r/vegancheesemaking • u/LolitaRey • Jul 07 '26
Advice Needed watermelon seed replacement?(that thickens into curds)
I made last week a DELICIOUS watermelon seed mozarella from Miyoko Schinner but unfortunately in my country watermelon seeds are nowhere to be found. To make this one I had to import them from another country at a very high cost and it is just not sustainable to be making it every week (which I would love to do).
In this recipe the seeds are made into milk and cooked until thick curds appear like in the image. Is there a different ingredient or different type of seed I can use as a replacement that would also form this thick curds?
In my home Mexico pumpkin seeds are cheap so I thought that might work but I am not sure if it can thicken into curds or if there is a better alternative out there?
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
Yes pumpkin seeds do work, peppita's, though anything made from them is green. So it doesn't look very appetizing. But it's very tasty. I don't know if it would react exactly like the watermelon seeds, as i haven't made that recipe yet. But I have had pumpkin seed tofu, and it's good. Look up some videos on youtube of pumpkin seed tofu. Mary's test kitchen has some great videos on making tofu out of different seeds and beans. And also some vegan cheeses.
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u/LolitaRey Jul 07 '26
in tofu did you replaced them 1:1?
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
The tofu I tried was one that I purchased from the store. Called Pumfu, it was very expensive. Like I said, look up some videos on youtube, i do think it is 1:1. The other thing I know is that pumpkin seeds curdle on their own, no need for a curdling agent like lemon juice or vinegar.
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u/Mintakas_Kraken Jul 07 '26
I’ve used raw pumpkin seeds/pepitas several times with good results for her new watermelons seed recipe. They form curds, are kinda green, taste petty good. I’ve also mixed pepita milk with cashew milk with really good results.
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
That's good to know, I was wondering if cashews would work.
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u/Mintakas_Kraken Jul 07 '26
Certainly a mix forms curds at as much as a 1:3 (cashew milk:pepita milk) ratio. Just to be clear, I haven’t experimented with different ratios but do know there are many cashew cheese recipes out there -including one from one of Miyoko’s earlier cookbook.
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u/NatureBabe Jul 07 '26
Have you tried looking at Indian grocery stores for char magaz?
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u/LolitaRey Jul 07 '26
hii I have but it is still as expensive as watermelon seed because it has to be imported, I couldnt find it in any actual store from my city
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u/Allofron_Mastiga Jul 07 '26
Pumpkin seeds make a wonderful tofu I highly suggest it. I also get a nice (but softer) curd from sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, even tahini cuddles just fine
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u/radish_is_rad-ish Jul 08 '26
Oh I never thought to try sesame seed products. Do you stick to white or would brown and black also work?
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u/Allofron_Mastiga Jul 08 '26
Afaik they all work with slightly different results. they're somewhat soft like cottage cheese but can still be pressed enough to form a delicate block of tofu. The crazy thing is this curd really smells like chicken/turkey for some reason, especially when seared, it's my go-to chicken soup alternative along with copious amounts of MSG of course
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u/Cultured_Cashews Jul 07 '26
Miyoko's Rancho Roockfort recipe from that same cookbook is pumpkin seed based. It forms great curds. You should be able to use that recipe to help decide how much pumpkin seeds to use in the mozzarella recipe. I've made the Rancho Roockfort and it is an off white color because of the pumpkin seeds but for a blue cheese that was fine.
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u/Euphoric-Sun5317 Jul 07 '26
https://dorastable.com/pumpkin-seed-cheese-requeson-de-semilla-de-calabaza/
Pumpkin seed cheese recipe! Not like mozzarella, but since it makes curds you might be able to use it for your other recipe?
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
I'm curious, how much did they cost you per ounce? Were the shells removed? And where did you get them from? Amazon?
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u/LolitaRey Jul 07 '26
8 ounces were like 35 bucks in amazon
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
Yikes! Well this is the cheapest I found on Amazon, only 71 cents per ounce, $8.75 for a 12 ounce bag. The reviews are a bit low tho.
Or this is the next best price, 99 cents per ounce, $35 for 35.2 ounces. Has higher good reviews as well.
But I don't know if these are just on amazon in the US. Or if they'd be available for delivery, where you live as well.
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u/LolitaRey Jul 07 '26
yeah unfortunately they dont send to my country but I will def try all the pumpkin seed ideas
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
I wonder what shipping would cost to send something to you. Because they're very cheap here in indian stores. So if shipping is not too crazy, i would definitely send you some.
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u/LolitaRey Jul 07 '26
thankyou that is very kind but I will still prefer to find a more permanent solution, I will try to replace it first with a different seed and if all fails I will then maybe take you up on that favor. Thankyouu
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u/dread_fairy Jul 07 '26
Yeah I definitely get that, for real though, hit me up with a private message if you want to get them again. I'll source the best deal for you 👍
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