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Easy Fermented Nut Cheese is a great source of protein, fat and probiotics. This flexible recipe allows you to use your nut or seed of choice, based on what you like or your dietary requirements — delicious and perfect for vegan, plant based, paleo, GAPS, keto, low carb and Whole30 diets. Fermented Nut Cheese can also be taken one step further to make sliceable cheese. I give directions for both options below.
Jump to Recipe
Nut Cheese
Several years ago, when I first started getting excited about all things fermented, nut cheeses were the most magical endeavor I enjoyed in the kitchen. Nut cheeses continue to captivate our palette years later as we make them for customers in our cafes (and still for ourselves!), providing a source of probiotics, protein, whole nutrition and a method of predigesting nuts.
A nut cheese is a dairy-free ferment that tastes like cheese but is made from ground nuts or seeds and other ingredients.
Easy Fermented Nut Cheese is quickly whipped up in the blender. We use three steps: soak, purée, ferment.
The fermenting stage is not difficult or tricky, so don’t worry.
We simply add some easy-to-access probiotic goodness (think sauerkraut!) to a nut purée recipe. This mixture is packed into a mason jar or similar container, set out overnight in a warm spot and voila: We have a tangy, tempting ferment.
Your dairy-free cheese can be used as a vegan cream cheese or chèvre. It can be used as the centerpiece of an eclectic meal like hummus. It can be used in recipes.
For those who want a more sophisticated, sliceable cheese, the added step is fun and not difficult. You do need a dehydrator. I give more specifics below.
The Benefits of Fermenting Nuts
Nuts contain as much or more phytic acid as grains. Anyone who loves to eat peanut butter, nut butters or use nut flours is consuming high levels of phytic acid. Nut consumption can become problematic for those with GI distress who use nuts as a staple without first soaking or predigesting the nuts in some way. The same truths apply to seeds, which can also be estrogenic and high in lectins.
Our goal with predigestion is twofold: Make foods gentle to digest and increase the bio-availability of the nutrients.
Side benefit? Fermenting nuts and seeds is part of what makes them taste cheesy!
My family eats lots of nuts. Cutting down on phytic acid every time we eat means that we get more minerals out of our food, instead of the minerals being bound and unattainable by our bodies. Reducing phytic acid also means we aren’t wearing down our digestive mechanisms over time.
Fermentation is actually one of the best ways to predigest nuts and seeds, even more effective than soaking, although both can be used together, as we do in this recipe.
Fermented nut cheeses add creativity and gourmet enticement to an essential step.
First Soak
We soak nuts and seeds first to begin their predigestion.
Soaking in salt water changes the nut’s pH environment. The raw nut or seed transforms enzymatically from dormant to living.
The overnight soaking is easy: We mix water, salt and nuts in a bowl and let them sit out.
When we rinse away the soaking water, it is heartening to know how much good we’ve already done, even before taking the next step in fermentation. We can eat our creations with gusto, knowing they’re healthy, as well as being rich and indulgent in flavor.
Soaking nuts also softens them, which creates a smoother puréed nut-cheese base.
Ingredients
Nuts or Seeds
Cashews, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and pine nuts can be used in the recipes that follow. If your budget can stand it, macadamia nuts and pine nuts make GREAT cheeses, blond, creamy, and well-balanced in flavor.
Nuts like walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts have a nubbier outcome, less smooth. However, these cheeses have their own appeal, certainly delicious.
Keto or Low Carb? The best low carb nuts are pecans, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts. (Avoid cashews.)
Sauerkraut
What ignites the nut mixture to ferment? I like to use fermented vegetables. I always have some on hand, they’re healthy and flavorful and their wetness helps the blender to run smoothly.
Locally made fermented vegetables are available in most natural grocery stores. However, their probiotic count will vary. Although I live in Oregon, I once purchased a fermented vegetable product that had been handmade in California. Making a fermented nut cheese with it was the perfect test of its probiotic count. It took days to jump start the process. I knew not to buy that product again. The cultures could have died in transit or never been high. Be sure to buy a probiotic-rich, refrigerated sauerkraut product, or make your own.
Other Starters
Cooks’ starters vary. Any food that is high in probiotics and does not contain sugar can be used. (If you introduce sugar to the ferment you will grow unwanted yeasts instead of beneficial bacteria.)
