Vegan Blue Cheese

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 Sea salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Refined coconut oil

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 3 cups Cashews, raw

• Liquids

  • 5 tbsp Water, filtered

• Other

  • 6 Capsules vegan probiotics (acidophilus
  • ⅛ tsp penicillium roqueforti

Found on fullofplants.com

Description

Ingredients

• 3 cups raw cashews
• 2 tbsp refined coconut oil
• 6 capsules vegan probiotics (Acidophilus)
• ⅛ tsp penicillium roqueforti
• 5 tbsp filtered water
• sea salt

Directions

• Soak the cashews in filtered water for at least 5 hours or overnight.
• Drain the cashews, rinse them under cold water and place in the bowl of the blender.
• Add the coconut oil and 5 tablespoons of filtered water to the bowl of the blender.
• Open the probiotic capsules and add the powder to the bowl.
• Add the penicillium roqueforti. If your penicillium roqueforti is in powdered form, please check the notes.
• Blend on high speed, scraping down the sides from time to time, this step might take about 10 minutes depending on your blender. You can also use a food processor if you dont have a powerful blender.
• The mixture should be smooth but thick. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until smooth. Do not add too much water, you want to use as least as possible.
• Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic film and let sit at room temperature for one day, this step is important to let the cheese ferment.
• The following day, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 4 hours to make the mixture easier to work with.
• After that, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in 4 small springform pans (For each cheese I used two 3-inch cookie cutter rounds, stacked). You want to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. You can also use plastic film if you prefer, the goal is to prevent the cashew mixture to touch the metal. Fill each pan with the mixture and press it down using plastic film so it doesnt stick to your hands.
• Place the cheeses on the baking sheet and cover them with a plastic box to keep some humidity inside, its important for better mold growth. Place the box in your refrigerator (you will age the cheeses if your refrigerator all the time).
• After 2 days, sprinkle salt over the top of the cheeses, and lightly rub with clean hands. Carefully flip the cheeses using a small plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle salt on top and on the sides, rubbing gently. The cheeses will still be very soft but they will be easier to work with after a few days.
• Continue to flip the cheeses everyday, always use clean hands or work with a plastic film to be sure you are not touching the cheese.
• Mold should start to appear after about 7 days.
• After 2 weeks, scramble the cheeses into little pieces (just like when you scramble tofu) into a clean bowl.
• Lay strips of parchment paper in springform pans and fill each pan with the scramble cheese, without pressing too much. This step is important to create holes inside the cheese, the mold needs to be in contact with air to grow. Place the cheeses on the baking sheet, cover with plastic box and place in the refrigerator.
• Continue to flip the cheeses everyday for the next 3 weeks, always using clean hands or gloves. This step only takes a few seconds everyday.
• After a total of 5 weeks, the inside and the outside of your cheeses will be covered with blue mold. They will be ready to eat!
• The longer you let them age in the refrigerator, the stronger the taste.
• The cheese will keep for at least 2 months in the refrigerator and will become firmer and sharper.