Raw Vegan Cheese
Life got exciting today. I made my raw food recipe for raw cashew cheese and it turned out great! I have been preparing raw food for some time now but the cheese, the ones that you have to make and set-up for a day, seemed a little daunting. Well, as my friend Michael often says, sometimes you just have to pull the bands back and let them fly. I’m glad I did. A few handfuls of cashews, some rejuvelac, and a little patience turned out a delightful cheese spread that is a welcome addition to any raw diet.
If you are wondering what rejuvelac is, it is a fermented liquid made from sprouting wheat berries that is said to be high in enzymes, friendly bacteria, vitamins and minerals. It is known as a health drink. If you have been following this site, you know I am sprouting a lot of wheat berries these days. I decided to put some of those sprouted wheat berries to work, make some rejuvelac and then, the cheese.
Cashew Cheese
Rejuvelac
- 1/2 cup sprouted wheat berries (sprouted just until tails start)
- 4 cups filtered water
- Place the wheat berries and the water in a jar. Leave in a warm place for 24-48 hours. You will see a little fizz. The liquid should be a little tart but not smell off.
Cheese
- 2 cups cashews
- 1/2 cup rejuvelac
- Cover cashews with water and soak overnight. Drain off water.
- Place cashews in Vitamix and process with rejuvelac until a smooth paste forms. You can add a dash of celtic sea salt.
- Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheese cloth. Spoon mixture into the cloth.
- Set in a warm place and let set for 24 hours. Form into the shape you want. I coated the outside with cracked pepper.
- Put in refrigerator to finish setting. Store in the refrigerator for about a week. Serve with Onion Sunflower Seed Flat Bread.
Liisa wrote on November 5, 2010
Have you tried freezing it?
Susan wrote on November 5, 2010
I have not frozen this one….
Yulia wrote on October 20, 2010
i am happy i made this cheese:) thank you for recipe. this is the picture of my cheese: http://rawdessertrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/10/almond-and-cashew-cheese.html
Liisa wrote on October 18, 2010
Hi,
I’m about to make this for the weekend. How long will the cheese last before it goes off if kept in a fridge – providing it’s not all eaten at once?
Susan wrote on October 18, 2010
In my experience, the nut cheeses do not have a very long shelf life. It is best when used within a few days.
Susan wrote on September 26, 2010
You can actually use all different kinds of grains for rejuvelac. 🙂
Susan wrote on September 1, 2010
Did you soak your cashews? There should have been plenty of moisture. And yes, you can add too much. Cheeses are tricky.
Phyllis Williams wrote on September 1, 2010
Hi Susan…I love this site…so much info…thank you for your dedication and generosity…you inspire me…ok..re: cashew cheese…I started my mixture with the cashews and half cup of rejuvelac but my mixture was so dry that I added more…I didn’t squeeze the cheese mixture while it was straining…wondering if its possible to use too much rejuvelac?
Thanks
Ben wrote on August 10, 2010
Thanks for the recipe. I just had this in Vancouver at Radha, and I’m excited to try making it. I’ve got the Rejuvelac setting up now.
Debbie: Rejuvelac is prepared using whole wheat, rye, quinoa, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat, rice and other types of grain (according to WikiPedia).
Debbie wrote on July 23, 2010
I have celiac disease…..can you make rejuvelac with something other than wheat berries?
Susan wrote on July 23, 2010
I believe you can use buckwheat.
Doris wrote on July 5, 2010
I added some chopped nuts and stuffed jumbo olives with this cheese for an event I did and people are emailing me, calling me, sending telegrams, smoke signals and the likes asking “what was in those olives?” : )