Some nut cheese-makers like to use rejuvelac, a grain-based fermented beverage. Others actually use a high-quality probiotic pill emptied into their mix or organic miso paste. A quantity of your former cheese may also be used to help jump-start the process.
Variations
Below, in the Recipe Variations section, I give examples of how to be creative and add various ingredients that are tasty and nutritious.
Texture and Protection
To make firm sliceable cheese, we add coconut oil to our nut purée. Or if you can tolerate lactose-free dairy, ghee works well too.
These fats not only give added options with the shape and texture of our kitchen creations, they are also excellent for our immune systems. Fat helps to protect fragile probiotics, delivering them to lower parts of our intestinal tract unharmed.
There are three textures that you can choose from when making your cheese:
- One is a hummus-like texture. It’s the fastest, easiest method and delivers a mean sandwich spread or mezza-like garnish for any feast with bread or grain-free bread alternative.
- The second texture is a cheese that is firm enough to slice with a knife, an actual wheel. This method is described in detail below and involves the use of a dehydrator.
- The third and final texture is a combination of the above two. By adding a fat to your purée, that solidifies when it is cold, you can create a semi-firm goat cheese-like texture and even mold your soft cheese into a shape before it chills.
Fermented Nut Cheese — Vegan, Plant Based, Paleo, GAPS, Keto, Low Carb, Whole30, Probiotics
Equipment
- mason jar
- cheese cloth and strainer (optional)
- dehydrator (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cups macadamia nuts or raw walnuts or raw other nut or seed, *soaked and wet (See Recipe Notes for How-to)
- ½ cup fermented vegetables: sauerkraut or other, living with probiotics
- ¼ cup olive oil OR coconut oil if you plan to make a firm sliceable cheese
- 2 tablespoons tahini hulled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic crushed or minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in high-powered blender. Purée for about 50 seconds, until the mixture is smooth. Add a small amount of water, fermented vegetables, or olive oil if the mixture is too thick to blend (and process again).
- Pour the contents into a glass container that will hold almost twice the volume of what you’ve just produced. The low wide storage glass jars that come with their own rubber fitted lids work great. (Four-cup ball jars also work well for most of these recipes. But the wide mouth is important unless you have a really runny cheese. You don’t want the mixture smeared on the sides of the jar.) Once you’ve poured your cheese mixture in, depending on its lid type, do not seal the jar. You can loosely screw on a metal lid, (or the ring and insert), or cover certain kinds of glass jars with the rubber lids that they came with.
- Place the jar in a warm place (like the top of your dehydrator while it is running) for about a day and a half. The ferment will take longer in colder temperatures. Your nut cheese is fermented and ready to eat when the whole purée has risen and is filled with lots of air bubbles, like a sponge, but yummy looking. At this point, put the cheese into your fridge so it can chill and firm up.
- OPTIONAL FURTHER STEP- If you wish to dehydrate or chill your ferment to create a shaped, sliceable cheese, choose a “mold”; a small low bowl works great. Teeny dishes are fun too, if you want to make lots of individual cheeses.
- For the dehydrator method, line the small bowl or bowls with cheesecloth and spray the cheesecloth with coconut oil spray or just rub the cloth with olive oil. (I learned this method the hard way! The oil will prevent the dried cheese from sticking to the cloth. You want the cloth to peel away easily so that the outer rind looks pristine.)
- Place the bowl(s) into your dehydrator for about 12 hours, or up to 24 hours, until they can easily hold their own shape. Pop the cheese out of the bowl it was nesting in and peel off the cloth. Touch the exterior, gently pushing on the cheese, to decide if you want it even firmer, or very soft inside. If you want to get a more sliceable cheese, place your wheel back into the dehydrator by itself now, no bowl, no cloth, and continue to dehydrate it another 12-24 hours. When it’s done to your satisfaction, place it in the fridge to chill.
- OPTIONAL FURTHER STEP ALTERNATIVE– If you don’t have a dehydrator, you may want to strain your cheese before fermenting it; so think ahead. Here’s the method: Put the fresh pureée in a cheesecloth-lined colander; it can actually ferment like that, wrapped in the cloth (covered with the flaps), and set inside an appropriately sized bowl to catch the drips, and set in a warm place! Make sure, with this method, to include coconut oil or coconut cream in your recipe so that when it chills, it firms up.
