Lacto-fermented cashew cheese

[Guest Squire]

I'm starting a batch today. 

First step in the process is to sprout seeds. Different seeds will give the final product a different flavor. I like winter white wheat. A lot of people like quinoa. 

I made the sprouting jar with window screen material cut into a circle and screwed down with the ring. 

Soak seeds 12-24 hours. Unchlorinated water. 

 

@Coastal

[Limos]

I’ll follow along sounds good

[Guest Squire]

This will be like cream cheese. 

The three up front start out this way.

[Guest 3rdCoaster]

Interesting.  We  grow sprouts and make kraut and other lacto ferments over here.   Never cheese though.   I'm subbed in.

[Guest Squire]

I'll just barely sprout these to break down some starch and protein. First step in malting. 

 

Base ingredients are:

Raw unsalted cashews

Sproutable seeds (I used wheat)

Refined coconut oil

Seeds for sprouting

Unchlorinated water

Salt

 

Equipment:

Food processor or high speed blender

Sprouting jar

Large glass bowl or storage container

Spatula

 

[Coastal]

Those look really good!

 

amazing collection of people we got on such a small forum! I know I get a lot from it and organic cultivation lends very well and becomes hard to deny the health benefits of eating the same quality of nutrient with enzymes and good things we demand for our plants!

 

thank you very much for dropping this knowlage, excited to see it progress!

[Guest Squire]

@coastal Totally! Feed our guts like we feed our soils  a lot of crossover

Drain seeds. Then,I like to have the jar tipped slightly forward, so any remaining water (drain REALLY well) flows towards the open end (more fresh air exchange). Rinse and drain well every day until sprouted. Unchlorinated water.

 

I actually let these go too long, but it should be fine. Drowned the sprouts, and now I'm waiting till it starts bubbling and smelling/tasting like yogurt water.

[Guest Squire]

Shit... I should have dumped it in the brew. Lol

Can't see how it would hurt. Enzymes, sugars... The lactic acid type bacteria are anaerobic, but that flash in the pan could still be good... Like bokashi tea?

I think I know the guy to ask... 

[Guest Squire]

Here's a recipe to use as a guideline and build from. 

Rejuvelac is what we're making with the sprouts. People drink it as is, too. I think there are tastier probiotic drinks to be made. Another thread

Rejuvelac should be ready in a day or two. Soaking 15oz of cashews in the fridge. I usually do 2-3 days. Change water ever day, ideally, but don't toss them if you forget. Lol. 

[Guest Squire]

[Guest Squire]

The rejuvelac started bubbling when agitated. A day after this was taken (today), it got cloudier, and a little more sour (ph'd it ). Like yogurt water. 

Blended with the soaked and rinsed cashews, refined coconut oil, and salt. 

Packed into this container, covered, and stored at room temperature. No airtight containers. Explosion risk. Lol. 

I'll taste test in a couple days. It'll keep getting sharper with time, at room temperature. 

[Guest Squire]

I took this picture after about a week of fermenting at about 68 or so. Cooler than usual, so it took longer than usual. 

To check the flavor, I insert a spoon handle into the center, twist, and pull out a core sample. It'll keep getting more and more sour, to the point where it's like bile (I should put that on the labels). Just go by taste. I like it like cream cheese, usually. 

Currently stashed in the fridge to slow fermentation way down. Flavor will develop like this, but I mostly want to buy time for my next steps.

To be done here, just fold or whip the cheese to get as much air out as possible. Then just wrap it or pack it with as little air as possible. It freezes pretty damned well, doubly wrapped in plastic.

 

[Guest Squire]

Still letting the cheese rest, but I've been using the rejuvelac for lactic acid bacteria, along with other microbes. Tea so active it formed a pellicle and when I forgot about this little pH tester.

[Kingfish]

That is crazy cool stuff @Squire, thank you for sharing. Looks almost like a sourdough there for a bit. So the rejuvelac is the infant stage of your cheese process?

[Guest Squire]

@Kingfish thanks! Yeah... It's like an inoculant, really :) It can be drank as a probiotic, as is, too.