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.
Amy wrote on November 9, 2011
Thank you so much for your inspiring recipes Susan. I was so excited to make my cashew cheese today. It tastes amazing, however the consistency is nothing like yours. Mine was goopy and hard to work with. I used organic rye berries to make my rejuvelac and organic raw cashews. Also what warm area do you leave your cheese in for the 24 hours. Do you know where I may have gone wrong? Do you show pictures of what yours looks like step by step in your cook book? Thanks, Amy
Susan wrote on November 9, 2011
Amy….you need to make sure that it is warm enough. If it is colder in the house, I set it by or on top of the dehydrator. Also, did you refrigerate it to let it set up? If it is still too wet, you can put it in the dehydrator for a bit. I have not had this problem so these are just suggestions. Good luck!
Portia wrote on November 2, 2011
Hi
Are wheat seeds the same as wheat berries?
Thanx, Blessed day further 🙂
sjaan wrote on September 4, 2011
Hello Susan,
Ooooh the cheese is giving me a hard time! 🙂 tried to make rejuvelac several times, but it smelled rank so threw it away. Now i think the rejuvelac is fine but the cheese will not get firm. Stayed outside fridge for a day or so and almost a day in the fridge now too. Is it possible that de rejuvelac was not fermented enough? I also found a recipe for cashew cheese without rejuvelac. Isn’t that strange? Well… also thanks for your blog, very interesting and helpful!!
Susan wrote on September 4, 2011
It can be tricky. You can make many cheeses without rejuvelac. The cheese never gets firm like a hard cheese, it gets like a good ripe soft cheese. There are quite a few “cheese” recipes on this site that don’t require the rejuvelac.
earthlings wrote on August 26, 2011
You can use rye kernels, unhulled millet, other grains and even brown rice to make rejuvelac instead of wheat.
Sandy W wrote on August 24, 2011
I have an intolerance to wheat. What other ingredients would suggest to substitute?
nadine wrote on July 20, 2011
what kind of flavor does this have? it looks like cheese but does it taste like cheese? I am new to this raw foods diet. Thanks. :o)
Susan wrote on July 20, 2011
It does not taste exactly like cheese. But…there are hundreds of types of cheese out there and they all taste different. It is a nut cheese with a very good flavor. It has the consistency of a spreadable cheese.
Tracy wrote on June 28, 2011
“Place the wheat berries and the water in a jar.” Should the jar be covered with a lid or open?
Susan wrote on June 29, 2011
Just put it in a jar. No lid. It is going to be fermenting.
Anna Helvie wrote on June 26, 2011
Hi, I do not have a vitamix (and am not likely to get one in the foreseeable future) — could I make this in my food processor? It’s new and fairly powerful.
Susan wrote on June 28, 2011
You could try but it won’t be as smooth. 🙂
Anne wrote on June 20, 2011
Kerri B. I was looking up how to make Rejuvelac. My first time too… here the link maybe help your quesiton. Enjoy. 🙂 http://www.ehow.com/how_2320602_make-rejuvelac.html