- Once the recipe is fermented in the cheesecloth strainer, proceed as described above, placing it in a “mold” lined with cheesecloth, unsprayed this time, but olive oil is okay. Press the cheese into the bowl’s shape, smoothing the top, which will become the bottom, with a spatula, and chill for 6 hours or more. Unmold it onto a plate. Alternately, shape and roll the soft, drained cheese into a traditional log shape, as you’ve seen done with many goat cheeses.
- Garnish any cheese with a drizzle of oil, small, fresh, edible flowers, coarsely ground black, green or pink peppercorns, or fresh or dried herbs. Choose garnishes that will compliment the recipe you chose.
Notes
How to Soak Nuts or Seeds
For every 4 cups raw seeds or nuts, cover with room temperature filtered water by a full 2 inches, and 2 teaspoons sea salt. Stir to dissolve. Leave out overnight; then drain and rinse well. (For cashews and sunflower seeds, leave out to soak 2-6 hours, not overnight.)Nutrition
Sliceable Cheese — the process
The following images are older photos, but give you a visual for the process:
Image 1: Soft fermented seed cheese has been pressed into a mold, lined first with oiled cheesecloth.
Image 2: Bundles of probiotic-rich fermented seed cheese have been placed on the shelf of a dehydrator where they’ll firm up and become sliceable.
Image 3: Two molded, sliceable cheeses are pictured with soaked wet sunflower seeds in the background, which went into making them.
Recipe Variations & Ingredients
Picture what a few possible recipe variations could look and taste like:
One is yellow with little seeds in it, tasting of India and complex curries. One is pale, like hummus, earthy in flavor and addictively delectable with subtle garlic, sea salt, and sesame seeds playing in your mouth. Another can be dehydrated after being strained, wrapped in cheesecloth, and rubbed with oil. It will be sliceable in a few days, like a firm goat cheese. It is creamy in color and tangy.
There is great versatility in the textures, flavors and uses of this food.
All seeds and nuts will work.
The visual process is exciting. You can watch your nut cheeses ferment by putting them in clear glass containers. The ferments will expand with air bubbles and rise, and you will know that you’re succeeding in your process.
Below I share several other cheese recipes (their ingredients) that I make. Each one has a different flavor profile or theme with various fun ingredients. You can, of course, use whatever you have on hand and create your own combinations of flavors. The following recipe variations can be used with the instructions given above in the main recipe.
Italian Walnut
- 2 cups walnuts, raw, soaked and wet
- ½ cup fermented vegetables, homemade or store-bought from a reliable source
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ cup oil-cured olives, or other favorite gourmet olive
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- a few drops lemon oil or 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Israeli Walnut
- 2 cups walnuts, raw, soaked and wet
- ½ cup fermented vegetables, homemade or store-bought from a reliable source
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil or 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- a few drops orange oil, (optional) or 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Can you see the textural difference? Here’s the fermented nut cheese. It actually collapsed two inches before I took the picture, like a cooling souffle, while in the fridge chilling, but you can still see the bigger air pockets and how it’s changed. All the air bubbles and the sponge-like appearance tell you it’s done. - ½ teaspoon sea salt
Indian Hazelnut
- 1 ¾ cups hazelnuts, raw, soaked and wet
- ½ cup fermented vegetables, homemade or store-bought from a reliable source
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon organic red palm oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, depending on taste
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- (up to 1/2 cup filtered water, as needed to allow the blender to process)
Classic
- 2 cups sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, or pine nuts, raw, soaked and wet
- ½ cup fermented vegetables, homemade or store-bought from a reliable source
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Asian Cheese
- 2 cups Brazil nuts, raw, soaked and wet
- ½ cup fermented vegetables, homemade or store-bought from a reliable source
- ½ cup filtered water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, preferably black sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut amino acids
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon dulse
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin organic coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon high quality organic fermented miso paste
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
Conclusion
- Fermented nut cheeses are gentle to digest.
- Fermenting makes nutrients more bio-available. Nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, garlic, fats, anything you add to the mix will be more powerful nutritionally. 🙂
- Fermented nut cheeses are delicious and versatile! Make a feast with fermented nut cheeses or simply enjoy them as a wholesome, nutrient-dense snack.
Charlotte says
Hi Megan,
My name is Charlotte and I am the author being It’s me, Charlotte, which focuses on producing content about grain-free & primal living 🙂 I’m also a student at the U of O and am currently taking a journalistic interview class. Currently I am conducting a series of interviews on diet related topics and would love to have an angle from someone who is focused on eating nutrient dense foods. Would you be open to letting me interview you? It would be a casual 30 minutes interview 🙂 If you’re interested, please let me know how I could contact you (I have checked the box for follow-up comments so I will check back.)
