggest boiling it first without cooling prior to adding to the starch, though. Wheat starch clumps reeeaaally fast which is why steaming is the perfect method for this. Also, most recipes call for double the amount of agar agar when substituting Kappa Karagenan, and I haven’t tried psyllium. Sorry I can’t help with that!
I made this and it was incredible! The only thing I would change is the coconut oil. My cheese tastes like coconut, so I will try with a neutral oil next time, but this is very good none the less! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Pierre, did you use refined coconut oil? That type has been de-flavored and should not taste like coconut. I’ll make a note in the recipe to make that ingredient more clear. Glad you still liked it!
Hi, when do you take it out of the mold? after it cools at room temp., or after it has chilled in the fridge? I’m steaming mine now in a glass rectangular dish. Hope it doesn’t stick?! : )
Hi Kat, Did you oil the sides before steaming just to be on the safe side? I never oil my silicone molds but they can be peeled away – that said I’ve never had any issue with the cheese sticking so you’ll probably be ok regardless. As soon as you take it off the heat it will begin to shrink, and it should pull away from the sides of the container more as it cools. I have left mine in the container, then covered with wrap or a lid after it’s come to room temp and put in the fridge directly. I have also removed it from the container after its come to room temp and popped it into another container or wrapped – usually because I plan to use the container again right away. Long story short – it shouldn’t matter, just let it cool to room temp before covering and putting it away to finish firming. 😊
Hello Jen,
thanky you very much for this (and all your other) recipes. The cheese is very tasty, we really enjoy it.
You’re welcome! So happy you enjoyed it! 😊