Cultured Cashew Cheese
Servings: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- ⅜ cup water plus more for soaking cashews
- ¼ cup preserved lemon brine
- 1 tablespoon kombucha vinegar or apple cider vinegar with the live mother
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Place raw cashews in a large jar or bowl. Pour in water to cover by two inches. Cover. Let cashews soak for from 4 to 6 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Place cashews, ⅜ cup water, preserved lemon juice, kombucha vinegar, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer puréed nuts to a clean glass jar with a capacity of at least 2 cups. Set aside at room temperature. Taste daily. When the cashew cheese has filled at least somewhat with bubbles and you like the flavor, move the jar to the refrigerator, where it will thicken a bit. The cashew cheese tastes best when eaten within a week.
Notes
If you do not have any of the starters listed in the recipe, use another starter such as whey or, if you want to keep this vegan, sauerkraut brine. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
If using kimchi brine for a starter instead of the preserved lemon brine and kombucha vinegar, make the following adjustments to the recipe:
- Add ½ cup kimchi brine
- Reduce water to ¼ cup
- Reduce salt to ¼ teaspoon or to taste
- Add 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or to taste