Looking forward to hearing from you!!
Charlotte
P.S. I’m a big fan of Vanilla Jill’s and found your blog through their facebook page 🙂
meganseanastevens says
Hi Charlotte,
I’d love to. If you email me at [email protected] we can set up a time! Thanks for your interest.
Best, Megan
Joe says
Hi Megan, Thank-you for this info.
I’m not sure if my first message got through.
I have a quick question about the fermented nut cheeses.
Can I use Raw unfiltered Apple C. Vinegar in place of fermented veggies to start with? (I know it would mess with the finished consistency) Have you heard of anyone doing this as an alternative to start the starter for future “Cheeses”.
What are your thoughts on that?
Thanks.
Megan Stevens says
Hi Joe, thanks for the question. While raw ACV has a mother/scoby that ferments and produces it, I have never used ACV to inoculate something else other than switchel. I have read some about inoculating with the inside stem of a hot chili pepper. That might be something that interests you? Do you have a dietary restriction or just hoping to use the ACV? It would be a fun experiment…
Joe says
No, I have no diatery restrictions but I was wanting to start a batch of these cheeses and not have to find some fermented veggies. Not a big deal though; will store bought sourkrout be a fine replacement, (assuming its alive of course.)
I am surprised you did not think it would work… I am currently doing a fermented cooked bean dip recipe from online which said I could use Raw A.C.V. to get it working.
But I couldn’t find sources for fermenting nut meats online except for your site.
Thanks for your for thoughts though.
Megan Stevens says
Let me know how it goes if you ever try ACV. 🙂
Nandarani33 says
http://www.wildfermentationforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&p=6796 on using apple cider vinegar to start a ferment.
JoAnn M Lakes says
Very interesting information. I use kefir whey when i don’t have any lacto ferments from veggies I can use. Like today, when all my ferments are highly seasoned and won’t work in the cheeses flavorings I am planning.
[email protected] says
Megan,
I cannot tell you what a blessing your site had been. I have been studying nutrient dense diets for 30 years but yet still seem to find something useful and instructive on your site. THANK YOU. Question about the above: can you use whey (homemade from raw milk) as your inoculant. Also an unrelated question about raw cheese: isn’t it true that alot of cheese labeled raw, are not actually raw and finally we do drink organic wine. I am looking for unpasteurized organic wine and never see that on any labels. How is one able to distinguish the “unpasteurized” part.
Roberta
Megan Stevens says
Hi Roberta, I’m so glad you enjoy the site; thank you! I haven’t used whey with fermented nut mixtures, so I can’t speak from experience. Theoretically it would work, yes. Regarding raw cheese, I’m not familiar with the issue you’re referring to, unless it’s a discrepancy with the cheese-making milk being heated to too high of a temperature to be regarded as raw? I also don’t know enough about unpasteurized wine. I’d love to learn more. Sorry to not be of any help on these subjects! I guess homemade is still best! 😉
lucchio says
Hi Megan
Although it’s 2 years ago the fact about unpasterized wine remains the same .They have to pasteurize it to stop the fermentation process, if they would not the bottles would burst,. the only way you would find unpasteurized wine is if you know someone who’s a home brewer of small non-commercial batches.
Aga Maros says
I am confused, Should I sealing the jar for fermentation. Or leave it open so air gets in but it’s covered by a cloth?
Megan Stevens says
Hi Aga, it depends which method you choose. If you have a firmer cheese you’re fermenting, then just wrap the cloth over the top and allow it to ferment. If you’re pouring the puree into a jar, then put the lid on loosely.
Vege-tater says
Phytates aren’t so undesirable after all…
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/phytates-for-the-prevention-of-cancer/
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/new-mineral-absorption-enhancers-found/
Cheui says
Thank you. Thank you. I’ve been making fermented vegetable for years, but as I get older, realized that I may be lacking protein and my digestion is not optimal and fermented nut cheese seems to be the answer.
Megan Stevens says
Wonderful, I’m so glad!! Enjoy! 🙂
Cheui says
One more question. Does the nut have to be raw to ferment into nut cheese? I discovered that due to the processing of cashews, there are no raw cashews. http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawcashew.html Is it possible even though the nut is not raw. My major concern is digestibility. Thank you.
