Almond Cultured Cottage Cheese · Plant-based
Ingredients (1 litre mix makes 2 cheese)
- 788g filtered water
- 115g almond protein (55% protein)
- 20g dextrose
- 20g neutral vegetable oil (sunflower)
- 50g coconut milk without stabilizers
- 7g salt
- 0,5g BINDLY TI
- Mesophilic starter culture (quantity according to manufacturers instructions)
Tools
- Scale
- Thermomix kitchen robot or similar
- Fermentation station
- Pot or bowl with lid (at least 1 litre capacity)
- 2 cheese baskets and 2 cheese cloths
Cheese making steps
- Mix the liquid ingredients: water, vegetable oil and coconut milk in a kitchen robot at medium-high speed for 30 seconds.
- Add almond protein, dextrose and salt and mix at low-medium speed for 15 minutes at 50ºC. This step ensures proper protein hydration and even distribution of the ingredients. Make sure no dry spots are left at the walls of the Thermomix bowl.
- After 15 minutes, increase the temperature to 90ºC. Once reached, pasteurize for 5 minutes. This step ensures further protein hydration, increases gelling capacity and guarantees aseptic conditions of the mixture.
- Pour the mixture in a pot or a bowl and cool down to 30ºC.
- Add BINDLY TI and starter culture (prior dissolution may be required) and mix thoroughly.
- Let the mixture ferment at the fermentation station for about 16 hours at 30ºC. This step can also be performed at lower temperature (around 20-25ºC) for longer time, up to 24 hours. At the end of the fermentation process, the pH of the curd should be of 4,5 or lower, to guarantee microbiological safety.
- Once fermented, the mixture will curdle and set. The curd then needs to be cut in squares with a sharp knife (1,5-2cm stripes).
- Prepare the baskets: line with cheese cloths and put into a tray to collect the whey.
- Pour the cut curd onto the baskets, half of the mixture into each one. Let the whey drain for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature, turning the cheeses every 30 minutes and pouring out the collected whey.
- Let the cheeses refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours in the baskets prior to consumption. This will stop the fermentation and firm up the cheese texture. The pH after refrigeration should be of 4,4 or lower.
- Almond cottage is ready for consumption!
