Nut or Seed Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups nuts or seeds (pine nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, or others)
• 2 Tbsps lemon juice
• 2-to-3 cups water (enough to liberally cover nuts or seeds)
• Sea salt to taste

Soak nuts or seeds overnight. Soaking and sprouting nuts or seeds for 1-to-2 days before fermenting ensures that the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors are more thoroughly removed. The alternative to soaking is to grind them dry. This will produce a more nutty flavor. 

Rinse nuts or sees well. Place in a blender with water. Add the rest of the ingredients, and blend into a fine cream. Pour the cream into a cheese bag. Hang the bag over the sink and allow to drain and ferment at room temperature for 6-to-8 hours or overnight. If you leave it out longer, the cheese will develop a stronger flavor. Transfer the cheese to a glass storage jar and refrigerate.

Alternative method: Pour the cream into a sieve. Place the sieve on the top of a container to allow water to drain off. Cover with a towel and leave for 6-to-8 hours or overnight on the counter for fermentation to take place. When the nut cheese is ready, it should smell cheesy. This cheese will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ingredients: pine nuts, cashew, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, lemon juice

Recipe Type: Snack