Megan Stevens says
Yes, that’s exactly right! Cashews are never raw, yet fermenting makes them more digestible. My suspicion is that fermenting will pre-digest any nut, but that raw is best.
Cheui says
Thank you. I’m off to buy nuts. Can’t wait to try them.
Megan Stevens says
Yay, wonderful!! 🙂
Yvonne Forsman says
Am I blind or didn’t you bother to say what temp the dehydrator should be on?
Gudrun Schindler says
I was wondering the same thing.
Theresa Currie says
I read on another site that you could make a cream cheese substitute with cashews., actually saw some in our local Sprouts store. It was a bit expensive, so I thought I’d check it out to see if I could make it. Is it comparable with real cream cheese for baking, like cheesecake???
Megan says
Theresa, you’re in luck because I have a wonderful dairy-free fermented cheesecake recipe: https://eatbeautiful.net/2015/02/23/dairy-free-fermented-cheesecake-egg-free-gaps-friendly/ That’s the best approach, IMO. If you first make vegan cheese and then try to follow a baked cheesecake recipe I don’t feel confident that you’ll have the same success. So, a slightly different approach.
In general, if you make vegan cheese, yes you can bake with it: like to make a vegan manicotti, for example. But I usually use it more like a spread or filling and don’t heat it again. I like the probiotics in the cheese and find there are other ways to work with it to serve it warm without baking it.
Theresa Currie says
I ‘m new to all this. Having to remove dairy from my diet to to health issues. I have heard that you can make a cream cheese substitute from nuts. If so could you use it in baking, as cream cheese frostings or cheesecake, and if so how would you go about making it?
Megan says
Hi Theresa, welcome to all this! 😉 Glad to have you here. Yes, you can make cream cheese from nuts! I recommend my cookbook which has many dairy-free recipes, including dairy-free cream cheese: https://eatbeautiful.net/my-cookbook/ The least expensive way to buy the cookbook is the ebook, through Amazon, or through the link I provided which includes videos. If that’s not helpful, you can certainly make a version of this recipe excluding the garlic and adding liquid sweetener AFTER the ferment is done. For sweet cheeses, you’ll also want to inoculate your ferment with a living probiotic instead of sauerkraut. So, in other words, it’s a bit of work if you’re a beginner, which is why the cookbook might be more helpful. But have fun with whatever you choose. Dairy-free can be pretty fun with all the options. 🙂
Gudrun Schindler says
Okay, showing my ignorance here. What is tahini? I looked at amazon and it comes as paste or ground or as seed. Which one do I need for this recipe?
Megan says
Hi Gudrun, my bad. 🙂 I should have talked about it in the post and linked to the product. I have added the link now. Here’s the one to get or one that is similar: https://amzn.to/2KfZXhN The main thing is that it needs to be “hulled”. Tahini is a seed butter made from sesame seeds. I hope the link to the product answers your question. Cheers!
Kim says
What could I substitute for tahini/sesame in the recipes here that call for it? Thank you….going to try. They look delicious!!!
Megan says
Great Kim!! You can use 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, if you don’t get symptoms from it, one like this that is unfortified (not yellow in color): https://amzn.to/2GMC1Av I don’t use it in my primary recipe because it’s a man-made food that contains free glutamic acid (MSG), not as an ingredient but as a result of the manufacturing process, that some people get symptoms from. But if you don’t, nutritional yeast provides the right flavor profile. If you can’t have it or tahini, I’d increase the garlic, add some cumin and look at the recipes below the main recipe to see what other ingredients appeal to you. Enjoy the process and outcome!! 🙂
Kim says
Thank you……that is the brand of nutritional yeast I use all the time. I appreciate the help!!! 🙂
Megan says
You’re welcome, happy to help! 🙂
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
I realized that I might need to stay away from dairy for awhile. I need to try this!
Raia Todd says
I have tons of walnuts, I will definitely be giving this a try…
Megan says
Great Raia! I love walnuts! Enjoy.
ChihYu says
Such a great and healthy way to enjoy cheese! And it can be used in so many dishes or as a tasty snack!
STACEY CRAWFORD says
Wow, this is genius! I can’t wait to try it. I’ve only had cashew cheese before.
