Making vegan cheese at home is totally doable and you should do it! But just like with dairy-based cheeses, proper sterilization prevents unwanted bacteria, mold, or wild yeast from contaminating your cheese, ensuring a better texture, flavor, and shelf life.
At home, I usually just boil everything for at least a minute. Obviously, that’s not possible with my plastic blender jar or plastic tofu press. In those cases, I clean them with hot soapy water and air-dry. You might go the extra mile and use a bleach solution (I haven’t lately but maybe I will going forward!)
Why Sterilize Your Vegan Cheese Equipment?
Even though vegan cheeses don’t rely on dairy cultures, they can still harbor harmful bacteria or unwanted molds if made in an unclean environment. Sterilization helps:
- Prevent contamination from bacteria or wild yeast that could spoil your cheese.
- Improve consistency by ensuring only your chosen cultures (if using probiotics or fermentation) thrive.
- Extend shelf life by reducing the risk of early spoilage.
- Avoid off-flavors caused by microbial competition.
What Can (and Can’t) Be Sterilized?
Items You Can Sterilize by Boiling:
- Pots & pans (stainless steel, heat-safe glass)
- Wooden spoons & utensils (though prolonged boiling may shorten their lifespan)
- Tongs, tasting spoons & small tools (stainless steel or silicone)
- Mason jars, containers, and lids (glass and metal parts only)
- Cheese molds or forms (if heat-safe)
- Cheesecloth or muslin (if reusable)
Items You Can’t Sterilize by Boiling:
- Vitamix/blender pitchers (most have plastic parts that can warp; wash with hot, soapy water instead)
- Tofu press or cheese press (unless entirely metal; otherwise, clean thoroughly with soap and hot water)
Food ingredients should be as fresh as possible but obviously, they are not sterile coming into your kitchen. Our food system is vulnerable to all sorts of contamination (ecoli, samonella, etc) even if there are no animal products involved. You will not need to boil them necessarily but I prefer to heat them to pasteurise. For example, in this first episode, I heat the plant-based milk to 165°F and keep it there for over 30 seconds to neutralize unwanted microbes.
How to Sterilize Equipment by Boiling
Boiling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to sterilize at home. Here’s how:
1. Prepare Your Equipment
- Wash all items with hot, soapy water first to remove debris.
- Disassemble any parts (e.g., mason jar lids, cheese molds).
2. Boil for Proper Sterilization
- Temperature: Water must reach 100°C (212°F) for effective sterilization.
- Timing:
- Metal, glass, and heat-safe tools: Submerge in boiling water for no less than 30 seconds. DO NOT place cold glass into hot water. It’s better to let it warm up gradually otherwise you risk breakage or even explosion.
- Wooden utensils: Boil for 3-5 minutes (longer exposure can damage wood).
- Cheesecloth/muslin: Boil for 3-5 minutes, then let air-dry in a clean place.
- Altitude: If you’re located far above sea level, the boiling point of water is a little higher. To be on the safe side, make sure your water is at a rolling boil and extend the timing.
3. Drying & Storage
- Use sterilized tongs to remove items.
- Place them on a clean, dry towel or drying rack.
- Let air-dry completely before use to prevent reintroducing bacteria.
Alternative Sterilization Methods
If boiling isn’t practical for some items, consider:
- Steam sterilization (using a steamer basket for 15-20 minutes). Don’t try this for plastic that can warp.
- Bleach solution (1 tbsp unscented bleach per gallon of water; soak for 1-2 minutes, then rinse thoroughly).
- Oven sterilization (for glass/metal; heat at 160°C/320°F for 30 minutes). Also don’t try this for plastic or anything that can melt.
Final Tips for Safe Vegan Cheese-Making
- Always wash hands thoroughly before handling ingredients.
- Work in a clean, clutter-free space.
- Store dry sterilized tools in a closed container until use.
- Remember, as soon as a sterilized tool comes into contact with anything unsterilized, it’s compromised.
- If fermenting, ensure your starter culture is strong to outcompete unwanted microbes.
All this is to increase your chances of success! That said, you don’t need to be 100% to make great vegan cheese. I know that I’m not perfect and my cheese have sometimes still needed a bit cut off due to discoloration. Just try your best and trust both your eyes and nose.
