Some individuals already say tofu is principally cheese. However I wished to take that additional. What occurs if we make tofu from scratch… interrupt the method with fermentation… then press, salt, and age it like conventional dairy cheese?

• Will tofu cheese style wonderful?
• Will tofu cheese be cursed?
• Will soybeans truly change into cheese?

Let’s discover out.

Will Tofu Cheese? Video Vlog

From Soybean to Soymilk

I began with 454g (1 lb) of dried soybeans, soaked in a single day till plump. After a fast high quality verify (no discolored beans allowed), they had been blended with about double their quantity in water and strained by means of a soy milk filter bag.

This yielded roughly 2500ml of contemporary soymilk.

Soymilk vs Dairy Milk

One of many causes soy is such a powerful candidate for cheese-making is its protein content material.

Per cup comparability (approximate):

Dairy milk: ~8g protein, larger fats, incorporates lactose (milk sugar)

Do-it-yourself soymilk (from entire beans): ~7–8g protein, decrease fats, no lactose, decrease sugar

Protein-wise? Almost similar.

Fats and sugar-wise? Not fairly.

I did think about including higher-fat nuts and a few sugar to higher mimic dairy milk’s macro profile — particularly since lactose feeds conventional cheese cultures. However for this primary take a look at, I wished to see what pure soy may do by itself.

A Observe on “Milk”

Some individuals object to the phrase “milk” for plant drinks. However traditionally, English has used “milk” to explain many white plant liquids for hundreds of years:

It’s custom at this level.

Conventional Fermented Tofu (And Why We’re Not Making It)

Fermented tofu already exists. It’s referred to as fuyu (腐乳).

It’s salty, creamy, intensely flavorful — extra miso-adjacent than cheese-like. It’s utilized in Cantonese cooking to season greens, enrich congee, or taste char siu.

It begins as “bushy tofu,” inoculated with a selected mould tradition (Mucor micheli ) that’s tough to supply in Canada. So though I’ve gotten many requests to attempt it, I’ll follow accessible and tried and true: grocery retailer probiotics. I’m utilizing the identical ones that had been profitable in my peanut and pistachio cheese experiments.

Cooking & Curdling the Soymilk

The contemporary soymilk was delivered to a boil and simmered for quarter-hour to totally prepare dinner it.

In contrast to dairy milk (which coagulates round physique temperature with rennet), soymilk requires larger warmth to correctly set.

At about 165°F (74°C), I added dissolved calcium sulfate (gypsum), the standard tofu coagulant.

After an preliminary hiccup (not fairly scorching sufficient — humbled), I reheated the combination and achieved correct coagulation. The curds shaped, and the whey turned clear.

Fermentation: Including the Probiotics

As soon as cooled to about 100°F (38°C), I added 4 probiotic capsules (15 billion CFUs every).

The curds had been fermented in a dehydrator set round 96–98°F for about 24 hours.

The outcome? Vibrant, lemony sourness. Clear. Tangy. Not funky.

At this stage, it tasted like tofu that had been marinated in lemon juice — not cheese but, however promising.

Urgent the Tofu Cheese

The curds had been transferred right into a tofu press and pressed firmly.

After urgent in a single day, the block weighed 607g.

Texture observations:

• Very agency
• Barely crumbly edges
• No discoloration
• Delicate yellow variation in some curds

Taste:

• Vibrant sourness
• Slight woody/bamboo-like notes on the end
• Not funky or “tacky”… but

Salting Two Methods

To check salting strategies, I break up the cheese into two parts:

1. Salt-Crusted Model – Coarse kosher salt sprinkled instantly onto the floor and patted in to stay
2. Salt Brine Model – A saturated salt resolution made with leftover whey, heated gently to about 100°F in order to not kill the probiotics. This model soaked for quarter-hour per facet.

24 Hours Later (Dehydrator Growing older)

After 24 hours at ~98°F, each had been dry to the contact and salt had clearly been absorbed into the blocks. However they had been very totally different from one another at first look. 

Salt Crusted Style Check

• smaller (164g)
• mottled exterior with distinct curd shapes and cracks; darker tan shade
• few giant kosher salt crystals at edges remaining intact
• very agency with spring again; like tiny bouncy rubber ball
• squeaky when reduce down the center
• very tangy, barely lemony, with bamboo aftertaste; solely very barely funky
• shiny, fermented aroma
• dry crumbly mouthfeel like very dry feta

Salt-Brined Style Check

• extra moisture retained; weight is 196g
• identical mottled exterior texture however lighter yellow shade
• salt-dust coats the skin apart from the bigger faces
• related shiny and delicate aroma
• related agency however bouncy texture; a bit extra give than the Salt-Crusted
• additionally takes some effort to chop by means of however much less so than the Salt-Crusted; no squeaking
• equally tangy however tastes extra like common tofu with a little bit of bamboo and inexperienced tea aftertaste; not funky
• well-seasoned inside however I would love it much less salty (soak in salt brine for shorter length subsequent time)

Neither model actually tasted like cheese but. Nor would I name than very snackable. However each had been surprisingly nice contemplating the brief quantity of complete fermentation time (48hrs).

Growing older Setup (Fridge Part)

After tasting, I made a small adjustment. One half of every was left as-was. The opposite halves had been brushed calmly with leftover whey and sprinkled with a bit extra salt for additional microbial safety.

Then all 4 items had been positioned on a bamboo mat (for airflow beneath), in a meals container with a separate plastic container base for a make-shift lid. This can hopefully protects the cheese from fridge contamination whereas nonetheless permitting airflow. The fridge is a bit chilly for a “cheese cave.” However it’ll hvae to do. I don’t anticipate a number of change in taste improvement for a couple of weeks so I’ll replace a lot later. 

What’s Subsequent?

I now have too many variables I wish to take a look at:

• Urgent at room temperature for much less time
• Leaving bigger curds intact
• Growing fats (cashews? different nuts?)
• Including sugar to feed fermentation
• Attempting a yogurt-cheese base
• Utilizing silken tofu as an alternative of damaged curds

This experiment has created extra questions than solutions. However I’m just one individual! Let me know what you wish to attempt subsequent. Or fill me in in your vegan cheese initiatives! I’d like to know.