Megan says
Great Stacey! Enjoy and thanks for your sweet comment. 🙂
Erin says
Oh, wow. You put a ton of effort into this post! I can totally appreciate how much time it must have taken. And this looks so interesting. I did a lot of fermenting while on AIP and GAPS (at the same time! Not fun.) but gave up on it after the doctor told me no more fermented anything for a while. It’s been a long while now so maybe it’s time to get started again. 🙂
Megan says
I’ve had similar breaks from fermentation. But I always find it makes me so happy to come back to it … because we’re really creating something new and unique each time. There is the creative element, and presenting it to loved ones is fun. It brings back old ways and the real celebration and enjoyment of homemade foods. Thanks Erin for your comment. I hope you get to make fermented cheese soon and that it feels good in your body! 🙂
Hope says
I actually really like nut cheeses (which is good as I can’t eat a lot of dairy) so I am so excited to give this fermented version a go!
Megan says
Great Hope! I’d love to hear how it goes.
Jean Choi says
Whoa what a genius recipe! I love nut cheese but I never thought to make it at home (other than cashew cheese). This is so much cheaper than the store bought version, and I bet way tastier too!
Zuzana says
I had no idea you can make cheese out of nuts and sauerkraut. I am for sure going to try and make this. Whole family loves sauerkraut and I am sure this would be a perfect addition to out food list. thanks for this awesome post with all of the explanations
paleoglutenfreeguy says
Whoa. Thank you for all this info. I’ve thought about making my own nut cheese and this post will be the perfect guide.
Mirlene says
I am really looking forward to making this – I was thinking of finding a high-in-protein recipe that would be flexible in terms of special ingredients, and here it is! Love it!
Linda says
I love cheese and never had this fermented nut cheese before, but you really got me at macadamia nuts. Can’t wait to try this superb recipe!
Jenni LeBaron says
I’ve never made my own cheese, but this recipe looks wonderful. I especially like the sound of the Indian hazelnut cheese.
easyketodishes says
OH MY! I needed a good homemade cheese! I think I will try this with macadamia nuts first, then pecans. Or pecans then macadamia. Or both. 🙂
Megan says
Haha, enjoy! 😉
Asa says
Thank you so much for this detailed recipes. I am now really into all kind of fermatation and it is so fun!
I want to ask one thing on the process.
Now I am making nuts cheese with cashew nuts. It seems lifiting up with bubbles…. but the smell is laquar thinner when I open the lid… Is it nomal? Or something went wrong?
If I could get some tips for this, I am very appliciated.
Thank you again !
Megan says
Hi Asa, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the process! 🙂 I’m sorry, I don’t understand “laquar thinner”. I think you are referring to paint thinner? No, it shouldn’t smell like paint thinner. But it will smell like a really strong ferment: think of yogurt, fermented sauerkraut and cheese smells. I hope that helps!
Asa says
Thank you for your reply! And sorry for my bad English (spell…) Yes, it was painting thinner smell. Totally different from sauerkraut..
Thank you for your sharing again, it helps a lot ?
Megan says
I’m so glad, and you’re welcome! 🙂
Susanne Wright says
Hi Megan,
I tried the recipe above and while the flavor is delicious it did not ferment or get bubbly at all. Zero. I used raw sauerkraut in the refrigerator section. Is this different from fermented sauerkraut? Should it state that it’s fermented on the label?
Thank you,
Susanne Wright
Megan says
Hi Susanne, thanks for the question, and I’m glad you like the flavor. Did you use a warming mat or a warm, steady environment to ferment? If you did, and still no fermentation occurred, then it is likely the kraut you bought didn’t have enough (or any) live probiotics in it. Some companies are not careful to create a probiotic product, or protect their product during packaging and transit to stores. It’s best to find one that you know is living. Not all good companies use the word fermented, though, on the label; they will likely have other information though that hints at the company’s mission or quality. You can either buy a few over time and assess their quality by eating them or ask around for a good one. It should taste very zippy, tart, strong and tangy when you eat it, and some will even have some bubbles when you open them, although this is not necessary. The tarter the product, the more probiotics. Also, they will always have salt as the brine, never vinegar. I hope this helps for next time.
Susanne Wright says
Thank you Megan, this helps a lot. While the raw sauerkraut I bought is tasty it is mild in tone, not zippy. I will try another brand. Also, while I thought the top of the water heater would be warm, the cheese was cold when I removed it from the cheesecloth and that struck me as a problem. I will sort out a better place to ferment. I am determined to get this right! Thank you so much for replying to me! –Susanne
Kalo says
Hi
I just wanted to ask what will happen if almonds are used? Do you not recommend them?
