Building Cashew Cheese Caves In My Brooklyn Apartment
I have been wanting to venture into making aged plant-based cheeses for awhile, but introducing different varieties of mold cultures into my Brooklyn apartment is something that I didn’t take lightly. I wanted to do it right and did my research. So far, so good. I have been loving this journey. I wanted to share my resources in case you too, want to become a responsible aged cashew cheesemonger.
Recipes: I watched various YouTube videos, but hit the cheese lottery when I stumbled on the free, downloadable Full Of Plants cheese ebook. My confidence skyrocketed, as I rather follow a proven recipe when it comes to fermenting whenever possible. I do not plan on publishing my own recipes on this type of cheese production. The basic premise is to add mold, blend cashews and maintain the correct environment for growth. Tom is a genius and put in years of work. His recipes that I tried so far are a dream to work with.
Cheese Cave: The cheeses need a controlled refrigerated environment ranging from 50-56° F. This was important to me because I didn’t want the mold cultures interacting with my food in my refrigerator. I also did not want to risk getting sick with uneven growth at the incorrect temperature. I actually see a difference in the speed of growth, even when I even jump just one degree higher. I settled on the 12-bottle New Air wine fridges because they are so pretty, affordable and fit nicely in my space. I ended up buying three of them at around $130 each, because it is not recommended that the different varieties of molds interact with each other. Three seems like a bit much, but the other alternative was waiting six weeks until I was done with a batch of bleu, disinfecting it entirely and only then starting a camembert. I wanted a steady supply. I was lucky to get refurbished models which seem to be out of stock at the moment, but would 10 out of 10 recommend. I took out the shelves for now, and just stack the domes inside.
Cultures: I use New England Cheesemaking and The Cheesemaker for the MD88, Penecillum Roqueforti, Penecillum Candidum and Geotrichum Candidum cultures, as well as a few accessories such as ripening cheese paper and mesh cheese mats. You will probably go down a fermenting rabbit hole when you visit these sites. I recommend checking the shipping process as these cultures do best refrigerated or kept in the freezer. I don’t think getting them shipped over ice is necessary but would not particularly want mine in transit for like a week. Look around, compare prices and make sure the strain you are purchasing is plant-based if you want to keep it 100% vegan.
Shaping The Wheels: This is where I got creative. The molds don’t like metal, so I purchased four Matfer Exoglass 3 1/2-inch round molds. I found these to be pricey, but adore them and am trying to take good care of them. I only use a soft sponge to hand wash them to have them last. I used pint-sized plastic deli containers to form their domes, and they seem to love them. I have the potential to go through many of these as my cheese collection grows, so glad this was an economical option. They retain just enough humidity and the wheels are a perfect fit with enough air flow. I can potentially fit up to 24 wheels into each fridge. Space efficient, super affordable and easy to sanitize between uses— I feel like I struck gold.
The Accessories: I like wearing a mask and disposable gloves when working with the cheese wheels daily to limit mold exposure. I use unbleached parchment paper to flip them onto before they are mature enough for their mesh mats that promote air circulation to encourage even mold growth. I do like to label each container using painters’ tape and a permanent marker. You will also need non-iodized salt, refined coconut oil, and lots of raw cashews. I’ve been using alkaline water because that’s the water filtration system I have but do not have any insight on how this might vary the outcome. I also use my Vitamix to blend the cashews into the perfect consistency. You do not want them to be too wet, so not sure how other blenders would fare.
The Cashews: I try to source ethically-produced cashews. This is something that is important to me and my process. I am currently purchasing them in 25 pound bulk bags from Blue Mountain Organics. I am a big advocate of using cashew pieces since I am blending the cashews into a cream anyways. It keeps the costs lower, and just might be a bit more sustainable.
How Many Cashews? I did the math and each wheel uses 1 cup of cashews which is 1/3 pound worth. Each finished wheel weighs around 6 ounces. I find this type of math tremendously satisfying. A 5-pound bag will yield 15 wheels. At my current rate, that means a cheese wheel costs me $1.89 to produce, after my initial investments and excluding electricity.
Any questions? Leave below. Love discussing this process. Follow me @oliviathechef on Instagram for all the updates. Who knew it was so satisfying to watch mold grow?! For those asking, the immature cheeses with a fresh rind taste like a creamy pecorino and the fully-aged blue tastes 100% like cheese. I’m starting to think that it’s the mold that makes cheese a cheese, instead of the actual dairy.
