Fermented Cashew Cheese

This is a super simple recipe that will walk you through a fail-safe way to make lacto-fermented cashew cheese.

This recipe creates incredible gut-loving digestive enzymes that help to populate the gut with healing and healthy bacteria that keep that garden in your tummy healthy.It's a vegan cheese that is deliciously creamy and can be used in a variety of ways.

Dip your veggie sticks in, spread on crackers, dollop onto pasta or curry or use as an amazing sauce in your lasagne.You can ferment any nut or seed however I have used cashews in this recipe as they are the most often-used, have a neutral flavour and are really versatile. Feel free to experiment yourself once you feel confident.

Why spend mega-money on buying cashew cheese when you can make your own? This delicious and tangy fermented cashew cheese recipe is so simple to make, lasts for months in the fridge, you can double or triple the batch, is great for your gut-health and will save you a pocket-full of money!

Ingredients

• Double or triple the recipe as desired. Lasts for months.

• 3 cups raw organic cashews

• 1 litre filtered or pure water (this is a MUST for this recipe, we can't have any chemicals killing the bacteria that is going to ferment the cheese)

• 3 tbs kraut juice (from the bottom of a lacto-fermented jar) OR living kefir (such as that from Imbibe Living) OR 2 GOOD quality Multi-Strain Probiotic capsules such as those from Metagenics or Bioceuticals.

• 1/4-1/2 cup additional filtered water

• 2 tsp caraway seeds or dill seeds

• pinch of sea salt)

• Olive oil to cover the top of the cheese (roughly 2-3 cup)

• You will also need:

• A high powered blender or food processor.

• CLEAN GLASS jars, medium size and up. Must not have dishwashing detergent on them.

Instructions

1. Soak the cashew in a bowl with the 1 litre filtered water for 4 hours. Strain.

2. In a high powered blender place nuts and kraut juice. Blend, tamping down the sides as needed. You may want to add more filtered water 1 tbs at a time until your cashew mix is smooth and creamy.

3. Scrape out of the blender and fold in the sea salt and caraway or dill seeds.

4. Gently spoon the mix into your glass jars, only filling half-3/4 the way up the jar and gently smooth the top or tap the bottom of the jar on the counter to smooth the top (the ferment process will raise the cheese and you don't want the lid popping off).

5. Be careful not to get cheese on the side of the jar leaving it exposed as it will go mouldy with oxygen reaching it. If you do, clean it off with a damp cloth.

6. Pour enough olive oil over the top of the cheese to completely cover it so no oxygen gets to the cheese.

7. Place the lid on the jar and place the jar in the pantry or somewhere out of direct sunlight.

8. Allow 48-72 hours for the ferment to take place (colder climates may take longer).

9. You will notice air pockets in the cheese as the gut-loving bacteria get to work. The cheese will 'rise' in the jar.

10. After 3 days you should be ready to place your cashew cheese in the fridge.

11. The taste will be tangy and tart and potentially 'fizzy'.

12. YUM!