Megan says
Hi Kalo, yes, you can use them. They’re crunchy, as far as nuts go, so they just need to be soaked first. I typically avoid almonds because I don’t like to overdo the omega 6s in them (and because of water use + pesticide sourcing issues when they come from California). But they will work fine.
Jan says
Megan, I love your creativity! Thanks for another great recipe! I let it ferment the full 48 hours for full tangy flavor. So far, I’ve made the spreadable version. A great addition is garlic chives–makes a lovely herby green cheese packed with garlicy flavor. Reminds me of the flavors of garlic scape pesto and of blue cheese which I used to enjoy when I ate dairy. In my latest batch, I added powdered mushroom, a nice 10-mushroom blend packed with nutritional benefits. That cheese seems a bit “softer” in flavor, not quite so sharp, but oh so delicious. Nice on a cassava flat bread, and I’m thinking a schmear would taste great on a simple burger patty.
I’ve only made the cheese using hemp seeds (sensitive to many nuts). And it’s super fast since I don’t need to soak the hemp seeds, is that correct?
Megan says
Hi Jan, yes, that’s correct about the hemp seeds. I’m SO happy to hear about your wonderful cheeses. They sound amazing and fun! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Lyubka says
I haven’t tried your recipe but I have been making fermented nut cheese based on a recipe found on the Internet years ago. I love the idea of fermenting for the tangy taste which is typical for feta and other cheese and also for the nutritional values of fermented foods. I use a combination of miso and probiotics.
I find that cashews provide the texture I like the most and is closest to the cheesy taste i am used to. It sticks less than macadamia but probably is heavier on the digestive system.
I learned from your recipe the tips about using salt in the soaking process and oiling the cheese cloth. Will apply them next time. I didn’t know about nutritional yest turning into MSG and will try without it.
I also like using chopped organic sundried tomatoes to flavour some of my cheese and some sesame seeds to coat some the wheels. As you suggest there is an endless range of fresh and dry herbs and other ingredients to chose from and experiment. Thanks for this recipe!
Megan says
Hi Lyubka, thanks for your additions and ideas! So glad this is helpful! 🙂
Ilana Rosenfeld says
Hi Megan,
I’ve learned a lot from you that I didn’t from anybody else. Thank you. We do what we know to be healthy – and then find out that it is not!
My question: Do I need to soak and grind hulled sesame seeds or is it enough to put them in fermented food like Kefir overnight? …if that’s enough it can save a lot of time…
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Ilana
Megan says
Hi Ilana, thank you for your sweet comments, and so glad to be helpful. No, you do not need to soak hulled sesame seeds first, YAY! 😉 Grinding them is up to you.
Katie Blass says
Hi Megan
I have been soaking chia and hemp seeds in filtered water (no salt) for 10-15 hours, thinking that this would decrease the phytates/ lectins. But I just learned from your post that it doesn’t. I have a bad reaction to fermented foods so I can’t make nut/seed cheese. Would it work to soak the seeds in salty water that I have added some probiotic to it? This combines 2 of your steps so one step only takes overnight and I would drain and rinse in the morning.
Thanks
Katie
Megan says
Hi Katie, yes, you could do this, but if you add probiotic, you are starting a fermentation, so I don’t think that will agree with you? How about just a little salt in the water? Or perhaps just the overnight with probiotic will not bother you, in which case, Yes! 🙂
samuel centore says
Hi! I realize you posted this a while ago!
But I was wondering as I’ve had my cashew cheese out for a couple days, and it hasn’t really taken off. Is it safe to leave it out until it forms substantial bubbles? Or is there a limit on how long you should leave the jar so that some weird mold doesn’t form.
Thank you and appreciate the super in depth recipe!
Megan says
Hi and happy to help, it depends on the batch and situation. At some point, you could certainly have a failed ferment that will just go bad (3 to 4 days), so it may need to be tossed. But if you notice this within the first 2 days, that it’s just not taking off, you can try stirring in a different probiotic and/or increasing the warmth around the nut puree. I hope you have success!
Kathy says
Hi,
Thank you for the detailed and informative recipe. Do you know if kombucha will work in the recipe? It is my favorite source of probiotics!
Megan says
Hi Kathy, no, it won’t, good question. Kombucha’s probiotics are the most fragile/least stable and do not work well for most ferments.